Getting oil for my motorbike

Nothing come easily to you in rural Rwanda. There is always a little battle involved in getting anything done, always a surprise waiting for you at any corner. This applies to * getting something fixed (classroom broken windows, cupboard at the school, * getting a political decision made about the fate of the assistant to the headmistress (will he be appointed to another school or stay and continue to be a ‘problem’?), * finding a place where stationary can be bought, * getting the classroom cupboards being built on time, or * getting engine oil for my motorbike... this is the challenge of the day...
Baptiste the cook has drawn my attention to a definite reality: the oil is gone from the oil tank. Urgent refill required. I can’t count on him to organise getting some more. Soeur Josephine would find some engine oil for a space shuttle straight away, even if Uganda was the only place to find it, but she is in Kigali doing some work for her handicapped children programme.
Papa Jacynte is my only hope not to blow up the engine in the next couple of days. His first reply is to say that Butare, (more than two and a half hours away) is the only place to get it. For me, going to Butare is like crossing the Sahara desert to get a glass of water. I despair. A few phone calls later, Papa Jacynth tells me that actually a lady sells engine oil in her little shop, in Muganza (only 11 km away). Now, you are talking... cost 2000 RWF plus transport 500RWF... Deal! When I come from work today, there is engine oil in a bottle of mineral water waiting for me...
There is always that brief moment of hesitation, doubt whether something can be achieved or not... It always takes some extra time, it can always take an unexpected twist and will always contain an element of surprise for a muzungu. Having a functional primary school providing basic education is more challenging than getting engine oil. But, as I said earlier, things eventually get done...