Of the Near Future

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Watching Hippos

My eyes met directly with two others this morning. Two blondish ears, kind of over-large for my companion’s being, perked eagerly, awaiting my response. This was the unspoken dialogue:
Bubs: “Can we wake up now?”
Erika: “No.”
His elbows thunked and he sighed as he went back to waiting.
The weather has changed again. Harmattan and its dust have left, leaving clear blue skies. These clear blue skies are otherwise known as direct sunrays. Ugh. Hot. My elbows thunk and I sigh as I, and everyone else, wait for the rain.
Work is moving, if I translate directly. Le boulôt bouge. The Planificateur from the mayor’s office and I have started a clean school competition for all the primary schools and the secondary school of Athiémé. I didn’t branch too far from the idea of the women’s groups’ competitions. I copied the Environmental Education Guide book that each environmental volunteer receives, and have given a copy to each of the schools’ directors. Another source of information warmly received. The Planificateur (that is his title, his name is Rémy) and I will give a test at the end of the school year over three selected parts: flora and fauna, climate, and hygiene and the environment. This test, along with the repeated assessment of the cleanliness of the schools, will determine the winner near the end of the school year, around May. But of course, everyone wins. I like this project because I like being in the schools, and because I know all of them- Mathurin, my neighbor Justine, and the Sisters, and all the kids at the secondary school. It’s like I am not even working, I just go around and talk to my friends.
Ghislain, the president of As.P.E.L., is about to leave for school again. He came up with another good project for us to do while he studies; we will prepare 3,000 trees of various indigenous species to plant in six sacred forests within the Commune of Athiémé. Way cool. The only unpleasant-ness is that these 3,000 trees are at the same time as the 12-15,000 acacia trees. Ah, rainy season. The trees for the forests will be planted starting the 1st of June, the National Tree day. I really like this project because it’s the most conservation-like work I have attempted since graduating from Benedictine College. I imagine all the birds and animals returning… It’s possible. I saw it happen small small on the Benedictine Bottoms Mitigation Site.
And my basketball friends look at me so hopefully; “Erika! Et le terrain?” “Oui,” I respond. “On est toujours en train.” We have to get that basketball court built. We want to invite the other tournament teams to Athiémé to play by the end of the school year. Maybe, hopefully, by April? I have contacted a woman willing to donate the basketball goals, but now to lay the concrete…
Most of the volunteers of the Mono-Coufo region are preparing for a four-five day bike ride along the Mono River, sometime in March. We will give HIV/AIDS informational sessions to an average of four villages per commune, about 20 villages in all. No need to go to Cotonou to expend energy.
And of course, Camp GLOW is gearing up again. This year I will have to do an essay contest at the secondary school to choose the girls who will participate. I will have to ask them a trick question, like how to spell my name. That will weed a few of them out. Another week in June full of Beninese pre-teen girls on vacation and crazy Americans wanting to entertain them. Could be interesting.
By July, I will be scrambling to squeeze every moment for what it’s worth. I will only have a couple months remaining of this two-year long summer, though these two years will have been much more than summer vacation. I used to have out-of-body moments when I remarked to myself on how well I was living in Africa, and not just Africa, but Athiémé, Benin, and perfectly at ease. I don’t have those moments anymore, which means that, although I know I am, I no longer feel strange, or foreign. There are plenty of moments when I think of Kansas, but what’s Kansas? Another place to live. I will be Erika-strange there, too, as I am everywhere.
But now, it's eat-time, bath-time, a little work-time, and then maybe a Friday night beer-time. Take it easy.

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Comments

[Cindy and Jeff]

Erika the...
Erika - strange.....no! Erika - adventurer, Erika - leader, Erika - humorist, Erika - writer, Erika - charismatic, Erika - loving, and we could go on. We think that you are pretty special!