When I appeared before the Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on November 11, 2008, I told TRC I had so much to say. And what I had to say (I told the TRC) was important to it and to our people. When I say the "people", I mean the people of Liberia. I strongly impressed upon the TRC that everything I had to say was the truth and nothing but the truth. I informed the Commission (TRC) my witnesses to what I had to say were still alive. And it could check with them to verify my claims. I also submitted to the TRC that some of the things I had to say were purely my personal experiences. I told the Commission I had theories and they were based on my studies made. I assured the Commission that most of the things I would be talking about more or less set the basis for war and terror in Liberia.
I told the Commission that a lot of people heard me at the time when I sounded the warning of impending destruction. Had they listened and paid heed, we would have saved ourselves the pain, agony and despair of war and terror. But I became the "jeremiah" of our day preaching in the Arabian desert where all would hear but none will pay heed.
Based upon this insurmountable truth, I told informed the Commission that my stories that I was about to submit to it were RAW. So if it listens to me and takes my proposals seriously, I'm sure together we can find lasting solutions to our problems.
That’s exactly what I said to the TRC of ther Republic of Liberia.
One of the most outstanding events in my personal experiences is the one that directly affected me as a teenager; a person and a citizen who was working at the time as a volunteer for my Government and country. That time my Government turned its back on me when I most needed it. And when it turned its back on me, the Liberian government set me up for personal disaster. It caused other comrades and I (that’s what I called those who worked along with me at the time) some level of mental distress. We starved almost to death. If it weren't for our two emerging “Guiding” Angels (Mrs. Thelma George & Ms. Edwina James), our corpses would have decomposed by now prior to the uncivil war.
Why did the Government turn its back on its teenage youthful citizen that volunteered to serve it at no cost other than love for country?
This is what we need to find out in order to move forward and understand why Liberia crawl into a generalized anarchy of violence.
It is true God has Angels amongst us.
But we as humans may not know. These angels sit among us quietly as ordinary people. When the time comes for them to act, that’s the only time they take up their celestial duties and act at the command of God. And when they do act at God’s command, they significantly impact upon our lives as humans.
This was the case in Bong Mines, Lower Bong County (Liberia).
Our Angels emerged amongst us. And they left an indelible mark on our brains. One was Mrs. Thelma George. She was an elderly woman at the time. The other Angel is Edwina James. She was a teenager at the time. Both of them sat among us as humans until that day when they emerged to our rescue. They may not have known their angelic roles and powers. But we knew it. And you know why we knew it? Because we saw and felt it. It ultimately changed our lives.
Mrs. Thelma George was the chief dietician of the Bong Mining Company. You know what that means. It means she prepared the best food for all the Caucasians and privileged Liberians in Bong Mining Company staff. This woman was trained (she passed on now) to prepare the best of food that anyone can bite on. This woman was so good in her job, I just would like for you to imagine eating something that you ate before. But it is cooked by a different person with a completely different and excellent twist therefore giving it a rather different taste.
This was a finger-licking experience for me and my comrades. I mean eating such good food is an experience that will make you "holler" (ebonically speaking) right over the window. As of the other Angle - Edwina James – she was a teenage high school student at Bongtown High School. She was living with her parents. And so for her to have such an impact on the lives of others, meant that God was sitting right there. Because there were several women with so much power and could have made a significant difference. But the teenager made the difference. She and Mrs. George did something unforgettable in our lives. No matter how long it took for me to tell to the world, I had to tell the story. And that’s why I decided to first tell it to the TRC and then to the whole wide world.
Just so you know: I know I never admired the TRC that much. Because it is my belief the TRC is not capable of producing the expected result - Reconciliation. The reason is simple: 1st, it holds its head above its chest as if it is all that of clean people. 2nd, it was detached from the reality on the ground - there's no way its "recommendations" will be accepted by the current Government. Because most, if not all, of its membership is responsible for the carnage and the near-destruction of Liberia. 3rd, it had friends all in the Government (in fact that's how they were selected - friendship basis). And so there's no way the TRC can deliver the anticipated goods. Yet and still, it is my view that through its work, the world can listen to what other people who took part in the generalized anarchy of violence in Liberia as well as those who know much about the war did during and prior to the violence.
In my opoinion, those that came to the TRC to testify or make presentations would somehow reveal how they helped or hurt their Compatriots and country during and prior to the violence.
Mrs. George and Ms. James deserve to be talked about.
They did a good job for us as fellow Compatriots. Although Mrs. George passed on (joined our martyrs), but her name still lives. And it live on forever. She’s truly a martyr. She cannot be forgotten.
As for Edwina, she’s still around. Thank God for her.
Well, let me tell you the story. Here’s how it evolved of these gallant women who I consider as our “Guiding” Angels.
