Esther

a few retro photos :)

A few weeks ago Rhiannon, one of our physical therapists, found me in the cafeteria and told me Esther was outside on the dock. Esther was a patient last outreach who was here for a long time. I became particularly attached to her.

I dropped what I was doing and ran (well, we aren't allowed to run on the ship so I "fast walked") down to the third deck in pursuit of my friend. I rather frantically walked out of the deck three gangway into the admissions tent, searching the area with my eyes. At this point Kim Anna, who was also Esther's friend, had surfaced. Rhiannon had found her too. Together we realized Esther wasn't in the tent and we sprinted down the dock to see if she was still inside the gate.

Sadly there was no Esther.

On Sunday night i was walking through B ward and saw the back of a small, teenage girls frame that looked familiar. The girls hair was platted so that a star burst of braids exploded from the corner of her head, her left hand was a boxing glove of bandages, and she whore the cute pink gown that Esther frequently chose to dress herself in. For a moment, I thought maybe it was her.

But when the girl turned around she dismissed my hopes. Hopefully, before I leave Liberia, I will see Esther again.

She has been to the ship a few times and I am told she is doing very well. She told Rhiannon that her operated hand is working well and she is no longer inhibited in any way. She can platt hair and eat with her hands. She going to school and still living with her sister in Monrovia.

Which makes me happy to hear.