Tuesday, May 02, 2017

Chrysalis


The old is coming to an end, for sure. The new is about to be formed around me. Or will I shape it myself? How does it work?   I am feeling as if I will appear in another form, soon. I am hanging on a branch, like a multicoloured question mark. It is not very worrying, although it should perhaps be. But it is not the first time I have hung on this branch...



I am in London now; and have just had my little heart operation, finally, in the Hammersmith hospital above. I am feeling well and it seems as though my broken heart, which started to beat strangely on the day of Keita’s funeral last year, has been mended, at least technically. I am staying with friends, first of all dear  David (the most frequent commentator in this journal) and Jeremiah,  who looked after me in the first few days while I was recuperating. Below a picture of me as 'The Wild Woman of Wonga' their nickname for me first thing in the morning...
After their expert tender loving care I moved on to Nicholas and Amanda's:  “you can stay as long as you like. The last time someone came to stay for a week they stayed for three years!” generous and reassuring words, but I am unlikely to repeat that, lovely though it is here. I do have my own flat around the corner in Ladbroke Grove and soon the contract with my tenant will let me give him notice so that I can move in. But before that I will be back in Sweden and in Mali- in Sweden I will catch up with the documentary film makers again and then, back in Djenné,  I will pack up and close up the hotel during the last two weeks of June.

Baba has just sold my old Yamaha DT he tells me; we have sold Keita’s beloved old Mercedes; the Mitsubishi is long gone; Petit Bandit has been collected by Haidara the marabout. Little by little the old is dismantled.
 But the past weekend was a major one for the hotel: we were full: Paul, the American ambassador with his wife (centre above) and embassy entourage; also accompanied by Winnie (in orange), the Danish ambassador (both nice people who I know through Eva) spent the weekend at Hotel Djenné Djenno for the first time. It was the crepissage again, the mud plastering of the Great Mosque. I was in constant touch with Baba at the hotel and it all seems to have gone well. The new Imam Yelpha presented Paul with a replica of the Djenné Mosque!





5 Comments:

Blogger Pascal et Monique said...

Bon rétablissement Sophie et bonne chance sur ton nouveau chemin!
A Lyon, un jour?
Monique et Pascal

9:48 AM  
Blogger David said...

I have to protest, that is DEFINITELY not your Wild Woman of Wonga morning look (which of course I love). The hair would need be sticking out three or four feet from the head... I think it was an afternoon shot, and you look the very model of a purposeful entrepreneur working from home/bed.

10:34 PM  
Blogger naniepat said...

Bon rétablissement Sophie. Amitiés de Belgique. Annie et Michel

7:46 PM  
Blogger toubab said...

Thank you all, dear friends! Feeling better after a nice few days relaxing in an English SPA hotel! See up coming blog...

11:17 AM  
Blogger naniepat said...

Bonsoir Sophie, Nous regretterons les bons moments à Djenné-Djenno. Peut-être aurons-nous la chance de te rencontrer au hasard d'autres routes. Nous te souhaitons surtout de retrouver une bonne santé et toute la réussite que tu mérites dans tes nouvelles entreprises. Nous attendons avec impatience ton nouveau blog. Amicalement. Michel et Annie

6:53 PM  

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