I step out of the airport terminal into the bright sunlight and am immediately enveloped by a sticky humid heat. A mixture of coal smoke and diesel fumes fills my lungs and people all around call out to me.
Pulling my suitcase behind me, I take hold of Jayden’s hand and begin to follow Jason and Dieucon to the Land Cruiser. It’s 9:00 a.m. and we landed about 30 minutes ago.
"Too hot. Too hot. I got owie eyes. Hold me Mom. Hold me.” A very upset Jayden is not impressed.
Still chilled from the airplane AC I enjoy the warmth and all the familiar sights, smells and sounds. Jayden however does not.
“You’re a big boy now Jayden,” I tell him. “Mommy can’t carry you and pull the suitcase, so you will have to walk. It’s not that far.” I try to comfort him but he continues to cry and complain, dragging his heels. I stop for a moment and bend down till I am at eye level with him. “You’re three now Jayden. You can do it.” He tearfully nods and then bravely walks beside me, now only letting out an occasional sniff.
Several minutes later we’re at the vehicle and we load in our bags. As soon as we’re all strapped in and we’re on our way, Jayden closes his eyes and falls asleep. Not having him to distract me, I simply stare out the window. After a busy few weeks of organizing the building project, housing the team and planning the feeding program and clothing distribution it was nice to get away and spend some time with just the three of us. Memories of our time together fill my thoughts and as we drive I spend some time reminiscing.
Some of my favorite memories include:
Watching sunsets,
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cuddling with Jayden after getting caught in a rainstorm,
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holding the sea turtles,
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swimming in the pool,
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having monkeys sit on our shoulders,
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digging our toes into the white sand,
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and playing and snorkeling in the turquoise ocean.
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Oh, it’s nice to be home again too!
4 comments:
My favorite picture ... the little "monkey" with a monkey on his shoulder.
Who is "Diecon"? My guess is it refers to Jason. Is that correct?
It's amazing how the way you write gives me the feeling I'm there again with you. For a minute I thought I smelled charcoal in my room. :-)
I love the pictures of Jason and Jayden holding the turtles! Beautiful animals, even nicer than cockroaches! ;-)
That picture of Jayden with his Thomas-shirt and train brings back good memories too! I can't believe I still remember that its name is Percy!
Thanks for the update! Love, Mary
Where did you go for holidays?? Looks awesome!
Henrietta
Yay this looks like so much fun! I'm so glad you were able to take a well-deserved vacation just the 3 of you. And i'm glad you had such a great time with the team. I'm excited to hear more details! Love you!
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