New Arrival (September)

After carefully tucking in my forest green mosquito net under the flimsy corners of my inch thick foam pad, I retrieved my sheet, turned out my light and within minutes was most likely snoring (although I have no way of confirming such things) like a baby.
Hours later, or minutes for all I know, I hear my host mother Aissitou rapping at my metal door.
“Fatou! Fatou! Joggal (get up)!”
Hearing no response, she continued, beating just a bit harder on the door.
“Fatou! Joggal! Aram dafa am doom leegi!”
As this proclamation was sinking in and slowly being processed, my body clumsily followed orders and was already scuffly around in the dark when my mind fully interpreted the message. My other host mother Aram was having her baby!
My body lurched into action. Running to Aram’s room, I passed her father who was pacing in the courtyard. We sleepily mumbled greetings in the blanketed darkness.
In the room, unveiled by the one small light bulb, my mother Aram was positioned on her floor with only a few layers of cloth protecting her and her arriving child from the dirt and carnivorous ants below. As her mother gently urged the baby into the world with my mother silently pushing, I noticed my younger siblings sleeping (or at least pretending) on the beds. There was a short cry of arrival as my mother laid against her bed frame in exhaustion, delirium written on her face. “I’m so tired”
I was sent immediately to the boutique to retrieve a razor blade and a small pot of evaporated milk.
I ran in the cool night air, my flip-flops flapping against my rough heels, to the small boutique. The village was starlit and unearthly quiet. Feeling as if I had disturbed some unwritten nightly code of the universe, I made for the owners door.
Tap, tap. “Mohamed! Mohamed!”
I heard a half-asleep mumble from within.
“Mohamed! Man la, Fatou (It’s me, Fatou)!”
There were shuffling footsteps before the door clanked open.
“Mohamed, Aram am na doom! Jaay ma lancelet ak pot u meow!”
“Tres bien, Fatou”
After retrieving the requested products, I sprinted back to the house, fully awake. It was liberating to be outside my compound so late at night. The whole world sleeping.
My second trip back through the dark village was less frantic and mysterious as I picked up some Nescafe (instant coffee) for Aram.
She had a small, but seemingly healthy boy. The birth must have been less than two hours since we had all retired to our rooms around 11pm and were all re-settling in at 2am.
Sleep did not come so quickly this time.

His name is Serigne Fallou.

(For more photos click on the title!)