We are often asked by visitors which month is the warmest here in Liberia. The answer is: “the first three months you arrive.” After that is just becomes a fact of life. That being said, March can be rather hot. March can also be dry or wet. Once again it is a month of change, from the dry season of little moisture to the rainy season. Each morning we do not know what to expect when we leave our air conditioned bedroom. It may feel like a blast furnace or a relatively comfortable 78 degrees (always with some humidity, though).
March is the month we usually start painting the exteriors of buildings here. The exteriors walls get painted every eighteen months. On a morning when rain has fallen during the night, the maintenance guys wash walls the till noon and then paint until quitting time. In the other months, it is either too wet or too dusty from the dirt road to paint.
The month of March has two holidays here. This year they came one day apart. The kids went to school Monday and Tuesday; then had Wednesday off. Back to school on Thursday and then off again on Friday. This gives every employee the chance to show their work ethic. “Do I get up and go to work on Thursday, or do I call in sick and take a three day vacation?” There are always those who opt for the latter which keeps us well versed on how to do all the jobs as we cover for “sick” employees.
A holiday means that it is time to do something special with the kids. It was decided to do a beach walk on Friday. Going to the beach is always fun. Babs helps the kitchen staff pack a lunch (like one hundred sandwiches and lots of cookies) and there are plastic bags available for the kids to save those special sea shells. To Dave’s chagrin, for some kids, the sea shells are not the main thing anymore. Older boys want to bury large logs in the sand and chase sand crabs into the surf; and then a few of the older girls are on the lookout for that special male day student who is “so cute!” Dave is not too excited about dealing with Jr. High girls and all those emotional fluctuations.
We also celebrate three birthdays in March: Miatta, Darris , and Romeo all turned seven this year. Babs tells them that the most special people are born in March! (Can you guess what month she was born in?)
This year, Good Friday and Easter also fall in March. Most churches will have Good Friday services, beginning at noon and ending at 3:00pm. The mothers will take the children to church, and most families will leave the village by 10:00am, in order to get to church on time. And, of course, Easter Sunday will be a special day in every church. March is one busy month!
