Quarantine and Funeral Blues for Philip

 

Sitting here alone in my tenth - and last day - of quarantine. Various representatives of the UK Gov. have been keeping me from feeling lonely by phoning me every day, asking me what I am up to, and making sure I am not doing something illegal. I did not realize I was not allowed to go for a walk until Day 2, when I was taking my normal hour stroll around the neighbourhood. 'Hello' said the government person on my telephone. 'Where are you? I replied that I was out for my walk and was told I had to go straight home or I would be fined. 

So here I am. I have done my two required expensive self-administered Covid-19 tests and sent them off. The first came back with 'Unclear' as a result, telling me that I might have to quarantine for another ten days. I told one of my government friends who called that there was no way I would do that. They could go right ahead and arrest me. My government friend was sympathetic but firm.  Hopefully tomorrow the second test result will come back negative- I have been vaccinated!

And meanwhile the lovely Prince Philip has left us. I always had a massive crush on him...The poor Queen- what must she be feeling now- 

                                                                        

 I remember what it felt like in the days after my Keita had died.  There is that outraged feeling that everything is going on as normal in the world. How dare the grass need to be cut, how dare the tube trains keep running? how dare people go shopping and prepare meals and even laugh as if nothing had happened? And the shocked realization that I even laughed myself, and was able to talk for about two minutes before remembering once again the awful truth that HE is gone and will NEVER come back.

That is why that Auden poem is so wonderful- the Funeral Blues- because it understands that  outrage of ordinary things daring to affront by carrying on as normal- and also because it understands that beautiful things, like stars, are irrelevant- the sun and the stars keep on shining but it is for all the others, it is no longer for me.

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, 

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, 

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum 

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. 

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead 

Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead, 

Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, 

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. 

He was my North, my South, my East and West, 

My working week and my Sunday rest, 

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; 

I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong. 

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; 

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; 

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood; 

For nothing now can ever come to any good. 

W H Auden

Where to even begin...

I arrived back in London on Wednesday after two intense weeks in Mali. This time Father Columba Stewart, my boss, joined me, escaping his Minnesota monastery for the first time in a year and a half.

          

Our Italian colleague Maria Luisa also joined us and we ventured north together  for our three day visit to Djenne, driven in an airconditioned 4x4 this time.  We stopped at the splendid San Mosque on the way north:

Visits to some of my favourite villages around Djenne followed – we looked at family manuscript collections in the glorious little mud village Gomitogo (first two pictures above) where the best calligraphers are found:

                                                  

 we visited  Imam Yelpha in Djenne of course, who spoke about the security situation which is calm around Djenne as it has been for some years now- not in a small measure due to his own quiet and discreet mediation between the different factions- jihadists and Donso hunters who are strong around Djenne.                                                                 

                                                

‘My ‘ calligraphers had finished the ‘Dalai al Kayrat’ (Prayers upon the Prophet) which I commissioned a year ago- it is beautiful and  I took a lot of pictures which will be used as promotional material for a little trial venture- will we be able to get commissions for more? I am hoping it is the beginning of a calligraphy studio in Djenne...? This copy was now bought by Columba for HMML- it will perhaps be  displayed in the Museum in Minnesota.

                                         

Two of the Timbuktu workers had braved the road south and came down to see us bearing the last hard drives from our Timbuktu Project which is now officially closed. The last evening we all had a meal at the Campement Hotel, and guess who prepared our meal? My old chef Papa of course, and he cooked us Boeuf Keita again...

                                                                

In two days the cataract team lead by Dr. Faira Keita will once more arrive in Djenne for their yearly week of operations on the village population- as always sponsored by the generosity of Pelle and Nanni – my cousin and his wife. The dates did not quite coincide, so this year I could not be there for the opening ceremony- always dedicated to my Keita who worked for many years at the Djenne hospital. A minutes silence is held for him. This year it was the 5^th anniversary of his death.

I visited the family of course- in Bamako and Mai in Segou. Moussa, Keita’s eldest son came with me to the cemetary where I gave him Keita’s bracelet which I have worn since he died. It was always destined for him, and when I saw him crying at the grave I took off the bracelet and gave it to him.

                   

And then the customary hikes around the hills of Bamako with Karen with whom I stayed the last few days. A lovely trip...

                                               

Arriving in London a labyrinthine obstacle course at Heathrow with hour long queues and umpteen papers and online forms that had to be filled in- interviews by officials and extreme patience required. Travelling now is not for the faint hearted... finally got through and have been called at home by someone from gov.Uk checking up on me already. Have to stay 10 days in self isolation. Nevermind. It was worth it!