Monday, January 29, 2007

Daddy’s Here!

Oh joy of joys…Thanks to the miracles of internet fare competition, charter airlines catering to European tourists, and of course, the credit card, my dear husband has arrived in the Gambia. With about 24 hours notice (since the time we got the letter from school announcing the holiday was being moved to that very week) he scrambled to get work and home in order and searched dozens of competitive airfare websites to find a way to be with us while the girls are out of school. He managed to purchase boxes of pencils, crayons and other goodies for some of the schools we’re helping at, gifts for Gambian friends and even a printer for a long-time American friend here.

This has all come so fast -- I didn’t know until a few hours before he was leaving that he actually was able to find a palatable airfare -- but it is really wonderful to have our family back in tact. Sophia won’t leave his side and is singing most of the time again, and Layla and Anisa seem to bicker less. While he’s here everyone’s on vacation and we’re doing tourist-y things, like going to the beach more, visiting family friends, and checking out venues with cultural music performers and some eco-tourism facilities.

I have to remind myself to enjoy the moment and not think about the fact that he’s only here for one week, until Friday. The cup is half full…it’s all good…

Besides saying something about our own family dynamics, I think this sudden travel plan also shows that if you want to get to Africa, it’s possible. This “dark continent” doesn’t have to be so far away when we all live in One World.

1 comment:

Knittah said...

I am SOOOO glad that you are all together again. I wish he could stay with you the entire time.