Precious Moments

How do you preserve these brief, precious moments of true connection, which make everything else appear to be an approximation?

Shortly before boarding my plane Selenge informed me that no one could get a hold of Baaskaa. From their last phone conversation, he knew that and when I’d come, but now she couldn’t find him. I have to admit this information inspired mostly negative thoughts. Once in Mongolia, I heard stories, which seem to confirm my suspicions, and almost broke my heart. Nevertheless, when I actually listened to my instinct and intuition, I felt that he was fine and doing well.

After a bit of detective work, Baaskaa reappeared, knocking at the door of my guesthouse, with a huge smile, while leaning on his new mountain bike.

He went through some ups and down since we parted in May. Some jobs were better then others, some were paid, some were not. Over time, he connected with good people and found a job he liked. On a construction site in UB, he met a nice couple, with whom he stays now. His boss, taking a liking to him, recommended him for a job in a gold mine in West Mongolia, where he can operate the excavator. (Mainly, because the actual driver is nursing his vodka bottle a little too much while on duty).

When he told me his story, or stories, I felt such a pride; I could not help it but to tear up. That moment at the kitchen table will never come back. Baaskaa, being a man now, telling me about his accomplishments, looking for my reaction and my approval, and his pride, when he sees me so moved.

Naturally, I love that he became independent, but I also have to accept the changes and their impact on our interaction . Gone are the days of us being in the countryside, with a slightly awkward feeling as we try to figure each other out, I always with a mission, he always wondering what will be next. Gone are the days when he offered me what ever he had, like inviting me to sit on a horse (you really couldn’t call it riding) and leading me up the mountain, asking me to trust him, when I gasped in fear. Gone are the days when he waited for my return to help him change his circumstances. The Baaskaa of the last four years faded, and a new, mature person surfaced.