My Last Day in the City of Temples

I woke up a 1/2 hour before my 7:00 am wake up call, thinking I had a pretty restful night despite not taking my NyQuil meds. I guess my cold is gone!

I Reach for my iPad as I did for the last 2 weeks. What news do I have from Rob? Did anyone like my FB post? Any comments from the photos I uploaded? Then I sneak a few screen pages from my book, Mountains beyond mountains by Tracy Kidder. I love Dr Paul Farmer! Visionaries and clinicians like him come few and far between, I am so glad Tracy wrote the book the way he did, because he had to make sense of the Man. I struggle with inequity myself and my work in Nepal is so fulfilling yet I feel I am not doing enough... My life is now devoted to healing the world!

I woke up alone today since Rose was in Pokhara. It seemed surreal, like I was missing part of myself, I was missing my friend. Being such a time keeper, I portioned out my last few hours, shower and change, settle the bill, have a nice breakfast at the Pumpernickel Cafe, maybe do last minute shopping then head to the airport! It couldn't have been more perfect!

I ordered boiled eggs, toast and milk coffee plus an omelet sandwich for the old man begging at the front steps of the cafe. He didn't need a sign to say he was hungry unlike the sign carriers back home explaining their misfortune. You would not know by looking at their physique and at the way they dress. Ask and who shall receive.

As I sat there with the Republika, reading the carousel of articles about the government's inability not govern, or the parties' inability to agree on a course of action for the future of Nepal, my mind wanders to the conditions of the rural deaf school we visited in Dankhuta. I hear the words of the blind students from Sanjiwani Model School saying they need Braille books for English grammar. I see in my memory, Sima and all the experiences we shared in Dharan. I miss Rob in this incredible journey of just 2 weeks and I have a difficult time making it all add up.

I recognize I am happy! In what we are doing to better the lives of children marginalized by their own community and government.

I was just not ready to leave quite yet, my newspaper went blurry. Tears ran down, my little drop in the bucket of injustice will have to do for now. Goodbye for a few months. It's going to be a good year for fund raising!

Gina Rose