Homecoming 2007

I finally had the homecoming I've been waiting for. Yesterday a PC car went to get my friend from Mamou so I hitched a ride down for the day. I arrived at my old house at 9am and was able to give Djenabou her gifts from the Frieler girls - new shoes and clothes. She was so thrilled! When she saw me coming she ran up to me to give me a huge hug - she's usually shy and reserved so it was exceptionally touching.

After visiting with them for awhile, and finding out that the Ivoirians were kicked out of my house as soon as people heard I was back (they wanted to make sure I knew it was waiting for me and that I wouldn't stay in Timbi just because I didn't have a house in Mamou), I went to visit El Hadj Barry, the owner of the house. His whole family crowded around and I gave him a watch as a gift and he told me about how he's been wondering about me and that I'm always welcome to come back.

After that I went to Ibrahima's shop, where the best yogurt is sold. I bought a ton and we talked about my plans to try and go back.

Next it was off to Madame Diallo's, where she invited me to her baby's baptism in about a month and gave me a matching tie-dyed skirt and shirt from Bamako that she's been holding for me since December. She is about the most adorable pregnant woman ever. I finally had some time just to sit around and chat, and I told her that I'd come for the baptism and that someday we'll go look at Camilo's flickr account so she can see pictures from all the travels.

Then I ran into the PC car and he said that a bunch of PCVs from Burkina were in town on a COS trip, so I talked to them awhile and brought them yogurt. Hopefully I'll meet up with them again when they come through the Fouta, I was trying to sell them on going to Mauritania and I think it worked...

Finally I found my old admin from the school! They gave me the biggest hugs, which was kind of a shock since it was in front of a lot of people and it's Ramadan right now. They loved their picture frames with the photos of us and told me that my job is always waiting. And they told me that they were thrilled that I'd come back, even if I couldn't return to Mamou. "The continuation of the cooperation between our countries is the most important thing," was what they said. It was so touching.

Overall, it was absolutely the best day I'd had since my arrival, possibly my best day since June. PC admin knows I want to return and now I just need to be patient and do my best in Timbi until that happens.