"Consolidation"

Well as I was brushing my teeth tonight I saw a bright flashlight coming hurriedly to my house. At first I thought it was just one of my friends, or acquiaintances because most of my friends know I don’t take visitors after dark, especially if my door is closed. But the flashlight was too bright. And moving too quickly for a Guinean. It was Ian.

I was like what’s up? It’s not uncommon for him to stop by my house if his car has stopped in my town and it didn’t occur to me at first that this couldn’t be a regular visit because he had just gone to John’s site yesterday (in fact my friend Ousmane II said he saw him coming through on a taxi at like 3am). Ian just hung his arms on my window with his face up to the screen and said, “I have some bad news.” And I was like what? And he was like, “You know what I’m going to say.” And I still didn’t. My brain was not working. Then I had a fleeting thought that we might be consolidating to John’s site and the words came out of his mouth: “We’re going to Mali.” He couldn’t stay, as the car had just briefly stopped for him to tell me this so I don’t have any info other than that he is coming with a car in the morning and we are going to go to John’s site and wait for Peace Corps to come pick us up.

I was alright when Ian left but then I got dressed and went to Ousmane II’s house and just started crying when I was telling him we are leaving tomorrow.

I couldn’t speak, really, so he told his mom and she started crying and then we went to the Carrefour and said goodbye to Safi with the keke and Nene Aissatu who I get evening rice from and then went to Caw Ousmane/Aissatu Bah’s house and I couldn’t speak there either so Ousmane II had to tell them. On the way there we saw Alessane and told him.

I’m sad that I won’t get to see Ousmane I before I go. I don’t have a picture of him. This makes me incredibly sad.

I haven’t allowed myself to think about leaving Yogi yet. Ousmane II and Kareem said they will take care of him. Hopefully he will be happy there.

I have a lot of packing to do even though I already did a preliminary pack last week when things started going downhill. Have to get all my food together to give away tomorrow. Everything perishable.

I’m going to cry myself to sleep, I just know it.