Saying goodbye

7:30am

I woke with equal feelings of excitement and sadness. I’m excited for what tomorrow brings, and I’m glad that I have this to offset the dread of saying goodbye and of wondering what will come of these kids that I’ve come to adore so much.
I’m sitting outside on the porch, eating my long-awaited celebratory bacon and eggs while Lisa Hannigan sings softly (and appropriately) melancholy in my ear. It’s raining outside. This also seems appropriate.

12:30pm

I’ve just said goodbye to Tatiana. This will be my hardest goodbye. I’ve done everything I can to provide the OT here with a comprehensive and appropriate treatment plan for her – but I have very little faith that it will be followed through on. She’s such a bright girl and has been completely underestimated until now.
We played on the slide together most of the morning. We’ve somehow developed this game of cat-and-mouse where she’ll aproach the slide and wait for me to chase her up into it, giggling maniacally the whole time. In this past week, whenever she sees me, she’ll run to the slide and start giggling just in anticipation of this. I’m going to miss her. Samson and David weren’t here today (related to the tombs being burned down – today was the end of the official week of mourning for the Bagandans) – I’m actually kind of greatful that my last goodbye with them was a lighthearted one.

4:30pm

Goodbyes with everyone else were fine – mostly because I’ve realized that I’ll have to pass back through Kampala on my way to the airport in 2 weeks, so it’s just ‘goodbye for now’instead of goodbye forever.
Jen & I sat on the porch sharing our last Nile Special (well, her last Nile special… I’m sure Kenn and I will indulge a time or two). We sat there looking out at the view and reminisced about the past 6 weeks. Such a short time but I feel like we learned so much. We talked about our highs and lows – about what we’re most looking forward to about going home – about how we’d stay here in a second if given the chance. It was nice, but had an air of finality that was definiteiy present.

7:30pm

Returned from my last trip to Sanyu. Here I’ve trained another volunteer how to stretch Francis, how to support him in sitting (and the overwhelming benefits of getting him into sitting as often as possible), and taught her more about CP. She’s the only other volunteer who isn’t intimidated by him, and she’s promised that she’ll look after him for me. I also got some things to set up in his crib – as per Ross’s fantastic suggestion – in order to give him some stimulatino in that crib that he’s stuck in most of the day. When I put him back into his crib after the toys were set up, he looked around and held his head in midline (albiet briefly) – it was the first time I’d ever seen him do that. He was actively looking around, and it was fantastic. An unexpected side effect was that the other kids came by his crib to play with these toys. This means one of two things: 1) the toys will be ripped off in a matter of days, and/or 2) maybe this will also provide Francis with a bit of social contact, too!
It breaks my heart to leave him, but I feel strongly that I’ve done what I can for him, and I have high hopes that volunteers will continue to make sure he’s looked after.

12:30am

Went to chicken ghetto for our last dinner. It was delicious, as always. Following this, we went to the Emin Pasha hotel – a very swanky place that doesn’t really feel like Kampala, it feels like another (higher class) world, but it was redeemed by the music. Oh the music! Sax, trumper, 3 kinds of drums, guitars, and 4 of the most enthusiastic singers I’ve seen in a long time. It was so great!
Now, off to bed – my first night camping – and tomorrow morning Kenn and I take off for the West.