11pm on august 24th abel's bed

I've had a pretty packed week, So I'm only going to write about a chunk of what we did.

mayang (my naga) suddenly got a bad fever last thursday and we were monitering him here, and eventually persuaded (forced) him to go stay at the hospital (at the doctors urging). Ellen was pleased at how family-like our community has become. Andi the Britisher took on a quite motherly role as she spoke on his behalf to doctors and nurses, brought him food and clothes and nursed mayang in his sickness (that tuned out to be dengue fever). Alisha was by his side day and night, even to the point where he slept in the hospital with him for 2 days even though an extra bed was not provided. Mayang was worrying about worried about all his responsibility's and we decided to split up all of his (quite urgent) work between all of us and take care of it.

Last night I went to the hospital to bring Mayang a book and my ipod . He was doing alot better but his white blood cell count was still to low to have him realeased. they said he needed to eat and drink as much as h3 could but he was growing weary of the vegan hospital food. I asked him if he would like me to pick him up some KFC and instantly he started salevating at the thought of eating meat. I hopped on the metro 7 stops and grabbed a bucket and came back. There was another guy with dengue fever sharing a room with mayang, and I considered the big possibility that he was a vegetarian, but didn't think it would be a big deal. Mayang opened the bucket and right when the patient and his girlfriend (possibly wife) saw the chicken, they jumped out of bed and darted out of the room with frightened looks on their faces. Mayang was as surprised as I was. For a moment he paused, as if to put away the chicken and apologize. He looked at me.. looked at the chicken... looked at the empty bed... looked at the chicken again... and said "To bad..so sad" and devoured the bucket of chicken.

For anyone that didn't know, I'm leaving for shillong (in the north east) on Nov 2 for three weeks. A week from today we will be ending VDS and moving out of St. Stephens. it feels really weird to know that I'll be saying goodbye to Bobby Anu and baby Aaradana in 7 days and probably never see them again and to move out of the room that I've gotten so comfortable in, and leave the backyard which seems almost like the dwelling place of April (because thats where I always talk to her) and to break up our community that has functioned with such love for each other even though we are all from different corners of the world.

It just hit me today that somthing beautiful is coming to an end. It struck me as I taught my last session of english to the girls in the wazipur slum. I realized that this was my last time to speak into their lives. They will all grow up, some might get back into school and get out of the slum... but most of them probably won't. I looked at them and they were all so beautiful and smiley and shy. As I was leaving I said " this is probably my last time that I get to see you girls, and I just wanted to let you know that you are all such beautiful people, and that can do anything you set your mind on. Never give up, don't feel discouraged, I believe you are all capable of growing up to do great things. There is no obstacle you can't overcome. The sky is the limit, don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
I guess I'll never know whether or not they will ever be freed from their situation. I hope so. I love them all. Why am I so privileged to already have what they will spend their entire obtaining.... or never obtaining?