It is 1980, I first return from the sister African Socialist Republic of Ethiopia. I am supposed to be assigned in Maryland County to run the Government’s adult literacy Program there. Although I am just a high school graduate, I was trained to run such a Prgoram effectively and efficiently.
Notice, I just graduated high school from Maryland. I lived in Maryland all my formative days. I come to Monrovia to pursue further academic studies. So I being in the Monrovia area will add to my experience for me to make a different. So when my assignment is set for Bong Mines, Zaweakomu Clan, Lower Bong County, I have no problem.
This is how the decision for me to work in Lower Bong County comes about.
Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh was chairman for The Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA). Dr. Tipoteh is invited by the Bong Mines Workers’ Union to serve as orator for the first Redemption Day Anniversary. Those days MOJA was a household name. It led and began the Liberian struggle for "Rice" and "rights" from the 70s up to the 80s. Dr. Tipoteh was known all over the country. I heard his name for many years before I ever came to see and know him. Had he spoken that day, that would have been my very first time hearing and sitting on the same platform with this great man. But he did not attend the Program. So he asked Mr. Siahyakron Jlay Kpakeh Nyanseor, current co-owner, Perspective online Magazine, USA, to proxy for him. I don't know Mr. Nyanseaor at the time. From what I learned that day when I first met Mr. Nyanseor (he came directly from the US to Liberia to help the nation building process), he fascinated me a lot.
I didn’t know anything about this function that was supposed to be held in Bong Mines.
I was visiting with friends and relatives in Monrovia. Well, this was my first time as a high school graduate to move around in Monrovia. Suddenly, I run into the man I consider one of my most outstanding revolutionary teachers. His name is Wleh Snoh Bulu. Bulu asks me to join him visit with the late Nippy Manneh at PHP. See, “PHP” is opposite the Antoinette Tubman Ball Park in Monrovia. This little enclave is reputable for producing great people from athletes to politicians. In fact, the Commanding General, Thomas Quiwonkpa, and others on the People’s Redemption Council (PRC) that launched a military overthrow of the Tolbert government comes from “PHP.” Unconfirmed reports tell me the 1980 “revolution” was born in “PHP.”
I did not know Nippy Manneh. Later on I come to know Thomas Wehsyen, vice head of state and vice chairman of the People's Redemption Council (PRC), Nicholas Podier, speaker of the PRC, Thomas Quiwonkpa, commanding general of the Liberia Army and other top notch members of the PRC met frequently at Nippy's house. I come to know later on they were all friends and buddies of Nippy.
See, “PHP” is a little enclave right on the Beach. It is right behind the Military Barracks – Barclay Training Center (BTC). It also sits right behind the Antoinette Tubman Ballpark. In this little enclave is where my life started taking a different shape.
This day, I remember I have nothing much to do with myself. So I'm visiting with friends and relatives in Monrovia. Keep in mind, I just come to Monrovia - "New Kid on the Block." I'm not in school yet. I mean I am not in university yet. I am not working for money, either. And this particular time I'm talking about, is vacation time (Summer time). This is when every student has free time to play around. Some find vacation jobs. And being a “new kid on the block” in Monrovia, I am using my vacation time to learn my way around the City. So I follow Bulu. We get to Nippy’s house. Nippy isn't home. That’s what we are told.
They told Nippy is at Nyanseor's residence visiting. I don't know who is Nyanseaor by this time yet. But I will soon know. And very soon too! I think Bulu knows Nyanseor. Nyanseor's residence is few houses down towards the Beach. From Nyanseor's residence in “PHP” to Nippy's house is just an armed-stretch apart.
Nyanseor's residence is few yards from where the PRC executed The True Whig Party (TWP) government officials. I heard about that in Harper. I was in high school when all this happened. And so I have no concrete clue on the event. However, being in Monrovia and having the free time, I wanted to see the area for my own records. So while going to Nyanseor’s place, I asked Bulu to take me there on the Beach where the Officials were shot to death. Bulu did. While standing there and looking, I see the place. Poles on which these men laid their backs before bing shot at point-blank-range, remain standing.
Bulu explains to me how this whole thing took place. His explanation breaks my heart. But I am too young. So I have not much to say. My interpretation and view are very limited. After it all, we leave the area. We go to Nyanseaor’s house. In the house we meet other comrades: Kpannah Doe, Duworko and others. Nyanseaor has a vehicle sitting in front of the house ready to take him to Bong Mines. When we walk in, we are offered to go on the trip. Bulu looks me in the eye. I look at him too. We shake heads. And say, “What the heck, let’s go!” And we did.
By mid day we are out of town. This will be my first time traveling to Bong Mines. So I am eager to go. In no time we are there. The workers are set for us. Because it is their day. They organized the function. By now they know Dr. Tipoteh is not coming. They are dissappointed, though. But they are told Nyanseaor is in Dr. Tipoteh's place. So, when we get in, they embraced Nyanseaor. They settled us down. But Nyanseor wants us visit with Mrs. Thelma George. It seems like he knows Mrs. George. And so we join him. That's when the pendulum of the clock of history began to tick.
