5 May 2006

The grand Focus experiment is over. After new information – some of it too ghastly to even contemplate – I finally quit today.

Here they are, and then no one will have to read about this nonsense again until the book comes out. Anybody know any publishers?

My descriptions will be mercifully brief. When Shyaka fired Sunny, he trashed my erstwhile replacement in front of the staff. He didn’t say any of this to Sunny, of course (he’s incompetent, he can’t do the job blah, blah, blah…) and none of it’s true. That was bad. I can’t write the other thing I heard until I know it’s true. But I may have to find out.

Anyway, when I realized I was going to counsel a potential volunteer not to join Focus, I realized I was wasting my time. It was making me angry, making me cynical about everything on this continent. I’m still skeptical about Africa, but I know there’s a lot of good here. I feel oh so much better.

On the way out, Shyaka accused me of trying to make the paper fail. I told him he’s the one doing it. He told me he “knew about my whispering campaign against him,” I told him he was paranoid. He wondered why I kept coming back. I asked why he didn’t have the courage to fire me if he didn’t want me there. He didn’t respond.

So now he’s all by himself and the paper is on its last legs. I’m hoping I’m wrong, because what Shyaka’s doing is important. I’m rooting for him, but I also know in my heart he’s going to kill this thing. And that’s just the way he wants it.

Now, we’ll have room for happier – and funnier – topics. I’m learning how to drive manual transmission. Stay tuned to hear me ask, “Did I just break it?”