Dominos

The rains that day were so heavy that we thought the sky might be falling in. The generator in the labour ward had died in the storm, and so there was no light, and no fans. Luckily, the day was quiet, and so when the rain died down, we went out to the market to buy some fabric with one of the midwives.
The roads in Brikama are mud and so during rainy season, they become an obstacle course of rally-driving proportions, with huge troughs of unknown depths. After the the day's downpour the water was 2 feet deep, brown, with all manner of unidentifiable things floating in it. We were wearing flip-flops, which depending on which way you look at it could have been either a good or terrible thing. Sticking close the the side of the road, we trepidatiously followed our midwife through the market, occasionally wincing as something slippery got caught between a foot and a sandal, or when the realisation hit that we were wading through muddy African water 2 feet deep directly outside a large health centre with a large infectious diseases unit treating tuberculosis, leprosy and more.
We made it to the fabric shop - mission accomplished. People were passing us saying "This is Africa!" - and it felt fun, like we were experiencing the real thing. On the way back one of us wanted to take a picture of everyone standing in the water. She gave the midwife her camera, and walked into the street a little for the photo. Some of the market traders on the other side of the street were calling out something- was it "stop!" or "no!"?
One more step and the floor was no longer where it had been before- it was a good foot or two lower, and she ended up waist deep. Next girl was following and didn't have enough time to retreat- also waist deep!
We helped them out, amid gales of laughter from every person in the market (including myself I'm afraid, sorry girls). Luckily, none was hurt, and we had spare clothes to change into. But we were famous at the market forever more.