This week...

*I got lice for the third time (did I actually think I could live in a home for impoverished children in southern India for a year without this?)

*two siblings left to say goodbye to their father before his execution later this week (I heartily disapprove of having a kindergartner and a second grader be a part of this)

one of these siblings
 

*Basha and Mariambe's mother showed up (again) to withdraw the children from school, likely so she can take them out begging (we finally persuaded her (again) to leave them here); Basha cried for two hours after she left (he had told all the other children and teachers that he was sorry, but that he was going home and was done with school forever) 

Basha and Mariambe
 

*I learned that our newly hired Tamil (local language) teacher doesn't know how to spell

*our new housemother's alcoholic husband (whom she left to move here) learned of her whereabouts and came to demand her return (since there's no food in the house) and threatened to take the two children, who've been enrolled at Rising Star

*an enormous lizard (a foot long) made an appearance in the library during second grade reading period, causing quite a hullabaloo

*Ramya broke her arm

*Anjali (whose baby died) switched jobs and is now my assistant in the library, for which I am very grateful

*a first grader was suspected of having leprosy (test results are pending)  

child in question with her brother

*the temperature dropped to 80 and I was almost cold

*I was reminded at every turn how much I'd grown to love the children and how hard it will be to leave