...you might see shepherds driving and guiding their herds where Niger looks her greenest
...and then look in the opposite direction and remember that you are on the backside of the desert and there's hardly any green at all.
You will probably see stacks of wood to be used as cook fires leaning against mud brick houses or bundled together to sell...
...as well as chickens wandering all over the place, in and out of buildings, and no one paying them any mind at all as they scavenge for fallen grains, seeds and insects.
You might watch your dad park the Landcruiser and start off down the path following some guy pushing his bicycle.
That guide is your guide, too, so you follow him and your dad...
...but stop when they enter a muddy expanse of water and your dad almost looses his balance (which really wouldn't be good with Mama's camera hanging around his neck.)
All of the sudden, it dawns on you that your dad is leaving you behind (and he's your ride home later - and you are hoping there will be cinnamon rolls at home later today)...
...so you start to take your shoes off, roll up your pants and gather your pagne in one of your hands to dip a toe into that water...
...and then bravely step forward even though mud and other things you don't want to think about are oozing up between your toes and swirling around your knees.
Having successfully navigated the water hazard, you put your shoes back on and squeak along the trail with your skirt and pants dripping every step of the way.
Once arriving at the village, you get to see the new church building currently under construction...
...and then stare in amazement...
...when you understand that the small building next door is the current church building, it is smaller than your bedroom and that dozens of
people gather there to worship every Sunday.
Then you see men working on the brand new well that
has been recently drilled for the village...
Soon the women and girls will be able to pump well here instead of walking long distances... or seeking water from places like you just walked through.
On your way back to the car to finally head home, you see a baobab tree blooming.
As you lean back and relax, closing your eyes to sleep away the trip back to Niamey, you happen to notice this taxi on the road in front of you...
...it is, in fact, hard not to notice. You hope the driver has noticed the guy riding his bike on the side of the road...
...and you hold your breath until he passes and rounds the curve, opening up into a straight section of road where your dad decides...
...he'd rather risk passing the overloaded, overcrowded "taxi"
than risk following it any longer.
After waving at the passengers staring at the annasara girls, you finally do lean back, close your eyes and doze the rest of the way home.
It was a good day... just another day in your life as an MK.
