La fuite
It rained starting from around 4 this morning. This is the 2nd week of the program’s health survey where they visit small villages, collect poop and blood samples from kids to assess how many of them have parasites/Malaria at the moment. Being the day after a holiday, heavy rains (the mud here, like playa platforms, accumulates layers the more you walk in it. Driving down dirt roads is risky when possible at all), many people don’t work so it was pretty important to make a plan for the day, but the phone service was out. So Simon got up and left in the pouring rain to wait at the meeting point, knowing that many people would either not show or still be drunk from last night, to maintain professionalism. Admirable.
Me, I’m finished here. In lieu of another list of AMAZING things that happen here, or rather that have not happened on time, I’ll say my farewells.
To fermented yucca and mystery meat, not-onomy and a stint in the African jungle. Today after I finish breakfast I’ll wash my hair. Then I’ll maybe go to the internet one last time for an excruciating wait with a slight chance of news. I’ll pack the few things that live outside my suitcase, do some yoga and have dinner with my lovely husband. In the morning I’ll get in the taxi of a friend to ride the treacherous road to Bata, wait 4 or 5 hours in which I find an airplane ticket to Malabo so I can make my overnight flight to Paris. In Paris I’ll wait several hours, change airports, and arrive safely in Berlin 36 hours after my depart.
The other day I was walking in the suffocating heat to people staring and laughing at me, a little bit nauseous, faint and dreading the food combination that was to come. I was hating it so bad. But at the same time, I was totally loving it. Where else can you have such a strange experience? I mean besides in most of the world. It’s always both things, the terrible and the wonderful in bed together.
Who knows what will happen next. I will most likely rekindle my love affair with teaching and get back to working hard on my certification, look for a place to call home and step into the shoes of culinary creatrix among other things.