Moving!

It's been months since Fatou Sowe and Family moved to Kantaly, but I realized I'd never posted what I'd written up about their moving day.

Moving day. I was informed they were moving two days before they did. Maybe I would’ve been told earlier if I hadn’t been in Kombo, maybe not. Probably not, considering my favorite people always leave without warning.

The day before moving day conversations kept returning to Kantaly, with assurances made that it’s not far, etc. Neene kept trying to get the kids to leave me alone, and I kept trying to stop her from stopping them from bothering me. I had to keep repeating, “Tomorrow they are going to Kantaly,” and then brush aside Neene’s warning that they will tire me. When some of your favorite people are moving, you don't care how often they send you back to the house for a different book and Buba could sit on your lap just as long as he pleased. When Neene finally had her way and demanded Buba sit next to me, instead of on my lap, he placed his hand on top of mine, in a way that reminded me of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, when Piglet just wants to be sure. [“‘Pooh,’ he whispered. ‘Yes, Piglet?’ ‘Nothing,’ said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. ‘I just wanted to be sure of you.’”]

And they talked about changing schools (Pippi Isatou would be going to a new one) or not (Musa would just have a longer walk). And when Pippi wasn’t busy she’d come and sit by me and I’d ask her questions like who would braid my hair now and is she sure Kantaly isn’t far?

When I returned from school on moving day they were still packing up. Fatou Sowe was folding clothes and stacking bowls, but towards evening all was set and everyone had bathed and I took a family picture and I was angry at Neene for squeezing her way into it and we said goodbye and Neene and Fatou Sowe shook hands. Then everyone but Musa and Gaye walked over to the other compounds to say their final goodbyes. Later the donkey cart came by and with all their possessions were packed on to it and that was that.