Pancakes...

That’s what the unconscious lady on the road (previous blog) sold for a living. Selling yellow pancakes with dried shrimp and bean sprouts along the road, she earns enough each day for her daughters and her to survive. When she managed to turn a profit, she bought a necklace (the most common form of savings here).

Unfortunately, it was only a gold-plated necklace so the thieves will be very disappointed that they robbed someone so poor.

She is poor. My slum-living Aussie friend who coincidently lives on the same street described her place as a “hovel”. (My friend lives in a two room, tin roofed “toilet block” so she would know a hovel when she saw one.)

My friend also tells me that the equally-poor neighbours on the street took up a collection so that the public hospital would agree to do the necessary tests. It took 14 hours – the doctors finally agreeing to look at her at 2am in the morning when the initial US$100 was delivered. They operated soon after.

The next morning my friend heard the two daughters discussing whether to go out selling pancakes or stay with their critically ill mother (who would have no nursing staff waiting on her). They chose to sell pancakes to help pay for the mounting hospital bills.

My friend’s husband visited the lady last Friday in hospital and says that she is improving but her speech is not yet recovered. It will take time to know how serious her head injuries are.

I could tell you this has been a good opportunity for our children to learn how to pray for and give to others in need, but it would be hollow.

I’d just rather it never happened.