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Tuesday 9:15 pm

Despite the drama in my head, and the fact that I'm freezing cold, it felt really good to be home tonight with the kids. I came home, chatted with Bonane and Jean Claude about the fact that Shege will probably get to move to the new house Thursday or Friday.

As I stood around, Etaito finally finished his night-bottle, and came over, jumping into my arms. I could tell he was SO tired. Bonane was worried that somehow it impeded my evening -- because I'd mentioned how tired I was and how I was planning to just crash.

But I didn't want to upset Etaito, and, honestly, I didn't really mind. I put down all my bags, and I just held him. And it was nice. I know it sounds pretentious, but in this time that I've spent in Goma, I can see what it's like to be a mother. Or at least, from my limited perception.

Jean Claude says to me, in stuttering English, "Etaito, he love you very much"

"Yes," I reply, "and I love him."

Etaito pressed his little face into the warmth of my chest. I pulled him in close, and I could hear my heartbeat echoing through his tiny body. I just knew that he was tired, and cranky, and ready to go to bed. I picked up my bags, and him, and we walked over to the chimpanzee bedroom. I sat down on the foam mattress, and he sprawled across my lap. As he fell asleep, I leaned back onto the mattress, and started to drift away.

It felt nice, having my lap warm, and feeling this "little person" just so calm and at ease and peaceful and sleeping on me. It was easy to fall asleep. After a while, Jean Claude came in, bringing me my bottles of water from down the street. I asked him to take a photo of us, and I'll upload that next time I'm in the office. I guess I just couldn't stay flickr-finished for long!!

It was getting cold, so I got Etaito the blanket, and wrapped him up and tucked the mosquito net under the bed around him. It just felt so nice!

And yes, wow, it really is freezing, and late, and I need to go to bed!

Power!!!

Wednesday 7:09 pm

I was just getting ready to go to bed, since the chimpanzees were already sleeping. We'd had no power for nearly 24 hours, and also no water, and lemme tell you -- it sucked. But. as I nestled in, reading Scribbling the Cat by Alexandra Fuller, suddenly, my overhead light came on. Hurrah!!

Also, not even Allure can last 24 hours on battery, so I resigned myself to not getting computer work done today.

On the bright side, it was a nice excuse to play with the chimpanzees ALL day. And oh wow, play I did. And take oodles of photos. I've been feeling incredibly motherly of late, and finally, after a month, Okeysha, the last holdout, is treating me like a mommy. Sure boys come and go and play with her, throwing her around, but, for all the kids now, I'm the person they run to for love, affection, comforting and grooming. And that's the way it should be.

In fact, she decided that she wouldn't share me either, and was very funny as she'd surreptitiously push other chimpanzees off my lap with her feet, pretending to be sweet and innocent as they fell to the ground.

I've comment several times and taken photos of her facial expressions, but as I had her face right next to mine all day, I really couldn't help but think that she had a Yoda mouth. Various pursings, and lip curls were just so Yoda-esque. Oh, plus, she's got little white whiskers on her chin.

Either way, it's very cute.

I also ate my first lunch WITH chimpanzees since usually I eat in my room. But I decided that I'd eat with everyone instead, and it was quite an experience. Kanabiro trying to stick her fingers in my tuna, and all three chimpanzees hovering, watching my every movement, sniffing my mouth after each bite and swallow. I did manage to KEEP all my food -- tee hee -- but it was fun anyway.

Bonane and I had some of the most coherent conversation we've had since I arrived - I don't speak very good French, and well, neither does he -- but we usually manage to communicate through gesticulation. Anyway, we're sitting in lawn chairs, watching Etaito and Okeysha wrestle on their newly constructed cargo net. Okeysha is wonderful at brachiating, and moves very quickly and fluidly, while Etaito sort of just bangs around and hopes for the best.

So Bonane has Kanabiro on his lap, and he's holding up her hand and stroking her palm. Chimpanzees like that. And Bonane just has this glisten of love, and respect, and marvel in his eyes.

This is my rough French translation

Bonane: Their hands. Their hands are just like people. It's the same.

Me: It's true. Their ears too.

Bonane: And their teeth. How can people eat them?

Me: I don't know.

Bonane: They think they're animals. But they're not animals. They're not people, but they are NOT animals.

Me: We are lucky, you and I, to know better.

Bonane: We are very special.