Just so you know, Nyanseaor is one of those Monrovia “Boys.” What that means is, he knows his way around (if you know what I mean). A lot of people in the area knows him and vice versus.
So we visit with Mrs. George. When we get there, she welcomes us as if she knew we were coming. She provides food and we ate religiously. I remember she gave us some delicatessen. And that freaked us up. We licked our fingers so much we wanted more. At least, I did! But it ran out. Whatever it was became the best I ever had besides my aunt’s cooking.
See, my Aunt reared me, you know. So I know she's the best cook in this world. She puts together some food no one on earth can put together. After eating what Mrs. George gave us, we left for our assigned Guest House. This visit brings me closer to one of my Angels. And trust me; I have no idea. I have no clue. But I am sitting in the presence of my "Guiding" angel! And from the look of things, Mrs. George seems not to have any clue, whatsoever was unfolding.
It was my first time meeting Mrs. Thelma George. And I had no idea few weeks later she would be one of my “Guiding Angels.” Little did I know she would be one of my idols when I play ball for Mighty Barrolle Ball Club. She mentored the Ball Club before my time. I find this out three years later - she was a sponsor of Ball Club. I wished she was alive when Mighty Barrolle recruited me along with Ambassador George Weah. But she passed on before I wore the gears of Mighty Barrolle! This woman would have been proud of me in Barrolle's gears. Cause, I play some ball for the Ball Club to international class! Well, it wasn't meant to be. So she did not see me!
This woman left something indelibly on my mind. She made me believe that God put her here on earth as an Angel amongst us for our protection. I am convinced about that! She really was one of those Angels planted to save my life. Otherwise, knowing what I know now, I would have been dead and buried.
After all the visitations and consultations, the Program is held. Siayankron Jlay Kpakee Nyanseor is the orator. He delivers a powerful speech. It is the most outstanding speeches of the decade. He turns the entire community upside down with firing remarks. Keep in mind, Mr. Nyanseor is a product of the 70s “struggle.” And that's why he is well-versed and experienced in the message necesry for the day. So he knew what he was saying. He knew the time in which he found himself and what was required to make it known. He knew who was listening.
If you ask me if I knew things Mr. Nyanseor was saying, I'll say "No!"I am just a "new-kid-on-the-block. But after his speech, I am full with knowledge. When all is said and done, we returned to the Guest house. And there’s where all things begins to fall in place.
The leader of the Workers’ Union delivered a firing remark to show his appreciation for the support we gave and the speech from Mr. Nyanseor. In his remark, he calls for an adult literacy program in the area for the workers. From all indications, his remark was based on previous meeting they held among themselves. The Workers’ Union’s leadership apparently had this set up before they came to see us. And so the remark was on target. They want Bulu and I to run the Program. Why the chose Bulu and I, remains a mystery today. But we consented. Three weeks later, we reported for duty. From that point onward, my life took another dramatic shift.
The Ministry of Education sent us to Bong Mines. It instructs us to contact the Personnel Manager. The personnel manager is Mr. Williams. I don't remember his first name. We meet with him at his office and deliver Minister Fahnbulleh’s letter. He reads it and takes us to a Guest house. This Guest House is different. It is rather huge. It has a Golf Course about the size of West Point in Monrovia. The Central Air is kicking like dog in the sand. It is as if we are in Alaska or Siberia. There are alcoholic beverages everywhere in the house. But one strong contradiction exists: in the midst of so much alcoholic beverages, there is no food to be seen anywhere. We look around for the least trace of food. But there is none. So we decid to kick up in the Lazy boy and relax for few minutes. We wait for food. Because Mr. Williams says he'll be back. But we don’t ask him when he'll be back. The first day is Friday. Then we get to know most top brass Company staff go to Monrovia for weekends.
So Mr. Williams is gone to Monrovia too. We don’t know for sure. There's no way we can find out. No working phone digits available. We go through Friday without food. Saturday comes. It is the same - we go through no food!
We are locked in Bongtown. And here we are don't know our way out. The area is conservative. People do not hang around the streets for us to ask questions. So we keep indoor waiting for someone to show up. But no one did. Then it clicks my mind. I met a girl friend during our first visit to Bong Mines. Edwina James is her name. But I don’t have her phone digits. While looking around I find the phone book. I flip the pages. And I find the phone digits for the "James" family. I dial the digits. Someone answers. I ask if this is the James’ residence. The person says, “Yes.” I ask for Edwina. The person says she isn’t at home. So I leave a message and our phone digits.
