The Final Hours

Man, this really was the longest goodbye. Not only did we have the dreaded anticipation of leaving our family here for the last few weeks, thanks to our several farewell dinners and programs and the fact that we kept pushing back our departure time, by the end of it no one really believed we were ever going to leave. After what we thought was our final goodbye, a tearful send-off as the kids walked off to their first day of school, vehicular issues caused us to postpone till later in the afternoon, then evening, then the middle of the night. It was reminiscent of when I left to come here; after a dreadful goodbye leaving my nieces and nephew crying themselves to sleep, my flight was cancelled due to a big snow storm and we had to do it all over again the next day. At least it bought us a few more games of cricket and hide and seek and one last walk to town enjoying fresh sweet mangoes and soaking up the sights, sounds, and smells of our little town while the sticky juice dripped down our chins and forearms.

(Below photos: Swetha, Nakshathra, and Thomas getting weepy at a farewell program)

I was surprised that the kids had as hard a time with it as we did. The girls cried in anticipation of our last few days and the boys begged us not to go. Everyone asked us when we'd be back and we had no definitive answer for them. All I could say is that I would see them again.

I'm not sure what it is I'll miss the most. The sounds of them calling my name and never pronouncing it correctly (usually NanaAunty or YonnaAunty, with the exception of Ramiah who always called me Meena), Nishmitha's cackling laughter, Nithin giving me the 'OK' sign and yelling 'Supere!' whenever we shared a banana, thumb wars with Thomas, dramatic readings of The 3 Little Pigs with Nina for Sharavan and Thangmaigam, Ganesh's sweet face and heart of gold, Swetha's unwavering faith and constant sucking up, the girls fighting to brush my hair before dinner, having at least 3 boys hold each of my hands on evening walks, or comforting fragile Nakshathra when she missed her mom at night. I don't think there is one thing I will miss more than another. Each of these kids has touched my heart and left their mark. I can only hope that I have done the same for them.

The HHI Team: Praim, Bendang (Uncle Ben), George, Jyothi, and Sabita

I came here a stranger. I left part of a family, a team, a community. My heart ached not only saying goodbye to the children, but when the man at the '7 Days' in town wished me a 'happy journey' and we purchased our last pineapple from our friend at the fruit stand. I really felt like I was leaving home, only this time I didn't know when I was coming back.

These people have made such an impact on me, I cannot begin to thank them for all they have done in my life. In adapting to a lifestyle and a culture completely foreign to me, I have been faced with a lot of my own shortcomings and in overcoming them, have conquered many of my personal fears as well. I can't imagine not coming here....I don't know what I would have done or where I would have ended up. All I know is that this was where I was meant to be. This was my plan, and though I am sad to see this chapter come to an end, I am exhilarated by the possibilities that my future holds and the opportunities that lie ahead.