Culture
Welcome Home
A Visit Back to the Host Family
Aryn Bloodworth, MAC XI
I
’m sitting on a white leather sofa staring at the
plastic-wrapped hunk of cornbread wedged
precariously in the top of my bag (to ensure
that I don’t starve on my 45 minute trip from
Kumanovo back to Skopje). The house is shining
after a long day of Sunday Cleaning, and I’m
wearing one sock while my other one dries; my
host mother, Advije, is trying to explain that it’s
bad luck to wear a single sock—I won’t get a man
if I don’t take it off. I’m laughing and pretending
not to understand because my foot is cold, and I
tuck my feet up under me as she shakes her head,
smiling. What will she do with this American she has
adopted? What has she gotten herself into?
“Am I now thelives in
daughter who
the city and comes to
visit on weekends?”
Two hours ago, I was kneeling in front of the
bathtub in borrowed pajama pants, slippers and a
beige sweater vest of Advije’s that came down past
my knees, elbow deep in warm water soapy enough
to wash 12 loads of laundry. Instead, I scrubbed
about that many carpets. My fingers turned t ???????)?????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????)?????????????Q??????Q????????????????$???)???????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????)$??????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????!?????)?????????????????????????????????????)????????)M??????????????????$???????????????????)????????????????????????'?e????????????)??????????????????e?????????????????????)??M?????????????????e???????????5???????$((`()A????Y??????????()????????????????????????????????????$)???????????????????????????????$????????????)?????????Q????$????????????????????????)?????????????????????$???????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????$?????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????=????$???)??????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?$????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????$???????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????$???????????????)???????????????????????????????)????????5?????????????????????????????????)%????????'?e???????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????O?M?????????????'?e???????)????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????$?????????????????)??????) ??$??????????????????????????M???????()M?????????((???????????????A4((0