Back to the Beginning

"You cannot teach a crab to walk straight." - Aristophanes

The landlord came over to fix the lights in our bedrooms and the kitchen. Four days before leaving, he finally comes to fix the lights we complained about when we arrived 7 ½ weeks ago!! What do you make of that?

We had our goodbye/thank you get together on Friday at Mieko’s house. Andrew organized his own ride there shortly before I arrived home as he said he didn’t know what the house plans were. I questioned why he had arranged something with someone else rather than arranging with his own roommates. That we have always gone to events together from the house. He said he assumed we had taken care of our own arrangements. I said no that once again we had considered him without him considering us and I asked why he would assume something without confirming with us. At any rate, Rodney had to go straight there as he left work late. And Andrew left me at the house to ride on a moto with his work colleague to the party that I helped organize. Gotta love it! So after taking my time so as to allow myself to release my frustration with him (yet again) I hopped into a taxi that ended up having engine problems. I was able to find another taxi but the ordeal wasted precious time and I arrived 45 min late.

Turns out the get-together wasn’t much of a party. Rodney says that when he arrived, Coumba and Sogonna were there as were Andrew and Kadiatou (Andrew’s colleague from work) and Andrew was reading a magazine while the three ladies looked at each other. Awkward! Rodney tried to facilitate a conversation but his French language skills aren’t on the same level as Andrew’s. Mieko served dinner and Coumba and Sogonna left after half an hour and I arrived shortly afterwards. Rodney made me a plate and Mieko asked where I was coming from since I had chosen this occasion to wear a Malian outfit. I said I was coming from home. Kadiatou frowned and whispered to Andrew shaking her finger. I guess she realized that he had her pick him up while leaving someone else at the house who was going to the same event. Rodney and I both noticed that he opted to leave with us though and not with her. I thought about telling him to go ahead and ride with her because he certainly wasn’t invited to share my taxi but I bit my tongue.

Mieko gave us all the leftovers and while Rodney and I packed them up, Andrew waited in the livingroom. She called him to come and help but he didn’t. And when we had trouble carrying everything he carried only the salad and the cookies, the two lightest things. I decided then and there that I would no longer concern myself with being thoughtful where he was concerned. The program is officially over, though we don’t leave until Tuesday. I did my job as Group Leader, and I actually extended myself a lot more than others thought was necessary given the circumstances. And I’m done with that. He’s in for a rude awakening for the next few days because I will no longer be sharing my food, cooking skills, labor, water or energy with a cad. ANd thank goodness I no longer have to!