Evening cacophany

I don’t often listen to the nature sounds around me. Not that I don’t like them and am trying to ignore them. I just have gotten so used to them that I hardly pay them mind anymore.

Tonight’s different, though. I don’t have on any music, and Luke’s playing computer in another room, so it’s quiet in the living room. Human quiet, that is. Outside there’s a symphony going on. I think the cicadas have to be the loudest of the bunch, but the crickets aren’t far behind. And then there are the fruit bats. It’s bewildering how loud they are, and even more bewildering how little I usually take notice.

Isn’t it funny how life can be like that? You adjust to some things so easily that you don’t even notice their existence? Take our lack of running water, for example. One day a week or two ago, David said, “Water!” At first I didn’t even know what he was talking about. Then he pointed to the sink and said, “We have running water!” No way! Water was gushing from the faucet, and I couldn’t believe it. It didn’t last very long, and we didn’t even need water at that point because it’s been raining so frequently we usually catch all the water we need. Besides, it’s not as if our shower works, or our toilet flushes, so running water isn’t entirely useful in our household. But boy was it strange to have water flowing from the faucet! When something is gone, you just don’t miss it after awhile. I had a chocolate Kiss today for the first time in months and months. And it was good. But I think I’ll survive without it for another few months.

That being said, I hope that will never happen in my marriage! David has traveled to Ibadan this week (again) for a medical conference. Last time I was lucky enough to be on working retreat, so I wouldn’t have seen him much anyway. This time I’m home all week—five days without my husband. Yesterday I cried and cried. I don’t like being apart from David anyway, but especially now that I’m pregnant, with hormones raging (and giving me any and every excuse to weep), I’m just an emotional wreck. So sue me. But we will never be apart long enough for the absence to become “normal.” No marriage by correspondence. That was something we agreed upon before we married. Nope, I treasure our days together and long for Saturday to come quickly.

And the creatures outside actually do sound nice.