The Discovery

…as in a Land Rover Discovery. Thus continues the saga of vehicle ownership in Uganda.

Our main mechanic is a man named Ssesanga. I think I’ve mentioned him before…the most intimidating Ugandan I’ve ever encountered. Stern, and no-nonsense at first encounter, he makes a great mechanic. Kind of like a good surgeon, he can get away with lack of “engine-side” manner as long as he is good at what he does. You don’t go to a surgeon because of their inter-personal skills, and you sure don’t go to Ssesanga for that either, but you sure don’t go to a psychotherapist for open-heart surgery or a master cylinder repair. Long story short - I go to Ssesanga for his knowledge of and experience in car repairs, and he has yet to disappoint. He’s a Land Rover mechanic. Do I drive a Land Rover? Absolutely not. However, along with Land Rovers, he also “kamechanica’s” Nissans. He’s pricey, but he knows what he’s doing. I’m willing to pay good money for a job well done when it comes to a vehicle I’m responsible for on these roads, so he gets my business.

Every phone call I make to his cell phone to arrange for brining our vehicle in for repairs, I take a deep breath and steel myself for being thoroughly deflated. It’s fine. At least I know what to expect. And this past Thursday was no exception. It was late in the day, and I was the third World Harvest staff person in a week’s time to contact him about vehicle repairs (and the only woman, I might add). Both prior WHM encounters that week involved quick trips through Kampala and likely hurried customers trying to get back home to Bundibugyo in a timely fashion. Needless to say, Ssesanga was not enthused about my desire to drop my vehicle off on Friday and then pick it up ready to go on Saturday. He railed me pretty hard, chastising me (and “all of you people”) for not allowing for enough time to properly care for my vehicle, for always being in a hurry, for being so naïve as to believe that the problems I was reporting could be repaired in a short time, and he led me to believe there was no way I was going to be able to have the vehicle repaired within the weekend’s time. We agreed I would bring the vehicle in the morning and upon his assessment discuss how much time it would require and whether I was going to need to alter my travel plans. I hung up deflated and frustrated that he had to take out what seemed like his frustration with the rest of the team and maybe the rest of his entire customer pool on me, but trying to understand what it must be like when standing in his shoes. I’d be frustrated too.

Friday morning, after praying for a gracious heart, I arrived between 8 and 8:30am as instructed and “the doctor” was in. I was prepared to wait until mid-day or so since that’s how long I waited to discuss with him the last time. I explained the problems to him (the car/steering wheel shuddering above 80km/hr despite the stabilizer bar unit being replaced by another mechanic the weekend before, visible gaping holes in the seal around the windshield into which rain pours rendering the vehicle full of mildew after each episode, the unwashable grime covering the windshield rendering it almost impossible to see out of at night with oncoming traffic/lights, and a couple other details like locks that needed tightening, etc.), he tells me that I should go and that he will call me with an estimate as to how long it might take. As I’m gathering my things to leave the lot and venture into the city to do Christmas shopping for the day, he looks at me and says, “you’re going to do what? Shopping?” I agreed, and he pointed to a row of Land Rovers parked infront of the office, one of which is running with no one in it, and says to me, “I’m giving you the Discovery as a loaner. The seats have a button on the side so you can position it however you like, and it takes diesel. I gave it to Dr. Scott the last time and he so he was the last one to fill it. Otherwise, it drives like any other car.”

“You’re doing what?” I replied with my eyes wide and mouth hanging open! “I’m giving you that white one there as a loaner” he answered. It took me a few seconds to gather my thoughts and said “you’re sure about that?! I mean, I am careful, but I don’t want anything to happen to it.” “Ah! After driving that lorry around town, this machine will feel like a small car” he replied. I stood dumbfounded for a few more seconds, trying to decide whether this was a reasonable thing for me to do…sure would be convenient, but sure don’t want to have to pay for repairs to a Land Rover! “You go” he said. “The vehicle is running, the key is in the ignition. So, I didn’t delay, I squeezed into the drivers’ side door (the lot is JAM packed with Land Rovers so there’s no much room left for people to get in and out). Anna got in on the passengers’ side and we looked at each other wide-eyed! I pulled out my cell phone and called Scott Myhre immediately. “Scott Myhre!” I said as soon as he answered, “Ssesanga is giving me the Discovery as a loaner! Is that okay?! It makes me so nervous!” He calmly replied that it makes him nervous too, that the Discovery is the nicest of the loaners Ssesanga has given him, that I need to be willing to fix whatever might get damaged in the course of the day, but that it sure is convenient! I hung up, took a deep breath, released the emergency break and eased out of the parking space. Scott Will jumped in the back after paying another teammates bill on their behalf, and off we went.

God is so funny…I got to Ssesanga’s shop gearing up for needing to extend our time in Kampala by several days, for dealing with more of his frustration with me, and he goes and offers me one of his precious Land Rovers as a loaner for the day! Sun roofs, leather seats, electric seat controls…I was floored…and kept remarking about it for the rest of the day, flabbergasted by God’s (and Ssesanga’s) mercy and kindness to me. I shopped with my phone close by all day, waiting for the call as to what kind of time he would need, but I never heard. I figured, well, I have his vehicle, he’ll call me if he wants it back! Mid day the next day, I called him, he gave me a total for the price of the work and said I was free to come pick it up, the work was finished! I drove the Discovery back onto the lot that morning in one piece, and full of diesel. I dropped A LOT of money, but the car is driving like a champ!

So, Ashley and Nathan, if you’re reading, I gave Ssesanga’s Motors a Christmas card on our behalf and you never know what might happen next time! Maybe we’ll be fighting over who gets to take the Zoolander in the next time!

P.S.- That afternoon, after rolling my window down the handle of the crank you roll the windown down with fell off…it’s now kept in the ashtray, and you reach over and put it on the door every time you want to roll the window down and then return it to it’s home in the ashtray after each use. AND I realized that I had forgotten to mention the nonfunctional fuel gauge on the list of things needing repaired, but it hasn’t worked in the 2 years I’ve been driving the car, so why fix it now? Just kidding, but really, remind me to add it to the list of things next time I take a deep breath and dial Ssesanga’s number ☺

P.P.S - I just realized that Ashley and Nathan might be the only ones interested in reading all of this, and probably not for another month or so, but if you're still reading - sorry for the ramblings of likely unnecessary details :)