Day is done

I’m sitting on the terrace outside the second-floor office where I spend most of my time. The terrace is an ideal workplace for a sun lover. From early morning until about 1 pm, I sit in the shade, pick up a breeze and enjoy being outside.

Right now, at 7:30, the western sky is glowing. Cotton-candy clouds are giving the sky a wispy texture. The sunset is rosy, and along our street, the white stucco homes are turning pink. As the light fades and dusk begins, the doves are cooing and settling in for the evening. The bats are waking, stirring from their upside-down-ness. Soon their wings will unfold and they will launch themselves from the trees, commencing their nocturnal mosquito pursuit.

This is a particularly beautiful night. It’s warm enough to be outside in a camisole. The air is light, a welcome relief after yesterday when it was heavy with moisture, exacerbated by repeated thunderstorms and torrential downpours. The call to prayers just signaled the end to another day of fasting. Ba is assuredly enjoying his baguette and Nescafe, heavily laced with milk and sugar.

There’s no wind tonight. But sounds are carrying great distances. I can hear the surf, which is unusual when there is no wind. That means the tide is crashing in, and if it were not evening, the surfers would be playing in the waves. It’s a rocky beach, just like all the others that surround Dakar. It’s small, maybe the length of a football field. But it’s tended…cleaned regularly…free of the plastic bags that generally wash up on Africa's beaches.

This has been a busy week and I’m happy to sit quietly, enjoy the calm and appreciate all that we accomplished.