Mater Hospital, Afikpo, Nigeria: Letter to Nancy Timoney 22nd Dec. 1953

Monday 22^nd Dec. 1953

My Room

It's much bigger than it looks here – there is plenty of room for the wardrobe which isn't quite finished for me yet also there is a big screen (like a hospital screen) in the room. I think I'll probably use it to divide the room into a sitting room on one half and move the furniture about a bit. There is linoleum on the floor but I'll gather a few raffia mats and things later on at the markets maybe.

I'm doing this in bed. It's Monday morning 7.0a.m!!! People seem to have been on the move for the past one and a half hours. It's just like a very early, very fine morning at home and the general impression is of a farmhouse. There are hens cackling, birds singing and the cat and kitten kicking up a dust. The cat started a terrible racket about 5.0a.m. and whereas at home we'd all say, that so and so cat, here one says that but also looks apprehensively at the window as it just might not be the cat but anything and the windows are all wide to the world. The roof of the house is about two feet from the walls all along so that one can hear all that goes on in every room. WL – the Sisters next door turn in bed or sigh. Its just like the same dorm as we're all one for two feet at the top!

I can't draw 3D as you may notice so I can't draw the mosquito net on the bed.

There are 4 sticks on the corners of the bed just sticking up in the air about 1 yard long. I must say I feel terrific under the net and very safe and like Lady Muck in the last century sitting up in a draperied bed! I bring anything I'm likely to want in under the net with me – torch, watch, water etc. as its a nuisance to have to get out untuck yourself and then tuck – again.

Dec 30^th, 1953

Mater Hospital
Afikpo

My dearest Mammy and all,

I did the above in a mood one day I hope you can read it. Well Christmas went off very well indeed here. We had 15 for Christmas dinner – Fathers from all the Bush Missions for miles around. We had a sing song and it was good gas. The Sisters here are a terrific lot – 4 of them.  Sr Patrick I/C – She was a foundation member of the ? and is out here for about 15 years altogether. Sr Immaculata is all we heard she was. Sr Jude, the pharmacist, is lovely and Sr. Ambrose, the Domestic Economist, I know well, as she came out with me on the boat. The mission is in the Compound a few hundred yards down the road. There are two fathers permanently there, Fr. Bradley and Fr. MacNamara. Godfrey's little house is right us against the Mission house. He has a bedroom and sitting room & a little spare room for visitors. He has his meals in the Mission with the Fathers.

Afikpo is about the nicest spot in these parts – its a bit hilly in contrast to the flat acres and acres of bush, on sees otherwise. The heat is not at all as bad or oppressive as it was on the boat and its quite bearable. We even had a nice little breeze this morning. I can sleep and eat very well and that's quite important out here.

Godfrey is in great form, he's a bit thinner but is very fit D.V. He came down to Port Harcourt to meet the boat. They all said it was the first time they had seen him go anywhere for a few days so it was a change for him anyhow.




We arrived in Port Harcourt on Fri 18th, about 12.30am and set off for Anua – 80 miles approx. - a few of the Anua Sisters met us also. We stayed the night in Anua. Jerry Twomey was asking for you all. He seems to be getting on OK there. Sr. (Dr.) Luke is there now too and Dr. Griffin and his wife (?).

(Photo: Dr. Emily Timoney, Fr. Tom Gilmore (Wicklow Monastery Kiltegan Fathers), Dr. Jerry Twomey)

The next day we came to Afikpo about 160 miles from Anua - were we filthy when we arrived. I was practically a red-head from the red laterite off the roads (its a sort of red sand) but the road isn't too bad. The insects, millions of varieties, flying, creeping and crawling are the worst thing here I think – but I believe you get used to everything – at the moment I'm eaten alive and it's rub and scratch all the time – rub – some ointments or creams etc. I carry a tube round in my pocket but even now I'm getting used to it & they get tired biting you much when you're here awhile they say. I'm glad I have the mosquito nets, they're quite essential up here. I've just seen one snake so far, it just snaked across the road in front of the car the other morning. We always carry torches at night – just in case.

We start work immediately after mass -> 6.30am and breakfast roughly about 7.30am – theatre, the ward rounds, then Dispensary – I'm getting used to the interpreter's System now. Sometimes there are as many as 4 or 5 inbetween interpreters for the different languages before it finally comes to us. Bush English is quite a definite language also. Their Old Testament and Catechism in Bush English is a scream. Well, the dispensary goes on till about 2 or 3 pm, then lunch, siesta, ward round and amuse yourself until dinner about 8pm, then rosary about 9.0 and ward round – finish. Finish is a great word here after everything practically.

Tell Mrs McPeake this one. She wanted to know what they wear – Well one Father described it like this - “a pair of glasses, finish!” - and that's about it. Some of them wear a loin cloth and a string of beads for the ladies or nothing at all (except paint maybe). A string of beads and 2 or 3 rubber bands about 1” diameter, 2 blue and a red or vice versa round their hips.

I was out several days at Bush clinics – It's a whole day's work – Waste? - leaving early in the am and coming back filthy at night. One day we did 107 miles. There is one Bush we go to once a month I believe and stay 2 nights – we'll be going there some day soon.

Now about the cakes, pudding etc. No joking they were really good & came in very useful as they send round Christmas cakes to each of the Convents from Anua & there was one short this time, also they had no pudding here so there was quite a cheer for it. The shortbread is almost finished now but it was a terrific standby all over Christmas as there were Fathers coming & going all the time for cups of tea. Sr. Ambrose (the housekeeper) said it was a Godsend for her & Sr Immaculata said to tell you we all made “little” of it! Literally.

