Peaceful

Today, Aissa came over and stayed for dinner. Believe it or not, but we were having tomato soup again! It's Anette's favourite... Anyway, it was very nice to see Aissa again. She's my oldest childhood friend, we met in 1986.

She is currently working for the American Red Cross in the Tanout region (as a translator). We drove her home - actually it's her sister's house - and stayed for the siesta.

Anette and Sofia were keen to go with me and they enjoyed the visit, even though neither of them speak much French (Anette is picking it up, though!). It's a very peaceful thing to sit and talk in a Nigerien courtyard, surrounded by red brick walls and a deep blue sky.

They asked me about my mother and when I told them how things are going, they cried. She's being missed by many, but then again, she is a very special person. A mother to many.

They offered us mint tea and just watching Aissa's sister-in-law prepare it was a treat. It's such a ritual - I never get tired of it.

There are three servings of which the first one is the strongest. We drank two. Guess which ones my dear friends enjoyed the most...?

Anette behind the camera, as always!

Aissa's father (Daouda) was there and it was very nice to see him again. I have only seen him a few times since I stayed with them for a week in 2000. I asked him how the family was doing, and he told me that they were doing well (they are nomads, living in the bush) but that there was little fodder this year. He had lost a lot of cows last year, about forty, and only had twenty left.

Although I felt ill before we left, I'm happy we went there because it was a very nice afternoon. Though I worry about many things right now, you can't stress under the African sun and I needed the time-out. Just being there, sitting there, talking about all and nothing, laughing, crying, drinking tea and not thinking so much about life. Yes, I needed that.

Ishtar