In few minutes the phone rings. We don’t know whether or not to pick it up. Because this is not our home. But anyway, I pick it up. And the voice says, “This is Edwina. Did anybody call for me?” I say “yes. This is Thomas Bedell.” And Edwina alarms. She is happy. I am not. Because I am hungry. But I am a bit happy at the same time. So I'm ambivilant! I don’t know what to do. Should I cry or should I laugh? I did all at the same time - laugh and cry. It hit me that by speaking with Edwina, food will be coming our way. Edwina asks me for my location. I tell her. She figures it out immediately. “Just few houses away from my Dad’s.” She says, “I’ll be there in a second.” And she sure did.
Bulu and I are happy she comes over. I am too darn weak and hungry to start a conversation. I can't say a lot. I just say, “Edwina, we are starving.” It seems like she wants to ask what happened. But when she looks at us, she sees all our eyes wiggling in their sockets. So she quickly says, “Follow me.”
Isn't that what Jesus said to his Disciples? Of course, that’s exactly what Jesus said! So we follow Edwina. We get at her dad’s residence. She places an order for some food. And it comes quickly. Truth be told, I ate as if I am a hostage. Imagine being a hostage. I had not eaten for three days. I am starving. After eating, we want to rest and concentrate. So we go home. Later on, we come back. This time we meet Edwina’s dad. Mr. James speaks with us. He explains how the "system" in the area works. He provides appropriate information to guide us on Monday morning when we meet the Personnel Manager. We thank him. We thank his wife. We thank the children. Edwina walks us halfway to the Guest House. On our way, they gave us some carryout food. And that helped us throughout the night.
The next morning was another hectic experience. I look back and I realized this was the first time in my life I ever starved. From that experience I discover the difference between being hungry and starving. I find out quickly. We are starving! This never happened to me in my own country. When I graduated from high school and left my aunt's residence, she never warned me this would be my first test in real life - starvation. No Owner’s Manual to explain all this. The Manual would tell me what to expect after I move out of my aunt's home to be a man of my own. This awkward experience makes me appreciate my Aunt more. Because this could not have happened in her home. I would never be hungry for a second without getting food. This experience teaches me a lesson. Even though the lesson is cruel, it teaches me a lot. I know now life wasn’t going to be easy for me. The "ups" and "downs" will be gigantic. I have to accept the reality that my Aunt’s job is done. The rest is up to me. And there's where Edwina steps in and makes a significant difference like an Angel would do on my life!
How we met Mrs. George the second and last time is also a sign of angelic intervention. Bulu and I just left our new assigned residence in the Bachelor’s quarter when a van pulled over near us. Now keep in mind. We passed threshold of starvation. We are bright and energetic. This Van stops closed to us. In the Van is a lady. She is in the front passenger seat. She is Mrs. Thelma George. We find out later on. She asks us if we remember her. Man! This is the worst thing happenning after our starvation experience. We say, “No!” to a woman who serve us the best dish during our first visit on Redemption Day. well, she reminds us. She's Thelma George! Then we recaptured ourselves. And we jumped to our feet. We greet her in grand style. Then she asks us to hop in the van. We hop in! She takes us to her office at the Mess Hall. Just few minutes’ drive from where we are residing. She takes us around the Mess Hall. It is a giant Hall. She introduces us to her staff. She asks us if everything is okay. We say “Yes.” But it is a lie. Everything isn’t alright. The reason we lie is, we don’t want to start telling on people too soon. So we decide to keep quite on what happened when we starve. Unfolding events would tell the story. This is how we felt!
See, Mrs. George lived and worked in the area for too long. So she knows what is obtaining in the area. We could not deceive her. It appears she heard what happened to us. But she never mentioned it. She instructs her staff to provide us food three times a day as long as we are in Bongtown. She also instructes her staff to deliver the food to our cabin. And our cabin was about a hundred yards away from the Mess Hall. From this day on, our food problem is solved. We never had any problem with food. We got our breakfast. We got our lunch. And we got our dinner on time. In fact, we had so much food so we helped to feed almost all our volunteer facilitators, as well as students who had no jobs and means to sustain themselves. The food we got was not just regular or ordinary. This food was top of the line food. The sandwiches were so big and juicy, two-to-three persons could share one and still get full. The juices and soft drinks were out of this world. The food we ate was not just for belly full. It was nutritional. She fed us.
She checked on us regularly to know how things were evolving. Every now and then she dropped us a purse to help us meet other needs. Because of her support, we never worried over Government’s neglect. Because of the support we enjoyed from Mrs. George, we were able to travel far and near and build centers deep, deep in the belly of the hinterland. From Nyenye to Manwuah; straight to Haindi we walked from village to village establishing centers. In most cases, we were taking serious risks in the jungles of the Faumah District. We were not members of the people’s cultural societies. But they embraced us and protected us throughout our stay in the area. Upon our return in Bongtown from the villages, our food was always there waiting for us. In fact, other facilitators were looking forward to joining us on the dining table. So they waited for as long as it took for us to arrive. And together we ate the food and went about our private businesses after the work day.
