We were up and ready to go in time to check out and leave for the airport at 7:30. Marjolaine had not had a good night She often worries about missing a morning flight, so she involuntarily wakes up periodically during the night to check on the time. She also had coughing fits from time to time, though, thankfully she had no fever.

I returned the car and changed the rest of our Mauritian rupees back into dollars. Then we waited in the Air Mauritius lounge. I had a right to be there because we booked the flight on Air France even though it was operated by Air Mauritius. But, I was told, I didn’t have the right to a guest. The fee was not much, less than in the US, and we had about two hours to wait, so I handed him a credit card to pay the fee, he took the card, walked over to the machine and then back to us. He said quietly and with a smile “I didn’t charge it.” That was kind of him. We have been treated kindly in similar ways in many places around the world. There are mean people in the world, but there are many kindly ones too, who try to make life better for others.

When our daughters were young, they were usually well-behaved (they still are…) and they were cute (taking after their mother). They were often granted complimentary entrance to lounges where, strictly speaking, they shouldn’t have been allowed. Once, on an international trip, we were all four given free upgrades to business class on the first leg between Saint Louis and New York. I’m still convinced it was Fiona and Tatiana’s good behavior and being sharply dressed, (in addition to my tier status) that got us all the upgrade. It is heartwarming to see well-behaved children. It was their first time to fly business class and I smile as I think of their expressions (I have photos). It was quite obvious they both decided immediately this was the way to travel. Of course, that happened only rarely, but they knew to appreciate it when it came.

When the time came, we made our way to the boarding gate for the 50-minute flight to Reunion. On the climb out we crossed an area on the south west tip of Mauritius that is called the "underwater waterfall." From the air and from certain angles, when the conditions are right, it really looks like a waterfall is happening under the water. We didn't get quite the best angle as we flew by, but we could see the optical illussion. It's quite impressive

Mr. Prodigue was at the airport to meet us. We greeted each other warmly. We were very happy to see him again. Five years ago, due to a complicated church-family situation. The Prodigues had informed me the felt led to move to another COG association. They were not offended, they had told me, but the situation had become very difficult and they were seeking more peace. I told them that we were sorry to see them go and if I could ever be of service to them in the future, I would be at their disposal. To our joy, a few month ago, they contacted me to say they wished to return and would I please accept them back. There had been no improper behavior on their part, so I was happy to say we would come visit and discuss the situation.

Marjolaine was coughing very deeply today. She needed to rest. I also had picked up a cough during the night. Mr. Prodigue drove us to our hotel, part of a French chain we often use, not far from their house, and we said goodbye until tomorrow. Mrs. Prodigue is a teacher’s assistant for primary school children. They had had a sort of sea-side camp through the weekdays. I imagined she must be worn out after looking after young children in a variety of ocean-oriented activities, for most of them sleeping away from their parents for the first time.

We thanked Mr. Prodigue for picking us up and dropping us, and set a meeting time of 10:00 am tomorrow morning for our Sabbath Bible Study.

Saint Denis, the island capital, and its surrounding townships, is mostly built on the flank of the huge volcano that forms the heart of the island. Many places have plunging views on the city and the ocean. Our hotel had such a view.

We checked in to our room, and Marjolaine went straight to bed, while I had a bite of lunch. Then I came back and worked quietly through the afternoon. We had to wait until 7:30 for dinner, the restaurant didn’t open before then (French meal times). We sat on a terrace next to the pool, enjoying the cooler evening temperatures and a nice, light meal.

We will turn in as early as we can to catch up on our sleep, and fight whatever we’ve caught.