From Eden to Armageddon: The Tragedy of the Liberian Civil War

Chpter Nineteen

Sensuous moments continue during married life for David and Lisa now and then after school.

Davd and Lisa are nearly killed when bullets rip through their bus taking them to a Peace Corps conference.

When David and Lisa begin to make passionate love on the beach, there's a surprise lurking.

At the US Embassy on United Nations Drive, Lisa has another premonition of death during what will be their last Fourth of July celebration together.

During the Peace Corps conference, the newly appointed in-country Peace Corps Director, an inept political hack, refuses to believe that Lisa and David were almost killed by the border.

Standing before other Peace Corps and Washington officials, David protests their stupidity and announces his resignation from voluntary service. Other Peace Corps walk out of the conference with him and Lisa.

Chapter Nineteen

Near the end of June Lisa and David were walking home from school. He said, “I’m looking forward to a short nap before we help students in study hall after supper.”

Lisa, as she always did when she wanted to break the news to David, held one arm in both of hers. She said as the passed the last zinc-roofed house in town and took the road with the elephant grass on the right, “We have a surprise trip to make. “

David paced his arm around her as they walked. “What did you manipulate to your advantage this time?”

“We’re going to the Peace Corps Termination Conference at the Ducor Palace in Monrovia.” She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

“But they don’t need me until next year.” He stopped and turned to her. “You’re participating?” he asked. “How can you do that when you terminated in February?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she said with an air of satisfaction. “Technically I am still in the Peace Corps.”

“But they don’t pay you, right?”

“That’s true, but they owe me.”

“Owe you what?”

“Remember? I did not go on vacation to Timbuktu?”

“Yes.”

“I worked with you during my vacation time instead?”

“Sure.”

“That means they pay my medical bills until I would have terminated. I have all the rights and privileges of a volunteer minus the living allowance. But the mission pays me, as you know.”

“So we’re going to Monrovia? Again? You don’t even like to go there all that much.”

“Well, I do have some cravings for a hotdog or a hamburger.”

“Where would we get a real American hotdog even if we were there in Monrovia?”

“At the US Embassy.”

“Why?”

“At the Fourth of July Party.”

“How are we going to go and get back?”

“We take a bus down there and fly back. If you don’t have a flight credit, I do. I never flew upcountry after first arriving here. I always took the bus.”

They reached the front porch as Felicia went by. She looked over and asked, “So, David, you’re going down to Monrovia?”

David looked at Felicia and turned with both his head and eyes back to Lisa. “Oh, the pleasant manipulations that you are infamous for!” He laughed and put his key in their padlock. He put his arm around her and they started inside. “I just got skunked. Is there anything else you need to tell me?”