05/07/12 Goodbye and Hello

The unthinkable has happened – the golden age has ended. The former volunteers have begun their long and treacherous journeys homeward. Goodbyes all said and done, hugs given and tears shed.

But alas! Our prayers were at last fulfilled as the white vehicle of purity and innocence restored our faith in not only humanity, but in life itself. Gently rolling up the hills of this paradise island like a glowing beacon of light, the automobile of happiness finally delivered the gift of joy that would forever be known as the savior of GVI Seychelles – the newbies.

Streaming out into a world foreign to them, they congregated into a human safety net, distracting themselves with nervous chatter and playful banter. They peered out into the unknown, seeing only alien faces and cowering under the overwhelming babble of confusing accents that only few could actually understand.  Was this to be the future?

For the first supper, the camp wearingly gathered in the kitchen, eager to warm their bellies, and souls, with the prospect of sustenance that could quench the hunger that was roaring inside of them like a shackled dragon kept too long in a confining cage, ready to attack at any moment. Within mere seconds of the bell being rung, we sprinted to form a line with gleaming eyes and salivating mouths to receive the nutrition of life – food.

Similar to Noah’s ark, awkward couples materialized within the cramped conditions of the shared benches with the fantasy that a flourishing relationship would develop into a long-term, ironclad friendship that would never fade or fall by the wayside throughout the trying obstacles of life. Conversation thrived and uncomfortable chuckles blossomed into belly-shaking laughter that echoed throughout the valleys of the island and pulsed over the ocean with waves of euphoria and elation.

What will tomorrow and the next days bring? Who knows? 

05/07/12 Goodbye and Hello