The moment was just really, really... special. I don't know. Bonane is this older man -- probably 50 to 60 -- and I'm sure prior to this job he never had any experience with or affinity for chimpanzees, but to see this new dawn of realization in him was just incredible. I've mentioned this before, but the social standard is that chimpanzees must be tasty because it's so rare/exotic/expensive and only a very prosperous man would dine on them. Too bad everyone here can't be a caregiver for a week and see what it's all about ;)

I'm also realizing the inherent annoyance of chimpanzee photography, in that they never stay still. And digital cameras need to focus. It's a bit maddening, and I think out of 100+ photos I took today, I was really only happy with like, 12 of them. 12%? Man, I'm gonna have to start taking a lot more photos!

During the afternoon, the bongo drums at the church next door started up for the afternoon serenade, and Bonane and I sat out in the compound, pretending our respective chimpanzees were little drums, and the chimps thought it was a riot.

Etaito was on my lap and I put his feet in my mouth (it makes him laugh) and Okeysha ran over. So suddenly, they started wrestling, playing, biting, thwacking, right there on my lap. That's 20 kilos (44 lbs) of chimpanzee on my lap. Suddenly, Kanabiro decides that she wants to play too, and suddenly I have THREE chimpanzees, and my outstretched legs, resting on a little pile of volcanic rocks, are starting to feel the weight -- about 70 pounds of chimpanzee!!

I'm definitely getting used to it, though. That and getting things accomplished with a chimpanzee on my back [insert bad monkey-on-your-back joke here]. Etaito pretty much followed me around today, and whenever I went something, or got anything, he'd call for me, I'd pause, and I'd heft him up onto my back. So I'd just do whatever I needed to do, with him there, on my back. It wasn't so bad!

I also learned that, if I wanted to keep my book safe, which I kept on my person for reading while the chimpanzees were up in the tree, I just shoved it down my pants. So yes, I spent a good part of the day with a book in my pants. The two seconds my A Fuller book spent unattended NOT in my pants, it ended up with some very lovely and distinctive little chimpanzee-canine marks on certain pages.
It wasn't Tolkein that Etaito didn't like, clearly, but books in general.

A lot of helicopters are flying overhead today, which I'm not really sure of, but I'll try to get to sleep regardless. Today was just a really wonderful (exhausting) day, and I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to be able to leave these kids.

Chimpanzee Politics

Thursday 9:59 am

So Okeysha and Etaito were fighting over who got to sit in my lap this morning (isn't this just my perfect world?) and Okeysha, who's clearly the weaker of the two, was so sneaky that I just had to share:

Etaito is winning, and pushing Okeysha off my lap, onto the floor. There's this old, eaten piece of mango skin sitting on the steps, and Okeysha goes to eat as if there's any mango left on it. From where I'm sitting, though, she clearly doesn't have any interest in it, really. She's pursing her lips and hovering them over the mango, not actually touching it, her eyes darting to my lap, and Etaito's face.

Etaito takes the bait, completely. He runs off my lap, displaying at Okeysha to get her away from the mango. She of course, runs, right into my lap.

It's only then that Etaito realizes that there's no mango to be eaten on that skin.

Of course the fight continued after that, but I couldn't help but laugh and laugh.

How Embarrassing

Thursday 1:31 pm

Firstly to arrive at the Grand Lac to meet Carol and not feel hungry -- but even worse, to feel so sick that I had to run up from the table and vomit in the parking lot.

Something about Goma just doesn't agree with my health. I've never been so often sick in my life.

(no subject)

Friday 10:11 am

For every bit as fabulous being healthy, vivacious and energetic is in Africa, being sick is just that much shitty.

Pun Intended


I ended up going to the Stella with Carol last night, taking a hot bath, and falling asleep at 7 pm.

This morning, I could actually hold water down, but I'm just so not hungry.

I also got an SMS from the vet, saying that Shege/Shaga, the "lady chimp" as my mom calls her, might have TB. I'm trying not to be devastated, but it's very sad. I'll hold off my worrying until I know for sure. I think for now, I'll just concentrate on not barfing.

Yes.

Oh, and I stopped into the office before I returned to the Chateau Chimpanzee today. Emails are my friend. I will say I'm slightly disturbed that my Scary Baby Advertisement photo has had 1,229 hits since Tuesday. Who in the world is doing Flickr-searching? Baby traders?