Mrs. Thelma George and Ms. Edwina James were our “Guiding” Angels. They saved us from starvation when the Liberian government turned its back on us. I pray Mrs. George soul rests in Perfect Peace and Light Perpetual shine upon her. Wherever Edwina James is, I say Go Girl and Thanks for your help!
I told the Commission that a lot of people heard me at the time when I sounded the warning of impending destruction. Had they listened and paid heed, we would have saved ourselves the pain, agony and despair of war and terror. But I became the "jeremiah" of our day preaching in the Arabian desert where all would hear but none will pay heed.
Based upon this insurmountable truth, I told informed the Commission that my stories that I was about to submit to it were RAW. So if it listens to me and takes my proposals seriously, I'm sure together we can find lasting solutions to our problems.
That’s exactly what I said to the TRC of ther Republic of Liberia.
One of the most outstanding events in my personal experiences is the one that directly affected me as a teenager; a person and a citizen who was working at the time as a volunteer for my Government and country. That time my Government turned its back on me when I most needed it. And when it turned its back on me, the Liberian government set me up for personal disaster. It caused other comrades and I (that’s what I called those who worked along with me at the time) some level of mental distress. We starved almost to death. If it weren't for our two emerging “Guiding” Angels (Mrs. Thelma George & Ms. Edwina James), our corpses would have decomposed by now prior to the uncivil war.
Why did the Government turn its back on its teenage youthful citizen that volunteered to serve it at no cost other than love for country?
This is what we need to find out in order to move forward and understand why Liberia crawl into a generalized anarchy of violence.
It is true God has Angels amongst us.
But we as humans may not know. These angels sit among us quietly as ordinary people. When the time comes for them to act, that’s the only time they take up their celestial duties and act at the command of God. And when they do act at God’s command, they significantly impact upon our lives as humans.
This was the case in Bong Mines, Lower Bong County (Liberia).
Our Angels emerged amongst us. And they left an indelible mark on our brains. One was Mrs. Thelma George. She was an elderly woman at the time. The other Angel is Edwina James. She was a teenager at the time. Both of them sat among us as humans until that day when they emerged to our rescue. They may not have known their angelic roles and powers. But we knew it. And you know why we knew it? Because we saw and felt it. It ultimately changed our lives.
Mrs. Thelma George was the chief dietician of the Bong Mining Company. You know what that means. It means she prepared the best food for all the Caucasians and privileged Liberians in Bong Mining Company staff. This woman was trained (she passed on now) to prepare the best of food that anyone can bite on. This woman was so good in her job, I just would like for you to imagine eating something that you ate before. But it is cooked by a different person with a completely different and excellent twist therefore giving it a rather different taste.
This was a finger-licking experience for me and my comrades. I mean eating such good food is an experience that will make you "holler" (ebonically speaking) right over the window. As of the other Angle - Edwina James – she was a teenage high school student at Bongtown High School. She was living with her parents. And so for her to have such an impact on the lives of others, meant that God was sitting right there. Because there were several women with so much power and could have made a significant difference. But the teenager made the difference. She and Mrs. George did something unforgettable in our lives. No matter how long it took for me to tell to the world, I had to tell the story. And that’s why I decided to first tell it to the TRC and then to the whole wide world.
Just so you know: I know I never admired the TRC that much. Because it is my belief the TRC is not capable of producing the expected result - Reconciliation. The reason is simple: 1st, it holds its head above its chest as if it is all that of clean people. 2nd, it was detached from the reality on the ground - there's no way its "recommendations" will be accepted by the current Government. Because most, if not all, of its membership is responsible for the carnage and the near-destruction of Liberia. 3rd, it had friends all in the Government (in fact that's how they were selected - friendship basis). And so there's no way the TRC can deliver the anticipated goods. Yet and still, it is my view that through its work, the world can listen to what other people who took part in the generalized anarchy of violence in Liberia as well as those who know much about the war did during and prior to the violence.
In my opoinion, those that came to the TRC to testify or make presentations would somehow reveal how they helped or hurt their Compatriots and country during and prior to the violence.
Mrs. George and Ms. James deserve to be talked about.
They did a good job for us as fellow Compatriots. Although Mrs. George passed on (joined our martyrs), but her name still lives. And it live on forever. She’s truly a martyr. She cannot be forgotten.
As for Edwina, she’s still around. Thank God for her.
Well, let me tell you the story. Here’s how it evolved of these gallant women who I consider as our “Guiding” Angels.
It is 1980, I first return from the sister African Socialist Republic of Ethiopia. I am supposed to be assigned in Maryland County to run the Government’s adult literacy Program there. Although I am just a high school graduate, I was trained to run such a Prgoram effectively and efficiently.
Notice, I just graduated high school from Maryland. I lived in Maryland all my formative days. I come to Monrovia to pursue further academic studies. So I being in the Monrovia area will add to my experience for me to make a different. So when my assignment is set for Bong Mines, Zaweakomu Clan, Lower Bong County, I have no problem.
