Family and Friends

      Sunday morning was absolute bliss for me, simply because I slept in almost two hours more than normal.  I had decided to not go to Sandhills Church, but instead I watched the broadcast of my friend's church Elevation.  Despite my computer constantly buffering, it was a really good service-- and I didn't even have to dress up!  When the service was over, I decided it was time to get dressed and to do some cleaning.  My room had gotten a tad messy over the weekend, and I needed to pick it up before my special guests arrived.  It was only as the sun drew near its peak that my cell phone rang, a familiar name illuminating the caller-ID.  A few minutes later there was the sound of a car pulling into our front yard.  The engine of an old gray Mini-Van was cut off, and two women stepped out of the car.

      I opened the door just as my mother and Juliana, a transfer student from Brazil, came up to the villa.  I greeted them happily, showing them inside for a minute before we unpacked the things they had brought up for me.  I was excited to finally have all of my things in my new home and, though I'd never admit it, it was wonderful to see my mom again.  I showed them around my house and we all had delightful conversation.  The rest of the fellows had gone to the Skogen's house for lunch, and so the street was oddly lifeless as the three of us climbed into the Mini-Van.  We went into town where my mom bought me some new clothes and then took us out to my favorite restaurant, Olive Garden.  A few more stops here and there made the hours fly past.  The sky had grown dark with ominous gray clouds that threatened to unleash a downpour with every breath of wind; and so I regretfully said goodbye to Juliana and my mom, letting them drive home before the bad weather hit.

      Altogether, I had an absolutely delightful afternoon.  My secret homesickness had ebbed slightly thanks to the time I was able to spend with my mom, and so I faced the renaming hours of the day with a new energy.  However, my energy turned out to be useless, as I spent the next few hours just re-organizing things in my room.  Yet before my task was complete, I was called out to join the other fellows on a trip back to the Mandala House.  We were finally going to watch the musical we had all been singing since we arrived-- Les Miserables.

      I grabbed my giant teddy bear that I use as a pillow and rushed to my car.  A few others rode with me, and when we got to the Mandala House we all talked about our day while we waited for the popcorn to pop.  Some of the guys carried some couches from the living room into the classroom, while others moved our desks out of the way and arranged chairs for the movie.  When the snacks were prepared and the theater set up, I set my teddy bear on the floor against one of the couches and settled in.

      The movie began with a blast of brass instruments, the oh-so-familiar melody reverberating in our ears.  For most of us, it took a great deal of effort to refrain from turning the movie into a sing-along.  Apparently many of us, myself included, need to learn a bit more self control; as a good number of us could no longer hold back during One Day More.  As the movie neared it's close, the whispered singing subsided into sniffles and the subtle wiping of tears.  By the grand finale, we were all completely enthralled by the wonderful music and story of Les Miserables.

       Back at the villa, Red Anna and I each had a bowl of sherbet ice cream before I finished organizing my room.  Looking back on it, I had a really wonderful day with my family and friends.  Knowing that the morning would seem very early and that classes were fast approaching, I turned in early, quite satisfied with my day.