So here it is, what may be the final chapter in the triplets story, albeit a bit belated. I am reminded to write due to my lengthy stay here in Dakar, which is now the permanent home for them.
Last December, both Nee Dioulde and Sada took me aside one night, and asked for money. My general response to the money requests is to scratch the back of my ear, look down at the ground, and say that I would look help out, but I have nothing to give (this is the culturally acceptable way of lying about things). They both said that Sada needed money in order to go to Dakar, retrieve the triplets, and bring them back home. In my mind, I thought this request for d'argent for outstripped the usual reasons, which range from Sada wanting to buy mint candies for his spoiled son Saamba, to Dioulde wanting to buy more tea for guests. This was the one redeemable, justifiable case of being the white Taoubob with enough money to bail out the village family. Or so I thought.
I eventually gave Sada 10,000 cfa (20 bucks), a substantial part of transport costs to and from Dakar. This was around the time that my parents were coming to visit, and I was hemorrhaging money as it was to fix up my hut; what was another 10,000 cfa (a little under 10% of my monthly living allowance)? Meanwhile, my village family was torn apart about some issue with the triplets; they were getting into almost-daily fights, disturbing the entire village, and scaring me enough with their yelling to hide out in my hut, not wanting to deal with an argument that was not mine. I left for Dakar to pick up my parents, with promises from Sada and Dioulde running through my ears, the words "the triplets will be here when you get back," very clear.
When I walked into the village, and there were no triplets, you could imagine my surprise. Here was Sada, returned from Dakar, but where were his children? Did he not get sufficient funds? Did something go terribly awry at the orphanage? Were they ok? Well, needless to say.. The children were fine, or at least as well as possible. Nothing was wrong. But Sada never planned to return with his triplets. He had always planned to go to Dakar to sign his triplets away, to turn the responsibility of their care over to Abdullaye, a village cousin residing in Dakar. He assured me that the triplets are well, that they are fed and taken care of. He even provided us with a photograph, but in the photo, unfortunately, only the boy, Alsaan, is able to sit up.
The triplets now are probably in better care than they would in the village. They have closer medical attention, and the guarantee of education in their future. But they also have a family left behind that they will never know, and a father who does not have enough integrity to tell the truth. Now in Dakar, I have the chance to go see them; in fact, every time I have talked to the village over the phone since my stay here, they have asked, "so, have you seen the triplets yet?" My response to them is that I have not visited because I am not able to walk yet. In reality, I have not visited because I do not have the heart to see them, to see what my village family has left behind.