Semonkong and Ntate Khoanyane

This weekend (2.20.09) was my first trip away from site in a month. Money is low after Durban. We headed to Semonkong early Friday morning from Leribe. It was pouring rain but luckily let up a little so that me, Ashley, and Trish could catch a hitch from town to Maseru. Thanks to Trish we got a ride in a brand new Land Rover that was absolutely gorgeous with a man who is in the diamond buisness. We met up with everyone else in Maseru at about 10 and waited till about 11 before hopping on a bus to take off. We got the million-year-old bus that had a leaky roof and plank seats. Pam and Al were able to patch the leaky holes with bubble gum so that was nice and it gave the Basotho on the bus something to laugh about. The road to Semonkong is not paved half the way so I'm sure its not hard to imagine how much fun that ride was (5 hours total). We got into town and it is amazing, I cant wait to go visit Nick again. So many mountains and open but still trees. The river was especially nice. We just hung out and chilled Friday night, Nick and Al made pasta for dinner, we all went to the bar at the lodge, super fun. The shower was great at the end of the day. Since I have not left site for a month I have also only had bucket baths and this shower was the same size as my whole bathroom at home in the States. Saturday morning a few people trekked through the mud to see the falls but I decided to wait until I visit again. Our donkeys pulled up just as people were getting back from the falls at about 11 so it was all aboard. I named mine Tinker Bell but when I tried to get on the whole saddle came off so I got placed on Tinker Bell the second. Literally placed because Ntate Muso (a guide) had me stand on a wall and helped lift me, unnecessarily, into the saddle. Nick also had a whole stack of Barrack Obama Stickers that were strategically placed on volunteers, donkeys, saddles, and buildings and random children throughout the day. We rode our donkey train into town to the first bar where me and Trish both made not so graceful dismounts. Again, the whole saddle came with me and I landed flat on my ass. We then proceeded through town to the next bar, a home-brew place, on to another where we stayed for a while and I wowed our guides with my ability to play the local card game (casino) and we all enjoyed a sheep that we had butchered for our braii with papa, rice, salad, and green beans. We then had a few people leave, a couple of our party were not the pictures of health, but a bulk of us went on to the next bar. On this magical journey I had, by then, consumed enough alcohol along with everyone else that I was surprised we all got onto the donkeys. I lost Tink's whip ( I had no reins so had to steer with a stick) so had a little boy run and get me one which made his day. At the next bar we chilled outside in the sun, drank a few more, then it was the end of the journey. Tink was definitely a follower, not a leader, so when she was out in 3rd place on our way home I was stoked. On the big hill down to the lodge though her saddle was slipping so Moshoeshoe made me get off, placing me in last place except for Ashley, who I made wait for me, but then Tink left her in the dust. We got back up to the lodge, I almost fell again. Which, considering the day, I'm amazed it was "almost". There was a Japanese couple staying at the lodge also, doing development studies in London, but I was not able to speak any Japanese so was getting extremely frustrated. Every time I started to say something my mouth switched it to Sesotho. I stayed up and hung out with the people from BostonHealth who were cool. Sunday morning saw us leaving about 8 to get on the big nice bus which didn't leave until after 10 but arrived in Maseru in just 3 short hours. I headed back up to Leribe immediately, I was exhausted!

When I got home I went straight to the water tap to fill my bucket. Somehow Marosa, my little sister, managed to sneak in behind me and scared the shit out of me because she was just sitting silently at my table. She had typed a message on her phone because she couldn't talk she was crying so hard. As soon as i saw she was crying I had a good idea of what had happened. In December my Ntate, Marosa's father, had what they called a "heart problem from stress" but I had a feeling it might have been a minor stroke because he was having a hard time talking and using his hands and moving his face. About 3 weeks ago, so early February, hew had a more serious stroke and then another once they got him to the hospital. He was unconscious and looking very bad for a couple weeks but then was talking and able to move his hands a little. Until Saturday. When 'Me went to visit with my little brother Tlali, Ntate must have felt he said his last goodbye's and left us. It turns out he had Meningitis, not just strokes, so I am trying to get 'Me to go to the hospital for treatment just in case. He was a good father to all of his kids. They are all respectful but still have a strong sense of self and right and wrong. 'Me was not doing very well and neither was one of my older sisters, they took it the hardest. As of 3 days after the fact they still had not told the two youngest, 13 and 9, what had happened because they were "too young to understand". The funeral for Ntate will be on March 14th. The night of the 13th he will "come home" and stay in the bedroom, where 'Me will have to sleep with him in the coffin next to the bed. Marosa is pretty creeped about this. I have never really even been to a funeral in the states, especially nothing close to open casket, so am a little anxious. The police force, whom he worked for, is going to do all the planning and pay for it so that takes a lot of burden off the family. It is a really tough time for my family but they are showing how strong Nate has raised them and sticking together to get through this.