It was only 11:00 am, sitting in Lydia’s outdoor living room.  Here’s my view:

The heat took me.  I was overwhelmed.  Lydia offered me a reclining piece of lawn furniture.  I took off my glasses, lay back and closed my eyes.  The dark world spun.

It was time to let go … of thinking I could be good at this.  It’s temperatures and humidity that I’ve never known.

For a long time I’ve been fascinated by how I can respond when I’m not good at something.  There’s a grace in loosening all the muscles and brain cells … and letting it all be.

After a few minutes of repose, I realized that I had to get back to the air conditioning of my room at Auberge La Praline.  It’s only a 300-metre walk and it was strange to wonder if I’d make it.  Lydia saw what was happening and accompanied me home.  I was unsteady.

Then it was sleep as 23 degrees Celsius wafted over me.

***

We ate at Chez Boum last night, a simple and loving ma and pop restaurant on Toubacouta’s main street – the “red road”.  Ten of us broke into two Flemish conversations – one for the adults and one for the teens/twenty-somethings.  The eleventh was me, sitting in the middle of flying words.

Lydia translated some of the adult stuff but I’ve learned to be happy with the glow of Dutch, such as when everyone busts a gut laughing at a joke while I sit there like a Buddha.

Last night my thoughts drifted away to two places.  One was a far away tree, similar to the one you see in the photo.  The breeze touched the highest branches and made them laugh.  I laughed too … just a tiny one.

The red road was fading to dark but for about two hours a tan-coloured dog lay sleeping at the edge.  Hardly a disturbing moment.

Past the doggie, motos and trucks rumbled by. On the near side, people walked close. No matter. It was time to snooze. I watched the long repose intently. May I be so relaxed in my human life.

***

That’s enough thinking for one day. And enough writing. Slow and easy for the rest of the hours …

À demain

Until tomorrow