May 30, 2012

Started my day by getting ready to go the American Corner and then the embassy, but called Bakhtyor first to make sure he was there. There was no answer at either number and I called the embassy to check and see if the number had been changed upon the move. Jennifer informed me that Bakhtyor had been fired from his job the day before and his assistant had taken over. She gave me the new numbers for the AC and assistant and now I’m dying to know what happened. I know there had been rumors of his impending firing as he used to be routinely late for opening the office and seemed to spend most of his time romancing the girls visiting the space rather than actually carrying out his duties.

The ride to the embassy was a breeze as I got a seat at the front and next to the driver thus insuring I didn’t have to get in and out to let other passengers out. Jennifer gave me some mail for Ruth and told me there was nothing for me. The doctor gave another ten Claritin pills to help with my allergies. The temperature had already risen to 34 degree Celsius and she told that was nothing as last summer temperatures went up to an incinerating 53 degree Celsius. I just hope I’m out of here when that happens.

It was really hot when I got out of the mini-van and lunch was in order, but soup didn’t appeal to me in that kind of weather. I walked into the Russian café I always liked and ordered two different kinds of salads instead. My landlady called twice while I ate, but there wasn’t any point in my answering since we can’t communicate. Takhmina was the only one in the office at Caritas when I got there and I and I asked her to call my landlady for me. After several tries, the woman answered and we agreed on Friday morning at 9:00am for her to come by and collect her keys. We had a lively discussion about “Pains, Accidents and Injuries” that took almost the entire hour and half period. Takhmina wanted to take me to a couple of souvenir stores so I could buy presents, but I declined telling her I still needed to go home to do laundry and finish packing before Friday morning. I figured I could always pick up souvenirs during my travels.

I stopped at Ruth’s house and delivered some mail for her that the embassy entrusted me with. She wasn’t home again and I just left it with the security guard.

I did two loads of laundry so the portion going to the adult facility was fresh and clean and finished packing my suitcases. Ryan had promised to bring one of his in and came through in the evening. His little neighbors came with him and I took advantage of that to ask them to serve as interpreters and notify my neighbor Maryam of my moving out tomorrow. I had set aside certain household items I wanted to her to have such as my cake pan, butter dish, measuring cups and some grocery items. She was clearly distraught on learning I’d no longer be around, but I let her know I was planning on hanging around until mid-July or so and would visit her before leaving. I also collected all the packets of seeds I had brought with me, thinking I’d have access to a kitchen garden, and left them for her husband. Nilufar got my Indian sandals, the ones with plenty of beads and glitter she had liked so much on me.

Ryan helped me roll my sleeping bag, and I decided not to take any chances by sleeping on the bare korpachas, and since it was still relatively hot, slept on the sofa with the air conditioner on.