Friday, February 21, 2003

today we spontaneously decided to travel to the big city. we’re preparing for an incredibly busy month of march where i will end up teaching twenty five periods a week.

so, to go to saigon, we’re forced to leave our dog with our housekeeper. she doesn’t live here and commutes to and from work. it was incredibly heart wrenching.

i was standing on my balcony watching our housekeeper try to corral jota while keeping her motorcycle upright. jota wouldn’t come and was obliviously playing in the large grass.

i walked down the steps to see if i could help. jota came running to me before i said anything. he jumped in my arms and licked my face as he normally does. i walked him over to our housekeeper and gave him to her. she thanked me and started up her motorcycle. jota kept staring at me and struggling to get free. he wanted to come home.

our housekeeper drove away and the dog looked over her shoulder until they were out of sight. i was frozen in place watching our little boy being sucked away into the unknown. what if she would drop him while she was driving and he would be covered in brush burns when we returned? what if worse would happen?

i felt fear and i hate fear. i guess i have a small understanding of what my parents must go through when they say good bye to me. i know my experience pales in comparison but i’m beginning to understand what compassion really means.

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