Unexpected stay at the village

I have arrived in Syria only 1 week ago and have had already some unforgettable experiences.

On Monday, Abdel took me to his village which I have been visiting every time I am in Aleppo. This time was different though.

As usual, we find Abdel's 106-year old father on the porch. After having said hello to him and "fauwzie" who is taking care of everything (house, garden, father), a whole lot of nieces and nephews arrive. Actually, Fauwzie is their auntie and she is also taking care of them while their mother is in Mekka.
The wheather is great, the countryside is beautiful and time goes by quickly.
Some of the younger children speak a few words of English. All the rest is in Arabic. Nevertheless, communication is possible.
When time comes to leave and we stand up to go, they all turn to Abdel with questioning eyes. When I ask what is happening, it seems they want me to stay the night. The next day, there would be a big family gathering anyway to welcome back the children's mother.
After some hesitation, because I do not have anything with me (really not anything but myself and the cloths I am wearing), I stay. The absence of a toothbrush and hairgel does not add up to such an experience.

So, Abdel gone, I spend the night with everybody on the porch playing games and eating a lot until it is time to go to sleep.
They are all excited because I want to sleep on the terrace with them and not in a separate room.
After having looked for a matrass (the most comfortable one, of course) and some other stuff and taking it upstairs, we find all the children bundled up together on 3 matrasses. It is adorable !

Next morning, I wake up some time after sunrise. Everybody's gone except the 11-year old twin brothers who are still sleeping. Downstairs, I greet the Pater Familias and as I desperately want a coffee, I try to make an arabic coffee myself with success, because Grandfather drinks it without complaining.
The rest of the morning I gaze at the surroundings and teach the twins a cardgame.
At noon, all the others appear again in their best clothing and with food.
The house is full of live again. We eat a lot, go visit the neighbours, eat and drink a lot.

It seems I'm not big enough and the women tell me all the time. They put food in my hands and they urge me to eat when I do not eat quickly enough - so they can put some more food in my hands. Every 15 minutes, someone asks me whether I'm hungry.

In the afternoon, the children's mother arrives and a lot of family. Suddenly, it is all busy in the kitchen. Some more people arrive. A lot of talking. Me, I spend most of the time with the younger children, because they now all want to learn the new cardgame from this Belgian lady with the strange hairdo.

Then, the food is ready... so, we eat a lot. And - again - I do not eat enough.
During teatime, it is decided that most of them will go and visit family which are badly injured in a traffic accident and in a few minutes, piece and tranquility is back. I'm staying with Fauwzie until the evening.
Children come by and at night some nephews, nieuces, grandchildren, ... visit Grandfather. Never a dull moment, until it is time to leave for Aleppo.

I am a little bit sad to be back in town.