Better. Thank you. Sorry.

Firstly, my apologies and thanks to people who read and were concerned. Lech, your misanthropy in this dose was a wonder drug; medicinal and therapeutic. Mom, I'm sorry I made you so worried you had to call. I love you. Things are much better.

So, the verdict is a tasty combination of hookworm and bronchitis. Yaaaaaay! I was able to go to the clinic on Tuesday, talk to a doc, hand over some bodily substances to a man with Kermit the Frog's voice, and pay about $9 for the whole thing, including drugs, lab work, and medical consultation.

On Tuesday, I started the bronchitis medicine at lunch and the de-worming meds at dinner. Apparently, the deworming meds share an ingredient with Antabuse, so, no alcohol for me for the next couple of weeks. Kind of wishing some other folks around here needed to be de-wormed as well.

It was good to spend the first half of Wednesday away from the compound even though it was at a clinic, as well as the first half of Tuesday in my bed, resting. I needed to be away from the crowd and this was as close I could get to a period of seclusion.

Yesterday, one of the guys involved in... the incident... pulled me aside and offered and apology, stating that he's in no way against the rights of women, identifies as a liberal Dem, has exact opposite political beliefs to the "W.T.F.C.?!" guy in general, and that that wasn't at all the message he wanted to convey. I believe him based on the little I got to know of him in the few days before the whole debacle. The fact that the opinion wasn't what was bothering me on a whole made it an easy conversation to have. I offered an apology as well and we hugged it out and things are, for the most part, fine. His name is Richard Move.

Things are still uncomfortable with some of the rest of the group, mostly people who had some phantom problem with me to begin with (eg, a girl who was so insulted when I corrected her assessment of how Bill and I feel about each other that she rarely talks to me lest she needs something or is criticizing my position on some inane topic or another; another girl who has a problem with Bill and, lacking the maturity to deal with her issue directly, allegedly tried to engender the entire volunteer group with similar feelings of Bill-targeted negativity during a discussion away from the two of us, yet still, quite superficially, behaves in a friendly--not cordial-- manner to his face.). Something was definitely broken between Bill & I and the rest of the group, which probably should bother us, but really doesn't. I think we both pretty much feel like we didn't do anything wrong (since, of course, no one else was hurt), so, the ball's in whomever else's court now. However, I feel like the maturity levels I had assessed the first week were correct, taking the last few days into consideration. It could be basic awkwardness or uncertainty as to how being friendly with us would be received, but it just looks like Bill and I are no longer part of the picture. Like we discussed before: someone who can't understand our friendships, probably doesn't deserve them.

I think I wrote earlier about how Bill and I were able to talk to Debbie, the Volunteer Coordinator about the whole thing. Her reactions to our gripes, complaints, and concerns were very, very reassuring and offered the validation necessary for us to feel like we weren't crazy. It's like a friend of mine from SAS said--something I quoted earlier--"some people are cool, and some people aren't." Some people just get it, and I highly value that type of person.

Moving on, I'm doubting the bronchitis diagnosis, but taking the meds anyway. It's only a course of three pills. I'm more relieved that someone was able to hip me to my hookworm condition and give me something for that. As Bill mentioned in an earlier post, this area's hookworm is tenacious and requires a couple of courses of the deworming meds. The thing that's bothering me most right now is the fact that I'm still all phlegm-y and pretty noticeably tired lately. I've stayed home from school for two days now and feel pretty bad about it, but I simply don't feel I have the energy (or vocal strength) to yell the ABC's to my young'ns at Gyetighi Primary School. I plan on at least going to Girls Club this afternoon, but I'm still undecided on teaching during the school day. We'll see.



Enough of that for now. I want to talk about the great things that have been happening. Yesterday, for example, Bill and I were in our room, revisiting Shel Silverstein poems together as we waited for dinner time to roll around. The library doesn't have A Light in the Attic (I'm going to send it to Christina [oh my god--remember Christina? We live with her now! And she's marvelous] when I get back to the States), but Where the Sidewalk Ends is also pretty good. "An Invitation," "Hug-O-War" and "Hector the Collector" all the way.

Bill got up and moved to the window. With a smile, he started to narrate in a monotone voice:

Isaka's [12] standing on a rickety old table to watch the game [over the hedge].
Boazi's [6?] climbing on the table. He just pushed Isaka off.
Isaka climbing back up again, and pushing Boazi down at the same time.
Boazi's pulling on Isaka's leg.
Isaka's just got his foot on Boazi's head and pushing him down.
Oh god, Boazi's getting the hose.
Okay maybe he's not.... okay he is--"BOAZI!! PUT THAT DOWN!!"

At some point in there, I had moved to the window and we watched the rising action together. After yelling to Boazi, we ventured outside to the scene of the crime. It was difficult to present ourselves as figures of authority at that moment due to the fact that we couldn't halt our laughter.

I really like the kids we're living with. At first, I was a little anxious about the age group not being the one I'm most comfortable with, but the connections Bill and I have already forged with this bunch is beautiful. We spent some time in the boys' room last night before bedtime. That was a lot of fun. The boys got a little rambunctious, but I think it was a pretty good bonding experience. A couple of them got a little out of hand, but for the most part, it was a good time.

Bill now works with me in Play Group and it is a totally different experience. He brings a great energy to the group and is an expert at wrangling the tots when they start to get a little too excited. The kids really like him, and I do too, so it all works out pretty well. Natalie is still going strong with her potty training, at least with me, and Boniface gives the sweetest little kisses. I'm enjoying the experience, and it isn't beyond my energy, especially having Bill there with me. I do feel badly about his being pulled out of Power Hour with the boys to help me, as from everything I could see, he was doing really, really, really well with them.

Another person I'm really happy to have here is Salama. She's been nothing but helpful and easy to talk to. She's strict about us taking care of ourselves, so if she hears the slightest hint of anyone's intent to push themselves while feeling off, she makes sure that they don't. This morning, I even fibbed a little this morning when she asked if I was okay. I said "Yeah, not bad." She grimaced and said "Pole sana". Salama and I, oddly enough, have a lot of the same seemingly random physical ailments, so it's kind of comforting in a weird way to talk to her. I love the way she tells stories, too.

More good things to write, but this is getting pretty lengthy, and Bill and I are about to start a make-shift drum circle outside with some 5-year-olds.