Goodbye dear Dad
 |
| Lou 90 years |
I found out from my mother, Marta, that in the middle of February hospice care had been arranged for my dad, Lou. During weekly calls home since my arrival in Lesotho in June 2014 I was aware of Lou's failing stamina & health, he had after all reached his 90's. He often said to me that he wanted to be home to greet me once I completed Peace Corps service in August 2016, and he was so close to doing so. I notified the Peace Corps Country Director within the week to arrange for an emergency leave to go visit Lou; PC was great and as quickly as was possible they received approval from PC Washington DC and arranged my flights. PC has a 2-week emergency leave policy for this type of situation.
Once back in California I was able to spend all day, every day with Marta & Lou. Though Lou slept a lot, we were able to talk quite a bit during the first week. He really enjoyed learning about my work in Lesotho and with Sr. Juliana at the St. Camillus Centre. He had so many questions about the kids, the farm, and life in Lesotho from seeing the slideshow of photos I had brought. He seemed to present in the moment, content, relaxed, not worried - though always a little wistful in knowing why I was there and what the coming days would bring. By the second week his condition deteriorated and he began that slow slide into another world. Sometimes he would verbalize his thoughts but mostly he just seemed to drift. Marta said she was so appreciative of our time together and I knew that my visit was as much about being with her as being with Lou. We had wonderful care by the staff of Merrill Gardens, the senior residence where my folks live, and by the nurses of Kaiser Permanente's Hospice program. The treated Lou lovingly & eased his last journey. Lou passed away the evening of March 4 with Marta, Sande (sister), and Christine (friend) there to care for him. I believe he was completely at peace.
 |
| Lou 91 years |
 |
| Lou 91 years & Marta 87 years |
My visits with my
family was my priority so I did not venture out much. Mike & Deanna once
again opened their home & hearts to me - I'll forever appreciate their
kindness. Dear pals came by to visit which helped make the days & nights go
a bit easier.
Home again to Lesotho
Flying into Lesotho
brought mixed impressions… the beautiful, now green mountains & hills
framed by that fabulous blue blue Lesotho sky were so comforting &
welcoming but the vast stretches of barren maize fields seemed so unreal &
out of place. Where there should have been corn stalks shoulder high competing
to fill out each fertile field there were sparse patches of stalks & some
fields were not even plowed as if there was not even the will to try
planting.
The St. Camillus Centre & Farm appeared to be an oasis in this desert of barren fields. The new borehole was supplying ample water to the irrigation that reached all the vegetable plots. Greens, cabbage, green peppers, and even flowers were thriving in the rich Lesotho soil. Making progress on establishing a successful sales approach was slow; Mme Maletuka was still carting green peppers into town on her head. However, she was making progress building relationships with the local vendors that would hopefully result in greater sales during future harvests.
The best news all month was that the new Toyota truck was delivered in late March by the Maseru sales manager. Sr. Juliana was thrilled to see a beautiful new truck, the latest model even, with all the new electronic devices included - electric windows!! The kids were now riding in style to and from school.
