It started at 4:30am in the morning. My taxidriver wanted to leave 30 minutes earlier than usual. Why? I don’t know, but that taxi was full halfway down the mountain so I guess the man doesn’t need a reason. It started when she first got into the taxi. “Sbah lexir,” and “Saalam walakum,” What was that smell? Oh man, it had all of these delicious flavors of smokey, spicey goodness… is that.. beef jerkey? I felt like I had just ziplocked my head into a Jack Daniel’s Peppered Beef Jerkey bag. I wanted to take her home as human potpourri. That would be inappropriate but goddamn she was making me hungry. My next thought that if we got stranded on a section of road and had to eat someone I would point out her first, she would taste the best, probably a little rubbery. She looked well into her 60s. The taxi was soon full of smells, an interesting mixture of beef jerkey, sleep, body odor and farm animal. The window in front of me was barely cracked, I think it was just because it no longer rolled up all the way. I welcomed that small bit of fresh air, my eyes were starting to tear up.
I was glad I was feeling better. My dumbass had self-medicated two nights before because the power had gone out in the midst of a small hurricane. I wanted to go to bed early, without the TV on, I figured we would turn in early and I desperately needed a full nights rest. I hadn’t been sleeping well and knew that my day into town was usually a long one and I needed to make the best of it. Tylenol PM is powerful. I took the recommended two pills and felt nothing for the first 5 hours. I wasn’t sleepy at all! It was well past 10 o’clock and I was turning over restlessly, plagued by random thought and worries that my mother graciously passed down to me. I finally drifted off to sleep. Around 7:30 I could hear the family waking up, the usually screaming, the sounds of tea being put on, the slurps and slops of bread being kneaded. I had a pounding headache and desperately needed to pee. I got up and explained to the eldest daughter that I wasn’t feeling well and that I did not want breakfast. Luckily there was a poo trail to the bitlama in case I couldn’t find my way there. Thank God. This was the second time that someone had pooed outside the outhouse. I couldn’t understand it. There were no points for being close. Either you sink it like a champ or you go home. Well, no one has explained the rules around here! I didn’t want to bother with the poo just yet and thought that if I ignored it it would go away…
The rest of the morning I was in and out of my room. My head was pounding and I felt exhausted. My back was beginning to tense up because of the amount of time I was sleeping on my stomach. I explained to my family that my head was killing me, and they suggested I take a shower later on. What a great idea! A family at my last site was convinced that too much sleep, drinking water and keeping your head uncovered was the source of all sicknesses.
Bath time is sacred. I relish. Ask anyone who knows me, and they will tell you that I love to primp. I don’t know when it started. I was somehow convinced that everytime I showered I needed to wash my hair, shave, thorough cleaning of all body parts (toes, ears, etc.), and then the usual lotioning up and accessories (tweezing, nail clippings, etc.). I don’t skip a beat and I take my time. I enjoy this time. The past two weeks grandma and I have been at odds over this shower time. It has just started happening that she wants to shower right at the same time as I do. The last time I cut things really short and did just the basics because she was waiting. This last time I had scissors in hand, about to make the cut and restore my hair to some kind of decency and I hear, “Hanan! Rig ad-ssird, (mumble mumble Tash tash words, etc.)” and I’m like fuuuuuuooookkkk. Guess the shearing will happening after I move into my own place. Oh well, something to look forward to.
At this point we are careening down the mountainside and the clouds are fantastic. I can’t wait to start my own schedule, waking up early and going on a run before the rest of this sleepy town has awakened and enjoying a cup of coffee out on my patio as people head off to the fields or to visit neighbors.
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