Oretha left before the end of the year to attend a Discipleship Training School to return as long term staff…hopefully that will happen for her!
For some reason, not sure how, Oretha got the idea that I was a bad boss or not a good man…hmmm maybe they (the long term staff) were talking about some other chief cook/galley manager before I came and she thought it was me. But after she got over the initial shock of me being more crazy and fun than mean she was well on her way to enjoying her time in the kitchen.
The above picture is Oretha and I after I received my Africa Shirt (made locally – with fresh fold lines still in it! hahaha!) at which time she expressed for herself and representing the other day workers in food service many kind words for me being her boss and the fun they had working with me. Definitely a great time and gift for me. I think I would be more proud of enjoying working and learning from them as they learned from me more than I ever would winning a food contest/competition and getting a trophy…I just could not see it being as fulfilling.
Oretha has one of those real serious looking faces (just like Jemima) that breaks into one of the biggest grins. Oretha and Ophelia are actually related. Oretha is Ophelia’s aunt. Earlier this year Oretha’s sister (Ophelia’s mom) passed away…it was a hard time for both of them and neither of them wanted to miss a day of work. They needed the money to help the family. Financially several of us helped out the best we could and time is helping heal the rest.
Oretha was the ward cook on the opposite cooking rotation from Ophelia…sometimes these two could fight/argue like nothing you’ve ever seen and then start laughing when I came to quiet them down. This only happened when one of them came to the ship to do extra work on the same day the other was working…like getting money to go to the market to get local food to cook for the patients. Who else is going to know better how to maneuver the market and negotiate/barter prices?
Oretha came for the last work day on the ship to make her presentations and give away her African shirts to Peter and I, since Peter was the big boss-my boss, he got two shirts! Korpo helped her and assisted in pulling the shirts over our big head!
Oretha, if your reading this I miss those spicy beans you cooked for the patients…send me the recipe!
