Wrapping Up, Part II

I could not have asked for a better last week here.

My African Friends Havel and Joela have hung out with me several times, and we'd talk about computers and ipods and bla bla bla. For my going away, they decided to throw a party. Joela said that there would be six people. There ended up being ten, but you'll hear no complaining from me.

We pumped some music, sat, and tried to overcome language barriers. They all spoke a small amount of english- I think I spoke better French than they spoke English, with the exception of Joela.

They also brought over some traditional African food- Taro leaves, chicken, rice, and some manioc root. Remember how I didn't like manioc when I first came here? It grows on you, especially if you season it correctly (little bit of soy sauce, little bit of mayo). I made Sloppy Joes, which were a hit.

I also had a going away dessert time with all the missionaries. It was very sweet (ha- get it?), but also sad to say goodbye to the people who have become my family in these five months. They had me say a few words, and then they all said how much they're going to miss me. Mr Paul specifically mentioned how he was skeptical of a kid my age and the length of time spent here, and that I had very much exceeded his expectations. Miss Deb (the pediatric doctor) said that my mother should be very proud of me. The Thelander kids made it very clear that I would be missed. I will miss them too- who now will kick my butt weekly in Super Smash Brothers?

It was nice.

Now I'm at the guesthouse again, nothing to do but ponder on my time here. That, and get in fights with tortises. (Josh Curry for King of Quality Segues 2012)

So the guest house has a tortise in the backyard- I think it either keeps the grass down or eats the clippings of grass. Anyways, I saw it out there, and figured I would go take a look at it. I meandered over, and he saw me. He surveyed me for a bit, and then started breaking land speed records over the two meters that seperated us.

Many seconds later, I started getting uncomfortable. This turtle was pretty clearly charging me, despite the looseness of the definition of "charge" in this particular instance. I have no idea if tortises are friendly. He could be eager to cuddle, or lusting to once again be familarized with the taste of flesh.

I had plenty of time to formulate a plan- I decided to take off my flip-flop, and offer it to him, to see if he was attacking. After a little more waiting, he arrived.

When he hit the flip flop with his face (yes, literally) his neck jerked back into his body. Then he slowly extended his neck to smell the shoe. His breathing was labored from his recent sprinting session, and it was an odd thing to hear- made him very alive in my mind.

Once he had smelled it, and deemed it unsatisfactory in some unknown aspect, he started pushing against it in an attempt to get to me.

He was impressively strong, for an animal about the size of my head. So strong in his legs, in fact, that his head was forced back into his shell, pushing against my flip flop.

Not knowing the personality of this tortise, I decided I had had enough. I stepped back, and he kept charging. I went inside, and he kept charging.

Then I imagine he forgot what he had been charging, paused for a moment, and started eating grass again.

He has a good life, that tortise.