Sr. Ambrose put nice wicker work white icing on over the almond about 2 days before Christmas & we dolled it up in the frills & Santys etc. Over Christmas Eve we rushed through work & the Fathers and Godfrey came over to help with the deocorations. While they were doing that I started on the Christmas tree & then they helped me later. We used Willie Parker's coloured candles – tied them on to the tree & also used them on the table for Christmas Dinner. As I said we had 15 & the place really looked Christmassy. I got (or took on) the job of decorating the table. They produced check tablecloths for me but I upped in arms at that & got some white sheets then put a strip of holly paper down the middle, tinsel, crackers, etc. & the candle stands for Benediction from the Chapel & a row of single candles as well.

It gets dark here between 6pm & 6.30pm. So it was pitch when we were having dinner & we lit all the candles on table & tree – very nice. Better not tell what we did with the candles, they might have thought we'd use them on the altar but they did a pretty good job as it was!

The Holy Child Convent (“the Mothers” -> they're all called Mother) is across the road on a hill opposite here. They're mostly American & they have a lovely place. They get terrific things from America. On Christmas Eve they sent over a huge box done up like a Chimney with red & white paper in a brick pattern & Sentry on top. It was filled with presents for the 5 of us here, all sorts of knick-knacks, that could only be American wrapped up in gorgeous paper & lovely ribbons..

We had midnight mass, at the school. There was a big crowd at it & it was a lovely sight to see them all going off in the moonlight afterwards – rows of bush lights making their way deep into the Bush. After mid-night mass we came back & opened our parcels. I got a beautiful piece of blue flowered organdy (dress length) from the Sisters here. The Anua Sisters sent up presents too & I got a set of Yardley stuff – box of soap, toilet water, talcum powder. I got a miscellancy of things from Godfrey – a native leather type of bag containing the things. There were presents from the Fathers too.

In the middle of the party of Christmas night the Mothers sent over a huge box of gifts for each one there – all toys big & small that wound up & did funny things. We had great gas with them.

On Sunday 27^th we had Christmas Dinner (Turkey & ham of course) at the Mission with the Fathers & on the following Tues we went to the Mothers and had them back yesterday 1^st Jan. We went to Abakaliki (Leper Settlement) 45 miles away on Wed last & there met also Fr Davis who is the school's supervisor up here. When I arrived he sent a wire to Godfrey saying “Be nice to cousin Emily” (Anonymous) but they guessed who sent it. He says he met you on the train about Athlone, in 1946 – do you remember Mammy? or is he joking?

I forgot to tell you I had two wires waiting in P. Harcourt when I arrived, one from the Bishop (Msg. McGettrick) & from Godfrey saying “Welcome to Nigeria”.

Obudu is not quite ready yet but I'm to go up there about end of February or so. Its about 200 or 190 miles from here & is the most northern & furthest “bush” of the Missions but everyone says its a lovely spot for serenity. Sr Immaculata said they were keeping every old thing & bad nurses etc. “for Obudu” before I came & they'd been promising Godfrey a holiday when I came but now they've changed the whole tune. She said when they saw I wasn't an Amazon as they had imagined! They're giving me one of the best nurses D.V. (Male - Francis) for the theatre so that's something. Sr. Im. said Denis Freeman has been begging for him for years!

The road to Obudu is very bad I believe. I was to have gone up to Ogoja where Msg. Mc.Gettrick is for this weekend & on up from there to see Obudu but we've no spare tyre & it is too risky.

The other day when we were going to Abakaliki - 45 miles away – (we left about 10.30am) we crossed on the Pontoon ok & then the car, which had to go through a bit of water, would not start. We were about 2 hours waiting while they tinkered at the car. Fr. Quigley & an engineer who is working on a new bridge there finally got it going. We set off again & then met a lorry & they held us up & said they had a dying man – I had a look at him (Godfrey was not with us!) & we set off again & got there, hours later than we calculated. On the way back we got a puncture and had to change to the spare & finally got home.

Now a little word about the Báw-thing facilities. (“We bawth a lot you know”!) The bath house is a stone house outside opposite the back door with W.C. (wooden) & about 4 stoned off compartments – stone walls & stone floor containing a big tin bath (with 3-4” of water – water is hard to come by!) a little stool & towel rail. It's extraordinary how knacky one gets at soaping up & rinsing off & even plunging in to 4” & get really clean. The only way is to be sure that nothing else has decided to have a bath – some nameless creepy-crawly.

Now as this is siesta time & I've only ½ hr left & I may not get time to finish this again I'll close for the moment. Don't be alarmed if letters are erratic – I like this place O.K. & have a feeling I'll keep quite fit here D.V. and I'm not a scrap worried so you need not be. Just pray that I can do enough work to justify my existence please.

Lots of love to all

Emily

P.S.
My clothes are all terrific & just what I would choose if coming again - many thanks.  I wore the nylon one (blue & white), the spotty red voile & the nursery rhyme blue & white on the 1st 3 days - on the 4th day I was going to Bush & Godfrey said "now its dusty & dirty going to Bush so wear something sensible".  On my raising my eyebrows he said - yes not the one you wore (thinking) -> yesterday or the day before, yes wore the day before so now we pull his leg over the 'sensible' dress'.  "Is this sensible enough?

I'll write to Mrs H. soon D.V. Let Áine & the lads read this it will save repetition, love Emily