This is how the decision for me to work in Lower Bong County comes about.
Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh was chairman for The Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA). Dr. Tipoteh is invited by the Bong Mines Workers’ Union to serve as orator for the first Redemption Day Anniversary. Those days MOJA was a household name. It led and began the Liberian struggle for "Rice" and "rights" from the 70s up to the 80s. Dr. Tipoteh was known all over the country. I heard his name for many years before I ever came to see and know him. Had he spoken that day, that would have been my very first time hearing and sitting on the same platform with this great man. But he did not attend the Program. So he asked Mr. Siahyakron Jlay Kpakeh Nyanseor, current co-owner, Perspective online Magazine, USA, to proxy for him. I don't know Mr. Nyanseaor at the time. From what I learned that day when I first met Mr. Nyanseor (he came directly from the US to Liberia to help the nation building process), he fascinated me a lot.
I didn’t know anything about this function that was supposed to be held in Bong Mines.
I was visiting with friends and relatives in Monrovia. Well, this was my first time as a high school graduate to move around in Monrovia. Suddenly, I run into the man I consider one of my most outstanding revolutionary teachers. His name is Wleh Snoh Bulu. Bulu asks me to join him visit with the late Nippy Manneh at PHP. See, “PHP” is opposite the Antoinette Tubman Ball Park in Monrovia. This little enclave is reputable for producing great people from athletes to politicians. In fact, the Commanding General, Thomas Quiwonkpa, and others on the People’s Redemption Council (PRC) that launched a military overthrow of the Tolbert government comes from “PHP.” Unconfirmed reports tell me the 1980 “revolution” was born in “PHP.”
I did not know Nippy Manneh. Later on I come to know Thomas Wehsyen, vice head of state and vice chairman of the People's Redemption Council (PRC), Nicholas Podier, speaker of the PRC, Thomas Quiwonkpa, commanding general of the Liberia Army and other top notch members of the PRC met frequently at Nippy's house. I come to know later on they were all friends and buddies of Nippy.
See, “PHP” is a little enclave right on the Beach. It is right behind the Military Barracks – Barclay Training Center (BTC). It also sits right behind the Antoinette Tubman Ballpark. In this little enclave is where my life started taking a different shape.
This day, I remember I have nothing much to do with myself. So I'm visiting with friends and relatives in Monrovia. Keep in mind, I just come to Monrovia - "New Kid on the Block." I'm not in school yet. I mean I am not in university yet. I am not working for money, either. And this particular time I'm talking about, is vacation time (Summer time). This is when every student has free time to play around. Some find vacation jobs. And being a “new kid on the block” in Monrovia, I am using my vacation time to learn my way around the City. So I follow Bulu. We get to Nippy’s house. Nippy isn't home. That’s what we are told.
They told Nippy is at Nyanseor's residence visiting. I don't know who is Nyanseaor by this time yet. But I will soon know. And very soon too! I think Bulu knows Nyanseor. Nyanseor's residence is few houses down towards the Beach. From Nyanseor's residence in “PHP” to Nippy's house is just an armed-stretch apart.
Nyanseor's residence is few yards from where the PRC executed The True Whig Party (TWP) government officials. I heard about that in Harper. I was in high school when all this happened. And so I have no concrete clue on the event. However, being in Monrovia and having the free time, I wanted to see the area for my own records. So while going to Nyanseor’s place, I asked Bulu to take me there on the Beach where the Officials were shot to death. Bulu did. While standing there and looking, I see the place. Poles on which these men laid their backs before bing shot at point-blank-range, remain standing.
Bulu explains to me how this whole thing took place. His explanation breaks my heart. But I am too young. So I have not much to say. My interpretation and view are very limited. After it all, we leave the area. We go to Nyanseaor’s house. In the house we meet other comrades: Kpannah Doe, Duworko and others. Nyanseaor has a vehicle sitting in front of the house ready to take him to Bong Mines. When we walk in, we are offered to go on the trip. Bulu looks me in the eye. I look at him too. We shake heads. And say, “What the heck, let’s go!” And we did.
By mid day we are out of town. This will be my first time traveling to Bong Mines. So I am eager to go. In no time we are there. The workers are set for us. Because it is their day. They organized the function. By now they know Dr. Tipoteh is not coming. They are dissappointed, though. But they are told Nyanseaor is in Dr. Tipoteh's place. So, when we get in, they embraced Nyanseaor. They settled us down. But Nyanseor wants us visit with Mrs. Thelma George. It seems like he knows Mrs. George. And so we join him. That's when the pendulum of the clock of history began to tick.
Just so you know, Nyanseaor is one of those Monrovia “Boys.” What that means is, he knows his way around (if you know what I mean). A lot of people in the area knows him and vice versus.
