Chapter 5 - Page 45 - Building A Village

   Jim looked down the road and saw the dust rising from a utility truck pulling the twenty-six foot trailer destined to be Bujugy’s office. When the driver stopped to get instructions from Bujugy, Jim turned to watch a ’dozer operator start his engine. Black smoke blew out of the exhaust stack. The driver dropped the gearshift into reverse and began backing the ’dozer off its trailer. The tracks rolled evenly until the ’dozer was hanging halfway past the end of the trailer. Then the back half of the ’dozer dropped down onto two ramps that ran from the trailer to the ground. When the ‘dozer was firmly on the ground, the ‘dozer operator, with help lifted the hinged ramps straight up in the air one at a time until they fell flat on the trailer. He secured them, and moved the truck out of the way.

   The ninety foot by forty foot foundation for the hospital was laid out. Now five workers kicked their shovels into the ground and pulled out big clods of dirt that they tossed inside the marked area before kicking their shovels into the ground for another load. Within minutes a trench began to form. Jim watched their progress while Bujugy was pointing out to the truck driver where he wanted the trailer.

   Beyond them, the water well workers had dug a good-size pit and lined it with plastic. A driver backed a water truck up to the pit and pulled the latch. Water gushed out the back of the truck into the pit. When the truck was empty, the driver latched the lid back and drove off to get another load of water.

   When Bujugy finished giving instructions to the utility driver, he came back over to Jim. “Jim,” Bujugy said, “after the driver unhooks from this trailer, he’s going back to get your trailer.”