Monday Monday

Monday the 13th day of August , 2007.
The sun rises on Monday. Light stretches across the Volga, tankers float by, the air conditioner hums from its spot in the window. The light starts to spill into the bedroom through the shear curtains. It enters my eyes (the light, not the curtains) and the optic nerve receives the light image, translates it into electrical impulses that go to my brain for processing. My brain then takes the “there’s light in your eyeball”, message and tells the hands to rub eyeballs. My brain then tries to gather it’s bearings; I’m in Russia, I’m in a hotel. I have drool on my face. I roll over to look out the window, but the window sits too high so I just stare at the wall. I think of the things that have happened so far. I think of all the things to come. I think of Caleb and how funny he can be. I think of the way he throws a ball, or of his face when he’s got his blanket to his mouth while I tell him a story. I think of the way he makes me smile when he uses grown-up words in his “know what I did today” stories. I miss that little stuff a lot. I think of Lilia and how she has no idea who these strangers are, and what these strangers have in mind. How different her world is about to become, and my world also. I can’t wait to get to know her, to see who she really is. Every child that has come back to the hotel shows change, literally over night. I think of all of us together, going to Church, going to see family, or just playing in the back yard. It will be a great day, another blessing to an already blessed life. I continue to stare at the wall and then it hits me, “I am hungry, I must get up.” We went to the orphanage to see Lilia this morning. She is such a happy child and she adores Andi.
Side story:
Yesterday, we walked to the market. On the way, we passed a lovely, dead goat hung on a gate, bleeding out. On the return trip, we witnessed the same dead goat being skinned. Hmm, that will be a packed café tonight . . . FRESH MEAT!!