Lester & Laura in Mongolia

Thursday, May 17, 2012

"Who knows what you're gonna find. When you aren't even tryin'"

I trudged home from school in the early afternoon.  The sun was high in the blue sky.  The spring wind blew in from the steppe, sending swirls of sand and dirt along the road.  Involuntarily using a hand to shield my eyes and mouth I rounded the corner near the hospital and approached mine and Dakraa's hashaa.  I was greeted by Tuya and five of the loyal and resourceful school workers.  The last combined rain and snow storm had completely ruined my ger's felt roof.  The soaked wool had become streaked with mildew, resinating an unhealthy smell that seems to induce headaches and sore throats.  The workers had come to right this injustice.  Immediately setting to work.  They began disassembling my house.  Piece by piece, they took apart my sanctuary.  My things quickly becoming a scattered debris field across our hashaa.  The wind blew through the hashaa billowing the felt and lining of my ger like sails on a ship.  They reassembled it with just as much methodology as when they dismantled it.  Good spirited they jostled, laughed, and joked with one another as they worked.  As I helped where I could I watched in amazement as they put together my home as if it were a puzzle.  "Hetsuu baina uu?" (Is it difficult?)  I asked one of the workers as he stood struggling to hold the two center poles upright.  "No, its easy," he said matter of factly.  "Burdensome?"  I asked.  He narrowed his eyes at me and burst out laughing.  "Yes, yes."  Chimgee, my school's librarian and invaluable ally showed up out of the blue, diving in to help build my home as well as sweep the floors.  The whole process of tearing down and reassembling my home took around three hours.  Before I knew it I had a completed ger.  Now with a full sized floor and waterproof felt.  One of the workers gave the felt a hard slap, "If rain comes it is no problem for you anymore,"  he exclaimed.  I laughed and expressed my gratitude.  Sitting on the edge of my bed, my home although almost the same as before felt new.  Fortified against the weather I felt energized.
Let the rain come.
Let the wind blow.


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