Looking for Christine
Many sisters from one of my first groups all live in the same neighborhood, so this was my first stop after checking into Orchid Safari Club. Immediately caught up with Furaha (new baby!) Francine (new baby!) and Generose (new house!) But I was disappointed not to see Christine, who has a house on the main road, and more often than not is the first person to spot me, waving wildly in greeting. Her first letters were filled with descriptions of her grandfather hunting elephants and her dog named Doggie. But she wasn’t waiting, waiving this time.
I asked my sisters about her. Apparently some time ago, her husband flew into a jealous rage and burned all of her clothes. So what’s a woman to do when she knows she deserves to be treated with respect?
She packed up her kids and moved to Burundi!!!
Of course, I’m very sad to hear her marriage took this turn, and also that I’ll likely never see her again. But I’m bursting with pride at her self-possession. I also marvel that a woman who lives in impoverished suburban Bukavu had the emotional and financial resources to dump a man who turned abusive. Like I said to her many times in letters: You go, girl!
Great posts, hon! I love tracking the details of what you are doing! I eat them up like candy.
amazing. :) what a vivid reminder of how a woman’s life (and so many others’) can change when she feels her own WORTH.