The Journey part 6

Thurs June 27th

 

We had court last night. I thought it went well. Dorothy, our attorney told us that the judge gave your other family members a hard time and asked what was so difficult in taking care of such a small boy. He asked your aunt with 5 kids why she couldn't just share the other childrens things and give you a little bit of their food.

I think he just wanted them to be sure this was what they wanted to do.

 

Today is Thursday. We have only today and part of tomorrow left with you. I'm feeling a little bit of heaviness in my spirit. I'm trying to enjoy our last full day with you.

We go to the museum. This clearly was not thrilling for you.

(The head dress in the picture is what would have been worn during a circumcision event. We learned that circumcision were public events. The men would wear these while they would perform the procedure on boys of 9ish years of age in front of the whole community. ) Once again, our guide was walking and trying to give us the schpeil, but you got it in your head that you wanted soda, so for about an hour and a half, you walked around just murmuring "sooooooooda- sooooooda-soooooooda" over and over and over and over again.

Pretty impressive! You never gave up. And of course, our museum guide made several comments as to how stubborn you were.

I have to give you credit.... I was determined not to give in, but you wore everyone else out. Finally, the guide promised that we would get you a soda at lunch, just so you would let her do her job.

 

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel so you and Gabe could swim, or -so Gabe could swim and so we could try to coax you back into the pool again.

 

You did it! You finally did it! You were brave enough to let me get into the baby pool while I was holding you. After a few minutes, you let me put you down. Yay!

So you threw the ball with Daddy and Gabe for a little bit , and then threw up in the pool.

 

I'm thinking no one was super happy with us.

We just wound down after that, although you seemed to feel fine by the time we got back to the room. I think it was just a combination of the coughing and swimming after eating..... Note to self.

 

Spirits were down a little bit, as this was our last night together. We had to pack and be ready to check out the next morning.

Off to bed.

 

Friday morning June 28th

 

Checked out of hotel. Mr Ronald came to get us. Went to the passport office to see if we could get the passport process started before leaving the country. Even though our attorney had someone go wait in line all day, when we were having coffee at a nearby cafe. When our number got close, they called us to come over, but when we got there we realized that our passport photos were not the right size. So I took you and rushed off to get some quick pics done, and rushed back.

 

We waited about an hour and a half. You and I were in the passport office which was a small concrete building with no air conditioning, electricity, or anything other than some waiting chairs and a few people at desks. Since there are no computers, everything is written by hand, and they have these huge ledger books where they log everything.

When we got to 4th in line, they just got up and left for lunch without saying a word.  To keep you busy I took out my ipod. You grabbed it and stuck it to directly to the ears of the people to our right and left. I think you were so amazed, you wanted to share the joy, but they kept swatting your hands away. You could care less! You just kept sticking it right back in their ears. Pretty funny.

About an hour and a half later they show back up..... 1-2-3-4.... I'm up! Finally. Someone asks me what I'm there for, I tell them, and they tell me I'm in the wrong place and they shoo me away.

Ugh, Standard protocol here! The attorney said this is where we should be. This is where he took his last clients. He assured us that they could take care of us, but were just choosing not to. They sent us 3 doors down, where there was no one waiting all day, but now.... Now they were at lunch- or still at lunch. I'm not sure. So we wait some more. Now we are back out in the heat waiting. There is this really cute little Ugandan girl, who is maybe 2 years old. She has really taken to Gabe and is following him all around. She is sitting in his lap and trying to hold his hand. Daddy said she had been playing with Gabe and following him around for quite sometime, but you hadn't seen it because you were inside waiting with me. Well..... You did not want her anywhere near Gabe! You were clearly jealous. You went over and pushed her hands away from Gabe. When she kept trying to get back to Gabe, you started pushing her and pinching her arms. (Not too hard as to hurt her. And it wasn't nice, but it was kind of cute at the same time.)  Finally they get back, we go into the building to wait some more. As the line moves, we get closer.....3-2-1. Its our turn now. We explain what we need and -nope! They send us away. They tell us we can't start the passport process yet without the judges ruling.

Long and frustrating day, and to make it worse- we have to head to the airport now.

Now I have an hour ride to agonize about what is about to happen..... We will have to part ways for a time, and I will not be able to explain it to you. Oh, how I am dreading this next few hours!