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I had an amusing conversation with a woman at the bus station to take the bus back to Ansongo. At first, the family didn't know I spoke Sonrai. They were talking about me. "What is she reading?" So I replied, "The news. And I do understand Koyraboro senni." They did the usual reaction of "What? An Anasara who speaks our language??" Then the woman offered me her two daughters, one to cook for me, one to clean. I said "Sorry, but I already have a nice host family." When she heard my name, she realized she had heard me on the radio. Her daughter goes "cigaretti si boori" (cigarettes are bad). We made an impact! The woman commented how she especially liked how we Anasarey greet in Koyraboro senni (Sonrai). I laughed and said yes, we greet and share messages on the "Bani Huna" (The Good Life) radio show. With two approving clicks of her tongue, I felt like I had made a friend and thought "Gee, we are helping people!"
The children helped me bring back my stuff to the house where I found that the trees had really sprouted nicely, but the water was off. The water is only on from 6pm to 10pm now. Plus, when I went to draw well water, I found it was dry! I only panicked for a moment before my Bambara neighbor gave me a bucket of water she had set aside. Now I know to hoard water when it comes.
I gave out "dira-izey" ("children of the road" literally, also known as souvenirs): a squirt gun from Bamako for the boys, Mint life savers the Girls sent, and lotion for Zuka and Mariam. After a very T2 dinner (meat and bread), Adini and Alassane quizzed me on religion. I tried to answer their questions about history. Jews, Christians and Arabs all have similar ethnic roots. Most of that is in the Koran too, they explained. But Adini believes the crossing of the Red Sea was made possible by Moses throwing a magical knife in the air that split the sea. He outright said he didn't like it how people say Jesus is the son of God, but they still believe God is one. And he is annoyed Christians don't say the Arabic creed. I tried to explain it is a linguistic thing: Christians say a creed, similar to that of Muslims, but it is in English or French, or Chinese or whatever language the Christian speaks. The Trinity was a little more difficult to explain, that there are three parts to one God. He asked why Christians close their eyes when they pray. I answered it depends, but usually we follow the example of Jesus when he taught his disciples to pray. I defnitely added prayer is more personal for Christians, that is why you don't see me rolling out a mat and praying outside. He explained why Muslims bow all the way to the ground--God asked Mohammed to pray that way out of reverence. I was amused when my host-father walked by and over heard our conversation. He says to Adini: "Don't confuse her!" (The Sonrai is literally "Don't tie up her head!") Funny how Malians believe you can't stay faithful and study other religions; M. Badou had told me the same thing back in Goundam. I don't think it is problematic to study the Koran as literature or history, much the same I studied Eastern religions while in China. It's enlightening, not blasphemy.