Yesterday on my way out the door, I casually greeted my Beninese Mama, Madame Mariam. She told me that there'd been a death in the village. The old man who frequented her shop, and was still pounding back shots of sodabi (a local hard liquor whose alcohol percent levels are questionable at best), still walking around the village with his 10 year old son in tow, and still smiling with a twinkle in his eye. He was one of the first people I met in the village and I grew very close to his family particularly his 24 year old daughter and his 16 year old son. They're one of the families I greet almost everyday. Occassionally on market day; I bought fish for his family. This family is so great to me and makes me feel at home, particularly during moments when I feel like the most estranged outsider. I frequently would go over and listen to his sons tell traditional africain tales in exchange for my own european based tales( and even a harry potter one.) He was always there listening, laughing, and teasing. He declared that in 2 years he would give me my Idaasha diploma. And that when my family visits and when Moussa visits, I would bring them over to eat pounded yams. And we'd feast!
He lived a long life and I feel like his amusing spirit still floats among the trees of Magoumi. I think what pains me most is to see a family that I know and love suffer. It reminds me that I have such a blessed life and makes me thankful for my family and friends. Yesterday I gave the sons a deck of cards for the moments when their minds need to be distracted a little. I guess all I can really do is visit with the family and continue to support and love them, as they've done for me over the past 2 months.
Yesterday when I found out, I was all blurry eyed on my walk to school with 6 hours of teaching ahead of me. On my way home at 5pm, I ran into my favorite bissap (cold hibiscus juice) and peanut selling mama. She told me that her younger sister gave birth to a little girl. Life goes around and continues.
I guess the whole point of this post is an attempt to show you how close I feel to the people here. There are moments when life is hard and frustrating and when I feel like a teacher struggling to be effective with her students. After all that though, the people of Magoumi are close to my heart. Sweet Magoumi continues to cast its magical spell, now with a smiling elderly man's spirit blowing with the wind.
