Late June/Early July

27 June 2010

Big rains fell last night, and I could finally take a daba to the grass that had grown like crazy around my papaya tree. Soumaïla and Muriama each made separate comments approving of my small ‘farming’ work, which I’d mostly done to distract myself from the news that broke this morning of a village elder’s death. Around La’ansara several hundred men went from praying at the mosque to the cemetery in the woods. As we passed the school teacher’s house, I saw from afar Mamadou resting on his moto waiting for me to walk by, and he joined me. After the burial, we walked back to the deceased family member’s place, in this case the fourth butigi of Kafara on the north end of town, owned by the son of the elder, Sekou Bagayoko. After given food, the typical ending show of appreciation for all those guests who came before we return home, Mamadou and I went to Mugutari’s place to get the moto he came on from Bamako repaired. Once it was fixed, we went to get my phone from where it’d been charging at the Med Clinic. We found the new doctor at the house Keita had been staying, and this made for an awkward first interaction between us. I did my best to be polite, and he tentatively shook my hand, but kept responding in French to anything I said in Bambara. He wouldn’t let me take my phone until Keita was there to confirm I’d left it there, and frustrated by all of this, I just told Mamadou to go back home, and I’d send Siaka to get it.
I took my dinner to Mamadou’s concession to share with him. He’d literally just arrived from making final repairs to the moto in Digan, and was upset with all the money he’d just spent on doing so. His father let me add some seasoned peanut pieces to the zamé, an excellent combo, and Mamadou and I ate the whole bowl before heading off to Siaka’s place. A pretty huge storm broke off the chatting there, and I went to my hut before the rains began. As they did, Mamadou knocked at my screen door, and we waited through the loud thunderclaps chatting for a couple hours, mostly about the World Cup, and my funny accounts from Brazil’s match tonight against Chile. We shared similar support for Ghana to win their upcoming match and therefore become the first African team to reach the semi-finals, and made speculations for who we expected to reach the finals.


28 June 2010

I only came to the conclusion myself that Fatou is pregnant today, when I passed by her washing clothes outside my concession. It’s improper for me to inquire about this, so I’m only left to wait and see.
Lamine told me that Mamadou had sent for me, and when I arrived at his place, I realized he’d spent all morning in the field’s with his parents. He couldn’t believe I’d thought he might have left for Bamako without my knowing, and reassured me even if I were asleep, as I had been late this morning, he’d wake me up to say good-bye properly. He said he had pity on me in village this time of year, since no one is around to chat with, and people spend all day in the fields, leaving my host family concession empty. Mamadou had a good suggestion to accompany them every so often to brew tea. As his older brother Vieux and he boarded the moto to return to Bamako, Mamadou asked when to expect me in Daoudabougou next, and I said it depended on when I found money in my bank account. Just as he was about to rev up the engine and be off, he stopped and reached into the sack he keeps his cell phone repair stuff in, and handed me a 500f piece.
I walked to Batima’s concession to pass a couple afternoon hours, and sat while older women shelled shea nuts and the younger girls braided hair. I found Lamine there brewing tea, and was given a radio to listen to the match between Japan and Holland. Dicko stopped by on his way to Digan, and I went to the Med Clinic to await his return, burning time by helping Kadia daba small area she plans on planting okra, I think. This go-round, I got to properly meet and spend time with the new doctor, who turns out to be a laid-back and pleasant guy. He’s multi-national, with a Senegalese father and Ivorian mother. I brewed tea there until just past 18h20, just in time to head to Dramand’s for Spain against Portugal. This Iberian derby was the most exciting game of the World Cup so far, and David Villa added to his goal tally off an amazing assist from Iniesta, the match’s only goal.

8 July 2010

Today the best friend I’ve made in PC Mali will be flying home, and the week we’ve spent together leading up to it has still done little to help fill the void I know will be gaping beginning tomorrow.
I received a text from Mike 30 June asking when to expect me in Bamako and that he hoped to see me before he left for America. The following morning I was on the next ride to the capital on public transport. Circumstances of my friend’s imminent departure influenced several impulsive decisions: travel to Manantali (10 hour long bus ride during which the majority of PCVs were soaked in a rainstorm that blew threw the open windows) for 4th of July weekend; leave Manantali the morning of 4 July to spend the night in Kita’s stage house; accompany him to develop photos and deliver them to the place in downtown Bamako where his public transport to village is stationed; walk through the artisana market to purchase a chiwara, a traditional symbol of Malian culture; take a ride to Tubaniso for Mike’s final language exam (he got Advanced Mid in Bambara), where I got a chance to visit with PC Mali’s country director (and thus, a feeling like I might be OK not having any reason at all to be at the reformation center), who also gave Mike and me a ride back to the Bureau.
Rather than spend time trying to pinpoint the craziness my spontaneous last week may yield, I’d prefer to appreciate the type of friendship I’ve found with Mike that is to blame for these displays of loyalty.