The Package

Getting the package was not easy. I went to the post office and asked for it and was instructed to go to the outside window and ring the bell. Of course the bell didn't work, so after 10 minutes in the heat I went back in and asked again. I had to go back out and then someone came. She said a package should arrive in 2 weeks and I told her it had been 5, so she went and looked. She said I was "really lucky" because it was here, but I couldn't have it. It needed to be "inspected" by a govt. agent. Not opened, just inspected. I guess they want to confirm that it really is a package. Well, the government agent is a few blocks away so she suggested going to get him. Harrison (who was with me) was not put off at all by this so we went down to the office. The agent was there, killing time in the back room-we had to sit and wait for him to appear. He wanted to know the postal number for the package. Mercifully, we had it. When I told him I wanted to take it home, and we would give him a ride to the post office, he said he would come with us. Off we went. He carried a big hand rubber stamp with him.

At the post office, he took us in the back door and to the room with arrived packages. There were 47 (I had time to count). He didn't know where mine was so Harrison and I had to find it. I found it and brought it to him. He then made a big deal of looking at it and stamping the quadruplicate form attached to it. But I still couldn't take it. I had to go back around to the front of the post office and get in another line to receive the package and sign for it. FINALLY I got it. This whole process took about an hour. The "official" declined a ride back to his office because he had to inspect the other 46 packages which he should have already done that day (it was 2:30 pm.) TIA

PS
We have been receiving packages and mail regularly since this happened. If you want to send something, don’t hesitate! (our address is: PO Box 395, Mzuzu, Malawi AFRICA)