Bombakar

In the hospital you work with many aides. I have made a conscious effort to learn the names of all the nurses, the students, and the aides who work with me. There was one in aide who came to me in the night. He was black and closed in on himself silent almost to the point of unresponsiveness. Frequently he failed to understand what I was asking and in the end I thought that he was a little slow and let it go.

When the nurse came by I decided for the first time to request a different aide to handle my case. It was a bit of a painful decision and may have been colored by the fact that I did not know the man's name. As it turns out, it was my fault I had failed to ask.

 

A few days later, he returned to assist my nurse with a transfer. This time, I did not fail to ask his name. His face brightened into the biggest grin that I have ever seen and he said that his name was Bombakar. . Naturally, I asked where he was from. He replied that he was from a country that I had never heard of called Mali. He was wrong. Not only have I heard of Mali, but my brother-in-law served with US AID in his country for many years. I have always regretted not finding the time and the money to visit Larry while he was in Mali.

I learned an important lesson in humility that day and if I see Bombakar again I will tell him that the greatest gift you can give to this ward is his joy at his smile