So we visit with Mrs. George. When we get there, she welcomes us as if she knew we were coming. She provides food and we ate religiously. I remember she gave us some delicatessen. And that freaked us up. We licked our fingers so much we wanted more. At least, I did! But it ran out. Whatever it was became the best I ever had besides my aunt’s cooking.
See, my Aunt reared me, you know. So I know she's the best cook in this world. She puts together some food no one on earth can put together. After eating what Mrs. George gave us, we left for our assigned Guest House. This visit brings me closer to one of my Angels. And trust me; I have no idea. I have no clue. But I am sitting in the presence of my "Guiding" angel! And from the look of things, Mrs. George seems not to have any clue, whatsoever was unfolding.
It was my first time meeting Mrs. Thelma George. And I had no idea few weeks later she would be one of my “Guiding Angels.” Little did I know she would be one of my idols when I play ball for Mighty Barrolle Ball Club. She mentored the Ball Club before my time. I find this out three years later - she was a sponsor of Ball Club. I wished she was alive when Mighty Barrolle recruited me along with Ambassador George Weah. But she passed on before I wore the gears of Mighty Barrolle! This woman would have been proud of me in Barrolle's gears. Cause, I play some ball for the Ball Club to international class! Well, it wasn't meant to be. So she did not see me!
This woman left something indelibly on my mind. She made me believe that God put her here on earth as an Angel amongst us for our protection. I am convinced about that! She really was one of those Angels planted to save my life. Otherwise, knowing what I know now, I would have been dead and buried.
After all the visitations and consultations, the Program is held. Siayankron Jlay Kpakee Nyanseor is the orator. He delivers a powerful speech. It is the most outstanding speeches of the decade. He turns the entire community upside down with firing remarks. Keep in mind, Mr. Nyanseor is a product of the 70s “struggle.” And that's why he is well-versed and experienced in the message necesry for the day. So he knew what he was saying. He knew the time in which he found himself and what was required to make it known. He knew who was listening.
If you ask me if I knew things Mr. Nyanseor was saying, I'll say "No!"I am just a "new-kid-on-the-block. But after his speech, I am full with knowledge. When all is said and done, we returned to the Guest house. And there’s where all things begins to fall in place.
The leader of the Workers’ Union delivered a firing remark to show his appreciation for the support we gave and the speech from Mr. Nyanseor. In his remark, he calls for an adult literacy program in the area for the workers. From all indications, his remark was based on previous meeting they held among themselves. The Workers’ Union’s leadership apparently had this set up before they came to see us. And so the remark was on target. They want Bulu and I to run the Program. Why the chose Bulu and I, remains a mystery today. But we consented. Three weeks later, we reported for duty. From that point onward, my life took another dramatic shift.
The Ministry of Education sent us to Bong Mines. It instructs us to contact the Personnel Manager. The personnel manager is Mr. Williams. I don't remember his first name. We meet with him at his office and deliver Minister Fahnbulleh’s letter. He reads it and takes us to a Guest house. This Guest House is different. It is rather huge. It has a Golf Course about the size of West Point in Monrovia. The Central Air is kicking like dog in the sand. It is as if we are in Alaska or Siberia. There are alcoholic beverages everywhere in the house. But one strong contradiction exists: in the midst of so much alcoholic beverages, there is no food to be seen anywhere. We look around for the least trace of food. But there is none. So we decid to kick up in the Lazy boy and relax for few minutes. We wait for food. Because Mr. Williams says he'll be back. But we don’t ask him when he'll be back. The first day is Friday. Then we get to know most top brass Company staff go to Monrovia for weekends.
So Mr. Williams is gone to Monrovia too. We don’t know for sure. There's no way we can find out. No working phone digits available. We go through Friday without food. Saturday comes. It is the same - we go through no food!
We are locked in Bongtown. And here we are don't know our way out. The area is conservative. People do not hang around the streets for us to ask questions. So we keep indoor waiting for someone to show up. But no one did. Then it clicks my mind. I met a girl friend during our first visit to Bong Mines. Edwina James is her name. But I don’t have her phone digits. While looking around I find the phone book. I flip the pages. And I find the phone digits for the "James" family. I dial the digits. Someone answers. I ask if this is the James’ residence. The person says, “Yes.” I ask for Edwina. The person says she isn’t at home. So I leave a message and our phone digits.
In few minutes the phone rings. We don’t know whether or not to pick it up. Because this is not our home. But anyway, I pick it up. And the voice says, “This is Edwina. Did anybody call for me?” I say “yes. This is Thomas Bedell.” And Edwina alarms. She is happy. I am not. Because I am hungry. But I am a bit happy at the same time. So I'm ambivilant! I don’t know what to do. Should I cry or should I laugh? I did all at the same time - laugh and cry. It hit me that by speaking with Edwina, food will be coming our way. Edwina asks me for my location. I tell her. She figures it out immediately. “Just few houses away from my Dad’s.” She says, “I’ll be there in a second.” And she sure did.
