On 23rd June we returned to the Elephant Club where the Boss said he had been waiting with our contract and salary on 20th, and so his excuse was that he couldn't give us the salary since we didn't do the show.

We said we were asking to be paid for the month before, and not the show we missed due to factors largely not of our creation.

On 24th the Boss told our Director we to be paid at 3 when we returned home from fetching instruments from our original Boss' residence. We asked if he didn't have the money now, he said he had it, but just wanted us back at 3 so he could give it to us.

We said we would do something drastic if he didn't stop playing carrot-and-stick with money that was rightfully ours, he dared us to try the sit-down strike we proposed. We didn't return by 3, so we didn't get paid then either.

Finally on 25th   we were paid after fracas involving us not going to a show which the Boss supposedly said was a trial, although we have been doing it for now four weeks running.

He tried getting us out of the house with words like "Let's go together to the ATM", we reminded him the day before he had said he could only pays us at home, and would do so in the morning.

A car-door slamming session followed the one-sided shouting match he tried to have with us, we told him truth was its own defence and therefore we were staying put and not moving till he either brought the money or drove us to our original Bosses. Suddenly, the money materialized!!

Perhaps signaling the start of Happy days, the next day we encountered a nearly-extinct variety of a non-smoking Chinese driver who took us to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival at the house of an associate Boss.

On 30th we promptly received our payment for shows additional to out contractual lot, we now wonder if we were paid because the Boss felt it wrong to withhold money for shows already done, or because he wanted to avoid another confrontation with the proletariat

Nonetheless, July has so far brought with it signs of positive change.

 Forms for registering with the Police have now already been filled, visa renewal is on the way, and hopefully by month's end a written contract will be finished.

We also have had many days and half-days off, beginning with a visit to the Boss's hometown where we performed gratis for his village, and returned that day to an evening off.

Shortly afterwards, our contract at the Elephant Club expired.

In the time since we have had opportunity to go swimming, hone our skill at pool, and generally been as free and lazy as we were in winter when there was nothing doing.

We even got to watch Ghana snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at a forlorn bar where the owner dozed till 5am waiting for the match to end, and us to leave. Imagine the sun coming up on our disappointment!!

Meanwhile we are stewing in the summer heat wave, and our dusty region-so backwater by China's standards since it has no tarmac inroad, is so punishing that we must run the fan 24/7, and in the car turn on the air conditioning as soon as we sit.

With in-house internet back and a newly-discovered way around Facebook and Youtube;s blockage by Chinese web censors, we hardly ever leave the house unless the flies chase us out or to go play pool.

Until the situation changes, stay blessed, and may the best man win the World Cup. blog comments powered by Disqus

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