I’m ready (yeah right)

Well this morning I attempted to finalize my packing. It almost seemed as if the more I packed, the more I remembered I should be packing. At this point I pretty much have all that I’m taking home packed. Hopefully I don’t go on a purchasing binge and end up with other things I have no room for.

I’m already considering mailing home the masks Donald gave to me yesterday. I wrapped them as best I could, but a part of me doesn’t want to trust airport baggage handlers with not tossing something heavy on top of the bag, thus breaking one or both of the masks. I think the wood panels should be okay, but the masks? Nah. I’ll have to find the FedEx representative in Douala when I get there.

The hard part is trying to keep all the gifts I purchase in one bag. Don’t know why I’m doing that, because if the customs official wants to see my baggage, they’re going to check everything, not just the gift bag. But I figure this will make it a little easier to funnel through, eh? Guess it’s that part of me that wants to be prepared.

When I arrived at the hospital to meet Akilah to go to the Younkeu’s to finally meet the nurse from Baltimore, she told me they’d not heard from her as of yet. I wish I’d copied the name and number of the woman when I saw the business card originally. I would like to call her when I get home to find out what she does and what her link to this couple’s mission is.

While preparing to get dressed and meet Akilah, I decided to wash my hair. I could not believe how the water looked afterwards. I guess the blowing red dust really settles in your hair. That’s pretty interesting considering I wear a cap most of the time, but I guess that doesn’t matter.

It’s just like the house. There are essentially few windows in the apartment, but when we’re gone for any number of days, we come home to a floor full of dust. Not dust balls, but sediments from the red dirt outside. I have no clue how it manages to find it’s way into the apartment, but when you notice it in the bathroom that doesn’t have a window, but a small opening at the top of the wall, you’re mystified.

So I got into a taxi with Akilah and the Librarian (who was standing there with her) and headed to the market area to go to the tailor’s. When we arrived, I noticed he was working on my outfit. He mentioned to Akilah he would not be finished for another few hours. I intended on returning prior to him closing for the evening, but I never made it there. Guess the funeral ceremonies put him behind on work.

Well, that’s the second day in a row that we’ve planned about three things, and two of them fell through. I was intending on having something else made, but at this point, I think I should just pack the fabric and save until I find someone at home who can do it for me. One I really wanted a shirt out of, but I guess it’s okay if I don’t have it made here.

We picked up the ingredients for the pizza sauce and toppings while at the market and rushed home to make our pizza dinner for Nicolene. Akilah made the sauce from what she thought should go into it, and the dough was pretty much easy to make (it’s dough). By the time Nicolene arrived the meal was half prepared, but she assisted in the preparation. This would be her first time actually eating and seeing a pizza made. She did mention that she used to see one of the Ninja Turtles eating pizza all the time.

Our pizza was Sicilian style and was extremely good. Just before dinner, I ran over to the boulangerie to pick up some drinks for us all, and we sat down and filled ourselves on the vegetarian pizza. Nicolene couldn’t eat all of her’s so she took some home for herself and Charlie. We even tried some Andes mints that I’d been saving for her to taste.

After Nicolene left and we were relaxing and playing Tetris, the lights went out again. This is the third night in a row the lights have gone out at some point. Are we in the middle of another rolling blackout? We sat and talked by candlelight for a little while and then decided we might as well call it a night.

One more night in Foumban and then it’s home for me. What will a “home” shower feel like? How will it feel to go to a supermarket that has a wide selection? These and other questions are what I’m trying to figure out, or at least have an answer to.