Much-needed escape to Zambia

Hello, again. This is intended to be a quick post to let everyone know that I'm alive and in one piece, somewhat against the odds after the ordeal I had Sunday night with the Gardener. Without giving all the ugly details, let's just say he went too far this time. How? Let me count the ways:

1) He got drunk again, less than a week after his 'sincere' promise to quit drinking after last weekend's incident.

2) He chased and violently threatened his wife into my home.

3) He chased and threatened Deliwe and I inside my home.

4) He did all of these things in front of his two sons (again, for the 2nd time in a week), whom I had to 'shelter' in my bedroom during an hour-long ordeal).

5) When I managed to get him out of the house, he harrassed us by yelling into the windows about how his wife Dorothy was 'a prostitute,' cheating on him with his best friend, and that somehow Deliwe was involved in this (clearly a bunch of nonsense induced by strong homemade liquor, a vivid imagination, and maybe some other substances--very strange, disturbing, and scary).

I managed to contact Mr. Banda (Housing Director) in the midst of all this, who brought a driver and security guard to restrain Harold and take him to the Police Station. The following morning (Monday 12 May), Deliwe, Dorothy, Harold's 'accused' friend, and I went to the police station and filed reports. I'll try to tell more about that experience in a later post. It was very interesting in many ways.

Oh, ya, I almost forgot-- after Harold was taken in, we realized his young daughter Miracle was locked inside his house and there was no key. We had to go to the police station to try to get it from him (as he had locked the door somehow during his rage--before I'd come home from the office), but he didn't have it. We ended up having to get a DCE driver to wake up the carpenter at around 11:30 p.m. to come and break into the house (since there's no spare key). Of course, Dorothy found the key in their bathroom the next morning... apparently they'd forgotten to look there the night before...

As far as I know, Harold is still in police custody. He no longer works for me, nor is he allowed on my property. Mr. Banda also plans to make sure he does not work for any DCE staff on campus again.

Needless to say, the entire thing was not only traumatic, but incredibly embarrassing for the public nuisance it caused. Please wish all of us luck in dealing with the aftermath, and in our hopes that Harold indeed stays away. We do have security guards on campus whom Mr. Banda has requested pay special attention to our property for the remainder of my stay here.

The sad thing is the kids. I'll really miss them, and I'm worried sick about them. For now, Dorothy will be staying with her mother, but likely Harold will join her again before long, and the cycle is likely to continue. For their (the kids' and Dorothy's) sake, I hope something gets done about it. Again, more later on the futility of this wish on my part.

For now, the good news is that I'm leaving town for a few days, headed to Lilongwe and then to Zambia for a quick safari ending Sunday, 18 May. I think I mentioned this in my last post. During this time, please send good vibes our way for safety for Deliwe (she'll have some friends over while I'm gone, plus our trusty guard dogs borrowed from the next door neighbor), as well as a safe journey for me.

I may try to post once more before I go, but just in case, Tiwonana next week! (hopefully still in one piece)...