Another Day in my Adventures with Robert

Even though thirty minutes had passed after visiting my friends on the bridge, my throat was still sore. The effects of the fumes from the exhaust pipes of the passing cars had taken its toll on me. It's no surprise to me that Robert has asthma. I'm only there for about four hours a week; Robert lives there, spending all of his sleeping and waking hours next to that road. I just bought him a few more boxes of medicine for his asthma, but this reality should serve to remind me that I must get a local church involved with ministering to him because I will only live in this area for about one more year. During a previous visit with Robert I learned that he likes to play the game chess. I picked up a small set and we have played during our last two times together and he has beaten me six out of six games. I would never have guessed that a guy who has only finished about three grades of elementary school could be so good at chess. It’s not that I'm a horrible player; Robert is good! He is a smart man. I also picked up a couple of plastic stools so I can sit and chat with him.
Knowing that Robert's place has no running water or electricity, I asked him where he went to the bathroom. Laughing, he pointed to where I was sitting and various places around me for number one, and he said that they do number two on pieces of paper and then throw it into the river. That explained the smell, but I learned years ago that the Philippines is a land of many smells.
This was yet another educational and enjoyable time with my friend Robert.