Sojourn Chronicles

This will be the last report about our son, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi.

A couple of weeks ago, we had some discouraging communications from him. Of course, we were concerned and anxious. It started with e-mail. We sent an e-mail stating we had been trying to call, but couldn’t get through. Cell phone service in Malawi is shakey, and he doesn’t have regular access to a computer and e-mail. But, he did get our e-mail, and his reply is reproduced here in part:

Yes, I really wanted to talk with you on sunday bad.  It was tough, very tough.  I returned to my site on saturday after a week on medical leave.  I had some stomach issues …  but needed to be taken care of away from village.  … then the next day (sunday) the heat came and I had a period … of anxst.  I think that I had imagined every flavor of american food, I walked down isles of grocery stores to smell the candy ….. This never-neverland experience was sparked by the heat, no food in the village, and no food in my house. 

No matter how old the child, parenting never stops. Or should I say, caring about your kids never stops. The distance doesn’t stop the love, but it sure does hinder the ability to step in with care. In the USA, if you fall and sprain your ankle, you are probably just a few minutes away from an urgent care clinic or an emergency room. If your son is sick in Africa, the quickest you can get there is about two days of travel. 

Next, he sends a text message to call, and luckily, I get through for a sixteen minute conversation before the call is dropped. He starts out with an announcement.

“I have some news. I am coming home.”

“Why? What has happened.?”

He went on to explain his health issues and how it was impeding his work.

We talked about his announcement and how he arrived at this decision, after talking with a host of friends and superiors. He did not make this decision lightly. He assured me everything was going to be okay, and he was looking forward to returning. He should be home in about 10 days.

Next call, he is in Blantyre House, a regional Peace Corps refuge. He said he’ll be going to Lilongwe in the next day or so to process paperwork and seek medical treatment. Even if his health improves, the living conditions will not.

I talked with him briefly when he was on his way to the airport for the long flight home. He provided a few flight details–Malawi to Johannesburg, South Africa to Atlanta, Georgia to Cincinnati, Ohio. We did not hear from him until we were on the way to pick him up at the airport. He was in New York. The airlines overbooked and put him on a different flight to the USA. He would be catching a flight later in the day. That was, of course, before all the airlines started cancelling flights on the east coast last Friday … and then Saturday! He was stuck in New York City. Luckily, he was able to connect with friends of friends and get away from the airport for a couple of days.

Finally, after four days of waiting, he arrived home yesterday. Skinnier than when we last saw him, he still looks good–even with the burr haircut!–DBrent