Wednesday March 20th the
first day of Spring is busy for Novrus holiday travel. I was prepared
to take a taxi to the bus station to catch a bus to Masalli. But
before I left the hotel I got a phone call from Capt. Amil who was on
duty Tuesday when I sent him a text message. It was so good to hear
from him and he offered to meet me at my hotel and get me on a bus. I
am so glad he did. Holiday travel is a zoo. We took a taxi together
to the bus station and he negotiated a seat for me on a bus to
Lankeran.
It was just one year ago that we met
traveling by bus together. Everyone travels home to visit family for
this holiday, so the station and busses are jammed with travelers. TV
stations reported that travel was going smoothly, but apparently no
one had actually been to the bus station to see the commotion. You
just can't believe everything you see on TV! (Later, Georgie told me
some believe that if they told the truth on TV people would panic and
stay home. Businesses would lose money. Really?)
Waiting for the bus, Amil and I had
time at the station for tea and talk – lots of things to catch up
on. When the bus finally arrived, again he made sure I had a window
seat. The bus had 50 seats so they put stools in the aisle to add
another 10 more passengers.
It's difficult to describe the feeling
of traveling the same road I'd taken many times before. I found
myself looking out the window for landmarks, but I especially enjoyed
seeing trees budding and green grass (that is, where there was
grass!) At a new tea/restroom stop, an English-speaking AZ girl and
her mother approached me timidly to practice her English. That is
always so endearing to me but even more so when they later offered me
my first taste of shakabura since I arrived in AZ. That's a holiday
sweet treat filled with ground almonds. A treat in many ways.
Other passengers were looking out for
me to tell the driver to stop at the correct intersection nearing
Masalli. Georgie's house is right around the corner from a large
supermarket and he was there as soon as I got off the bus. He and his
brother Igbol and 4 year old cousin were home while his parents were
visiting relatives. So I spent some time with them re-telling and
apologizing for coming a day late.
I called Konul to let her know I was in
Masalli, so she had Sadig pick me up from Georgie's house. It was so
good to see her and her children Aytan and Layig. Sitemate Sally was
there too and we stayed for my first meal back: roast chicken and
plov. It seems so normal, but there are times I want to pinch myself
to believe I'm here again.
By 9 pm I knew I needed to go back to
Georgie's and see his parents for the first time since I returned.
His grandmother and 2 cousins came to visit, so we had tea and sweets
again. Best of all was showing the little girls Georgie's Visual
Dictionary (My sister Sarah sent it to me last year in a package).
Georgie's mother Valentine had prepared
a bed for me in the guest room and it was after midnight when I
finally went to bed.
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