Barakat is wearing the white cap.
There is so much talk when we gather as a group for training, about the impact that Peace Corps has on the host country nationals as well as on the volunteer. I can't tell you how many times we've heard the phrase…"you may never know the impact that you may have". I just want to assure you that I've left a legacy…made an impact…my work is done and I've booked my flight home! (Ok..just kidding). I never dreamed that a game of Skip-bo would be such a hit. I initially pulled it out of the suitcase for survival. My Amharic was so limited and I couldn't bear another evening of sitting in silence while the family chatter swirled around me.
Games are great (especially simple ones like Skip-bo) because you generally don't need a lot of language skills to demonstrate how to play. Anyways…Barakat (age 13) was a quick study. I'm not exaggerating when I say that he LOVES the game. I, however, burned out quickly when 1-2 games per night was routine rather than exception. I would come home from class, go to my room, and within minutes there would be a knock and simultaneous opening of the door (I was never successful in teaching him to pause following the knock!) and then the bartering would begin regarding the number of games to be played, the number of cards in the skip-bo stack (important because if you play by the rules and put 30 in the pile, the game is never-ending), and the time when game night would commence.
Ethiopians are very skillful with bargaining and Barakat was no exception! Anyways…before training ended I decided to "gift" him with the deck of Skip-bo cards because he loved the game and, well, I no longer do! He was so excited when I passed the game to him and called him "bale carte"—game owner. I wondered, however, how much the cards would get used as his older sister is busy and his Mom was never really interested in playing. I shouldn't have worried. I woke up one Sunday morning to hear quiet little voices in the living room. I pulled open the door and found Barakat patiently instructing his friend on the intracacies of Skip-bo. I even had to laugh when I realized he was teaching him by playing an open hand….just how I taught him 9 short weeks ago. I have left a legacy!
