No Refunds

I suppose there are cases when you buy some one a gift and it breaks before you get it home or you find out the recipient already has a whatchamacallit. So you run back to the store and return it. After standing in a long line you have exchanged the gift and are on your way with another idea. Christmas gift-giving takes on a different look in Togo.

Every year at Christmas, we try to bless the families of the guys that work at our house with a little extra. This year the plan was for each of them to receive a goat and a bag of rice. The guy from the village arrived today with the goats, have I mentioned that Marty was not home and had forgotten to tell me that they would be coming today? Now if this scenario wasn't already light years different from your gift-giving routine, just wait. One of the goats got hung up somehow in the taxi van and was dead by the time it got to our house. It was beyond me, how the driver did not notice.

So I am standing at the front door with three live goats and one not. I ran to Koffi's house, who ran and got Benoit, our night guard. Then proceeded a discussion of who was going to take the dead goat, which meant it needed to be dressed today.

I felt sorry for the one that agreed to take the deceased animal, I would have returned it to the store for him if it worked that way. I would have atleast liked it if the driver felt some responsibility for not delivering the goat breathing. Still, their families will be eating well for a few days. I hope the blessing didn't get lost.

I do apologize if this touches a sensitive cord for any of my animal loving readers.