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I landed in Douala, Cameroon, for the first time nearly three years ago, on a mission. Not a mission of building churches or schoolhouses. My purpose waxed more sensual than spiritual and more selfish than selfless. As I wound through the scarcely lit airport terminal, with walls like wet paper bags, I batted away mosquitoes and fought my way past eager bag-handlers and SIM card salesmen. My pulse quickened as I thought about my assignment for the next five days: love under the mosquito net.
Trust me. I'm a veteran. In 2001, before married life, Brian and I dated long distance while he worked in Hong Kong and I lived in Atlanta. We met in Atlanta while working for the same company, but his career took him away from headquarters. Fighting the naysayers drew us closer, and quickies from Madrid to Manila made us high on love. Every time felt like the first time, and after more than four years of dating, two of which were long distance, we wed in 2005. The quickie, however, made a comeback in our relationship when Brian accepted a temporary gig in Cameroon. Each time he left for Africa, sometime for weeks, I dropped him off at Washington's Dulles airport. We perfected our hellos and goodbyes hugging and kissing on the curb outside Dulles. In the fall of 2006, and with me seven months pregnant, we reconstituted the quickie in London, and our hugs and kisses got tighter and hotter every time one of us stepped on a plane. As his assignment dragged on, passing the year marker, Brian's passport proved that we spent more time apart than together. Going on family trips and visiting friends kept me busy back at home. But showing up alone too many times got people talking. Constantly defending our living arrangement exhausted me. "Brian left you again," one of my neighbors loved to joke. After the birth of our daughter in December 2006, friends and family would say, "You're raising that kid alone." JCF commented on 08/31 pur commented on 08/31 drg commented on 08/31 PGC commented on 08/31 RB commented on 08/31 dj commented on 08/31 JFR commented on 08/31 DT commented on 08/31 RST commented on 08/31 SD commented on 09/01 jbko commented on 09/01 CG commented on 09/04 JL commented on 09/07 SB commented on 02/04 Leave a Comment
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