Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Floppins Experiment (or my best day in village)

I had been looking forward to this day for a week.  Our friend Christina had introduced us to a teacher friend who happened to raise rabbits.  It was love at first site.  Josh didn’t even have to ask me, one look at me gushing over the babies and he asked the man how much.  Since they were babies and we only wanted one, also since the rabbit was to love and not to eat, he said we could have it for free.  we had a planned trip to Ouaga in a couple of days, so we made arrangements to come back on our way home in a week and pick out the newest member of our family. 

For a week I had thought of nothing else.  I had a name all ready, Floppins, taken after my sister’s rabbit, Marry Floppins.  I prepped the courtyard and even made her a two-story house out of care package boxes, which read “Maison de Floppins” on the front in big letters.  We tapped up cardboard on the courtyard gate so she couldn’t hop out under the door.  We even discussed potty training her, like Big, so she could come in the house.  And now it was finally the day. 

The anticipation made the 4 hour bush taxi ride seem like a breeze.  I scouted out the options and picked a cute little white and brown bunny, big enough to leave mama but small enough to make love me, confident/ strong enough to easily adapt to a new home yet still sweet enough to cuddle with me.  My little Floppins. 

After I got my new play thing it was time for Josh to get his.  We had been saving my monthly PC allowance and finally had enough to get a big home purchase- a solar panel and car battery.  Josh was almost as excited for this as I was for the bunny.  I sat in a chair at the hardware store while Josh talked to the shop keeper about batteries and panels and wires, holding little Floppins close to clam her fears, while people gave me the what-is-that-crazy-white-women-doing-with-a-baby-rabbit look.  Wanting a baby animal over an adult is crazy to them, because you can’t eat a baby; petting an animal or showing affection is even crazier.  After a while we headed home, Josh’s new toy strapped to the back of his bike, mine riding in my satchel because she was just too big to fit in my shirt pocket. 

Once home I set Floppins up in her new corner of the courtyard.  It took her a minute, but after an hour or so she was eating and hopping in and out of her house like she had always enjoyed a two-story villa.  Josh also rather enjoyed the afternoon putting the solar panel and battery together; made him feel like a man doing men’s work.  And I have to admit, the set-up revolutionized my life in village.  We now had a light for the evening hours and could charge things at will, as long as there were sunny days.  That evening I cooked dinner by florescent light while watching Floppins flop around the courtyard.  With the flip of a switch Burkina went from one of the shittiest places on earth to live to, hey, this is not so bad. 

While Floppins adjusted to life chez moi we adjusted to life with (almost) current.  She right away started pooping in the latrine, which made it easy for us to clean up after her, all we had to do was brush her droppings down the hole, which also meant she was allowed in the house.  She lazed around in the shade and learned to go in her house when it rained.  She even adjusted to me and my frequent need to love her.  Even Chicken was getting use to sharing a courtyard with her, and they even started eating off the same plate at the same time.  Life was perking up.     

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Unfortunately, two weeks later we had to go to Ouaga for a meeting.  We debated locking Floppins in the house, but decided there was too much damage she could do there.  So we set out ample amounts of food and water, and reinforced the cardboard on the gate.  We even locked the gate with a lock and key from the inside of the courtyard so that kids couldn’t open the door and let her out.  But, alas, upon arrival home there was no Floppins.  There were no signs or hints of what happened, just an empty courtyard, but she was too little to eat, so our best guess is that she escaped from under the cardboard on the gate.  It was a good too weeks while it lasted.     

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