Trouble on the homefront - Part II

So my journey back to site almost did me in;) As I mentioned in the previous blog, the weather was unusually cool for the first 2 days I was back, oh it was so nice it made me wonder what I was so worried about coming back here…that all came to an abrupt end the morning I woke up at 5am to make it to the bus station to try to get on the first bus back home (the logic being that if I take the first bus leaving at 7:30am it won’t get toooo hot until just as I am arriving in Bobo at 12:30). In addition, I paid a little more to get an air-conditioned bus. That morning started out at about 100F and just increased from there. Add that to the fact that the air-conditioning was broken on my bus (shocker – and no, they don’t give reimbursements for that, freakin’ Africa;), AND the guy sitting next to me may have been the largest man in this country, AND I had been in country just long enough to get my system irregular again (no, there are no toilets on the bus – toilet…what’s that?), and you have the perfect equation for the trip from hell. Of course when I got here I had to go through 4 taxi drivers before I found one that would only charge me 4 times the real rate (it had to be the suitcase!) and then once we got close to my house complained that I lived too far and that he would have to charge me more. He got that whole day’s worth of American curse words and a little French attitude to go with it. Needless to say, he did not get any more money out of me.

Thank God Aissa was here and after 100 questions about America and China and my family and friends and how everyone was doing and how was the weather and on and on, helped me clean my house. Oh my gosh it was so dirty I had to wait until the next day to do the laundry.

Before I left I think I wrote about the president of my association moving out of the courtyard down the street because she and her husband were disagreeing about some things. I thought that after being gone a month she would have moved back and everything would be A.O.K. That is definitely not the case. She still lives down the street, so after cleaning my house I went to talk with her. Here’s how the conversation went:

Safi: Nanette! Welcome! How are you?

Me: Hi! I’m great.

Safi: How is your father?

Me: He’s great.

Safi: How is your mother?

Me: She’s great.

Safi: How is your sister?

Me: She’s great.

Safi: How is your brother?

Me: He’s great.

Safi: How are your friends?

Me: They are great.

Safi: How is America?

Me: It’s great.

Safi: How is China?

Me: It’s great.

Safi: Great. Why didn’t you call me from America?

Me: Ok, what? Anyway, how are things here?

Safi: Things are great!

Me: Are there any problems?

Safi: There are no problems.

Me: But you still live here. What’s up with that? When are you coming back?

Safi: Never.

Me: Never?

Safi: Yes, my husband is very mean, apparently he has another wife in another city and a total of 9 other kids besides mine. My father came to talk to him about many things, but he will not change. We are getting divorced. It will be final in 4 days.

Me: Ummm, ok, I see you’ve been busy while I was away. So I will be living in the courtyard with your ex-husband?

Safi: Oh yes! There is no problem with that!

Me: Really.

I guess we’ll chalk this one up to irreconcilable differences? What the heck??? Talk about freaking awkward! I didn’t even know people got divorced here. So his other wife, who also lives in the courtyard where I live (I love this woman), comes to me today and asks if I know about Safi. I told her I did and she asks me why Safi gets to leave and she doesn’t! Grrrrrrr.

At times like these we focus on things we are thankful for:

1. That I’m not one of the wives of this freaking man trying to get the heck out of here.

2. That I didn’t end up needing the toilet that wasn’t there on my bus ride here.

3. That my latrine is only 32 steps from my front door (and not, say, 100 because there would have been some accidents my friends!) – guess I’m making up for lost time;)

4. That the taxi man didn’t understand English.

5. That my electricity is finally on today (after days of 100F+ with no fan – I don’t know how those volunteers in villages without electricity do it!!)

6. That it’s really cheap to get both bike tires fixed at the mechanic who lives just down the street.

7. That I was not a child soldier (I’m reading A Long Way Gone – Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah who was in Sierra Leone during their war…I highly recommend it!)

8. That my headphones still work even though I dropped them into the bucket I was washing my clothes in! It was an accident! Woohooo, now that’s quality merchandise!

9. That I brought back enough M&M’s to keep the neighborhood kids bouncing at least until the end of the week;)

My thoughts and prayers go out to Debi Egan (and her kids) who completely unexpectedly lost her husband of 29 years last week. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen 2 people so in love, and after so many years of marriage! God works in mysterious ways. She’s such a special woman. May He give her strength to get through this difficult time and continue to brighten people’s lives everyday.

I love you all, my family and friends!