Bulu and I are happy she comes over. I am too darn weak and hungry to start a conversation. I can't say a lot. I just say, “Edwina, we are starving.” It seems like she wants to ask what happened. But when she looks at us, she sees all our eyes wiggling in their sockets. So she quickly says, “Follow me.”
Isn't that what Jesus said to his Disciples? Of course, that’s exactly what Jesus said! So we follow Edwina. We get at her dad’s residence. She places an order for some food. And it comes quickly. Truth be told, I ate as if I am a hostage. Imagine being a hostage. I had not eaten for three days. I am starving. After eating, we want to rest and concentrate. So we go home. Later on, we come back. This time we meet Edwina’s dad. Mr. James speaks with us. He explains how the "system" in the area works. He provides appropriate information to guide us on Monday morning when we meet the Personnel Manager. We thank him. We thank his wife. We thank the children. Edwina walks us halfway to the Guest House. On our way, they gave us some carryout food. And that helped us throughout the night.
The next morning was another hectic experience. I look back and I realized this was the first time in my life I ever starved. From that experience I discover the difference between being hungry and starving. I find out quickly. We are starving! This never happened to me in my own country. When I graduated from high school and left my aunt's residence, she never warned me this would be my first test in real life - starvation. No Owner’s Manual to explain all this. The Manual would tell me what to expect after I move out of my aunt's home to be a man of my own. This awkward experience makes me appreciate my Aunt more. Because this could not have happened in her home. I would never be hungry for a second without getting food. This experience teaches me a lesson. Even though the lesson is cruel, it teaches me a lot. I know now life wasn’t going to be easy for me. The "ups" and "downs" will be gigantic. I have to accept the reality that my Aunt’s job is done. The rest is up to me. And there's where Edwina steps in and makes a significant difference like an Angel would do on my life!
How we met Mrs. George the second and last time is also a sign of angelic intervention. Bulu and I just left our new assigned residence in the Bachelor’s quarter when a van pulled over near us. Now keep in mind. We passed threshold of starvation. We are bright and energetic. This Van stops closed to us. In the Van is a lady. She is in the front passenger seat. She is Mrs. Thelma George. We find out later on. She asks us if we remember her. Man! This is the worst thing happenning after our starvation experience. We say, “No!” to a woman who serve us the best dish during our first visit on Redemption Day. well, she reminds us. She's Thelma George! Then we recaptured ourselves. And we jumped to our feet. We greet her in grand style. Then she asks us to hop in the van. We hop in! She takes us to her office at the Mess Hall. Just few minutes’ drive from where we are residing. She takes us around the Mess Hall. It is a giant Hall. She introduces us to her staff. She asks us if everything is okay. We say “Yes.” But it is a lie. Everything isn’t alright. The reason we lie is, we don’t want to start telling on people too soon. So we decide to keep quite on what happened when we starve. Unfolding events would tell the story. This is how we felt!
See, Mrs. George lived and worked in the area for too long. So she knows what is obtaining in the area. We could not deceive her. It appears she heard what happened to us. But she never mentioned it. She instructs her staff to provide us food three times a day as long as we are in Bongtown. She also instructes her staff to deliver the food to our cabin. And our cabin was about a hundred yards away from the Mess Hall. From this day on, our food problem is solved. We never had any problem with food. We got our breakfast. We got our lunch. And we got our dinner on time. In fact, we had so much food so we helped to feed almost all our volunteer facilitators, as well as students who had no jobs and means to sustain themselves. The food we got was not just regular or ordinary. This food was top of the line food. The sandwiches were so big and juicy, two-to-three persons could share one and still get full. The juices and soft drinks were out of this world. The food we ate was not just for belly full. It was nutritional. She fed us.
She checked on us regularly to know how things were evolving. Every now and then she dropped us a purse to help us meet other needs. Because of her support, we never worried over Government’s neglect. Because of the support we enjoyed from Mrs. George, we were able to travel far and near and build centers deep, deep in the belly of the hinterland. From Nyenye to Manwuah; straight to Haindi we walked from village to village establishing centers. In most cases, we were taking serious risks in the jungles of the Faumah District. We were not members of the people’s cultural societies. But they embraced us and protected us throughout our stay in the area. Upon our return in Bongtown from the villages, our food was always there waiting for us. In fact, other facilitators were looking forward to joining us on the dining table. So they waited for as long as it took for us to arrive. And together we ate the food and went about our private businesses after the work day.
Mrs. Thelma George and Ms. Edwina James were our “Guiding” Angels. They saved us from starvation when the Liberian government turned its back on us. I pray Mrs. George soul rests in Perfect Peace and Light Perpetual shine upon her. Wherever Edwina James is, I say Go Girl and Thanks for your help!
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