Friday night- Loud music, louder rash

After we had supper Owen started to complain about being itchy. He told us a number of kids had gone home from school with “Cow pox”. I asked if that was the Grenadian version of chicken pox. Owen said no they had studied it in health that day. I thought OK this is hypochondria, but sure enough he did have a rash and it was spreading fast. I had bought the pharmacy before we left so I was able to cover him in calamine lotion- twice. I gave him an antihistamine as well. He sat on a clean sheet and we were about to put him to bed when the dance hall started in earnest.

Our quietest neighbour!

Across the street from us is - in order… a bar/propane dealer/take out restaurant, house, a pool hall/ bar/ variety store and then a guy with a crazy sound system and little else who preaches loudly every morning and plays his music even louder every night. Or I thought he played his music loudly until tonight. It is positively bouncing off the walls and both boys have rooms in the very front of the house facing the mayhem. So we dragged Owen’s mattress to our room and put him on the floor. Aiden is in our bedroom and every possible door and window is closed. Happily both boys have fallen asleep and by the time we get to bed we may be able to move Aiden back to his bed.

From Reginald (and from experience of watching the propane truck driver unload full tanks and load up empty tanks and sit down to a beer at 9:00 a.m.) we learned that drinking and driving is not an offence in Grenada, nor is walking with open liquor. That is hard to adjust to. It just feels wrong for people to be walking the streets with beer bottles in hand or having a couple for the road, but here that is normal and very acceptable. However it was not too long ago this was normal in Canada too. I can remember as a girl collecting bottle caps along the side of the road.

Since it is our first Friday here we thought we should go across the street to have a drink, however with Owen not well, Brent is taking one for the team. I think he will have had four beer before 9:30 p.m., In 20 years of being together I cannot ever remember that happening. Brent bought me a rum and Coke. The first rum pulled was 100+ proof, Brent said no thanks. But even then the rum he brought back for me we used less than a teaspoon it was so strong… and now we have a little something to clean a cut should need be!

It is 9:48 and I am wondering what time and in what room we will get to bed. But now we know what Friday night is like and we can try to prepare. Military grade ear defenders ought to do!