While Peace Corps advises against being out after eight pm, I often am. In my village I feel like I have more reasons to trust than distrust the people.
That said... I was out riding my bike yesterday evening. I started around twilight, but that soon spilled over into the night. I was just playing around on some new roads the county has made in order to encourage development and further urbanization of our region.
I ended up on the main road that eventually hits Kalalé. When I was about five Kilometers out I decide to turn back. First a couple of friends who were passing on a motorcycle stopped and asked me what I was doing so far out at this hour. I explained how I love exercising in the privacy of the night, a time when I don't have to be seen and thus people won't feel so obliged to stop me as I do so.
Soon after they keep heading into town, someone else comes up behind me on their motorcycle and says keep going, and proceeds to trail me so that I have a stronger light and an escort the last four kilometers or so into town. I asked who it was when the person decided to accompany me, and it turned out to be a friendly acquaintance. I insisted that i felt safe and liked the night, feeling bad that he had to slowly follow me. But i found that i felt deeply comforted by his patience and kindness in choosing to quietly accompany me. He tried not to get to close, and smiled gently when I tried to tell him to go ahead. It was as if he understood that i desired privacy, but he still wanted me to enjoy it safely. To respect the quietness of the night and yet gently insist on looking after me, AND enjoying the time with me- I believe this is indeed a great kindness.
2 comments:
God's blessings come in unexpected forms!
I was a PCV in a small village in Guinea. It was near a decent sized city which I visited about once a week to watch soccer games, get supplies, visit with friends and generally recharge. One such trip, I accidentally left a window to my house open. When I got home, my neighbor scolded me in a very maternal way. Though there was no chance of anything being stolen (I never had so much as a pencil taken from my house though I often left the door open for hours at a time) and even less chance of a stolen item not be conspicuous in such a setting, I still felt very fortunate that I had such caring people looking out for me.
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