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Temple, he wanted to return and use his education to help his countrymen.
If I had gone, I would have died, I'm sure. I get deathly ill when visiting tropical countries now, from the things that I still carry from Brasil. His country is one of the most primitive and so, I would have danced away the first month feeling more heavenly than ever in life and then died somewhere, causing him many problems.....They have a particularly virulent form of malaria which doesn't respond to drugs much anymore.
And, I don't think that I would have accepted his lovely new wives with the love that I feel for them all now. I've told him to send me his grown up babies and I will care for them in their college years as though they were my own.
Loving someone more than anyone before in life, doesn't always mean holding them close. Sometimes, twice in my life, it has meant letting them go. It's a funny way to show love, but in these situations, their wanting more children and life in Africa, (which I would love......to death), I had to let them find the next great love. They are still my very best friends. I was not able to have more children after the age of 29.
Letting him go was the most loving thing I've ever done, outside of caring for family. It hurt more than I can explain. I was 38 and he was 26.
posted by
benzinha
on June 23, 2004 at 1:12 AM
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Abuelita, do you ever regret letting him go?
Or not going with him? I think it would be hard to let go of the best one ever.
posted by
Temple
on June 23, 2004 at 12:08 AM
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Sue9457, nice to have you come by and read it, and thanx for commenting.
posted by
benzinha
on June 22, 2004 at 8:13 PM
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NICE TO READ IT.......
posted by
Star5_
on June 22, 2004 at 7:38 PM
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Temple, not one of my favorite husbands, but my last boyfriend.......I gave
up dating after he returned to Africa. He was the best man that I had ever met and would happily greet the Apocalypse in his company, and survive if it only concerned survival skills !!! But, he was (is) my favorite man on Earth. He has four wives and a few children now, running an international children's organization within his country, trying to rebuild schools and infrastractures after the last coup....a decent and good man, honest as the day is long and kind and nurturing, but Strong.
posted by
benzinha
on June 22, 2004 at 7:37 PM
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LadyKenobi, poor parrots, indeed, especially when they forgot which tree
they had gummed for a few days........African boys are wild things, however, and weren't too concerned about it all.....not raised with Animal Planet in their living rooms.
posted by
benzinha
on June 22, 2004 at 7:32 PM
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Hey, Sue !!!!
posted by
benzinha
on June 22, 2004 at 7:29 PM
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I agree, poor parrots. :(
This was one of your favorite husbands, wasn't it? Sounds so full of mischief and energy. No wonder you loved him. ;)
posted by
Temple
on June 22, 2004 at 11:04 AM
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Ohhhhhhhh, poor parrots!
Although I must say, this has several excellent suggestions for my new day job :)
posted by
LadyKenobi
on June 22, 2004 at 5:45 AM
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hey BENZINHA
posted by
Star5_
on June 21, 2004 at 8:56 PM
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The soldiers wouldn't let the native citizens walk upon the sidewalks
in their 'specific' downtown areas. In many countries, the native citizens would obey these rules, but not in Alficene's country. They broke every rule that they could without actually getting shot for disobedience. The Portuguese were pretty easy going fellows, as far as colonizers went. As in the Brasil of old, they mixed a lot with the native peoples, had families and close ties to the community. They admired the 'spunk' , the indomitable spirit of the people in the face of discrimination and oppression. And, the Portuguese have never been a cruel people, like the Germans were in Africa.
The 'joy of boys' was to torment and to irritate and to overcome, which Alficene and his friends did every day.
posted by
benzinha
on June 21, 2004 at 1:25 PM
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shavonne, he was part of the growing generation of rebels who threw off the
colonizers and made a revolution. They fought for years against the Portuguese and finally gained independence. His generation began to feel it when just boys. His soldier stories are so rude that I have trouble writing them down here.....the things that they did to irritate the soldiers and make life hell for them while in Africa were amazing for children.
Thanks for reading, soldier, and for commenting.......
posted by
benzinha
on June 21, 2004 at 3:01 AM
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That was a dangerous stunt the did with those soldiers. The things boys will do.
posted by
Shavonne
on June 21, 2004 at 2:19 AM
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