Up at 5:30 to catch the 6:30 bus to Marrakesh. Comfy seats, large windows to view the countryside & villages & a few stops made the 10 hour trip quite pleasant. We stayed in an Ibis hotel next to the train station so we easily caught the 9:50 train headed to Kenitra. Rog & I had seats in different cars which turned out to be no big deal as most the time there was an empty seat by me. But before there was one…here's what happened. Setting the scene: each compartment had 8 seats. Mine quickly filled up with two groups of 2 women & 2 boys and another with a mom & Gma & 2 girls. One of the kids so reminded me of David: dark brown eyes & wearing a Minecraft cap. Unfortunately, his front teeth were spreading rotting. A big problem we've seen in both Gambia and now here. All was fine until the first train stop when a family of 5 came to the door of our compartment & the two women started to argue. I surmised the one family already sitting down had taken the seats of the ones who had just gotten on. The quarreling got more & more heated. Both moms got in each other's face. The mom standing up had a baby about 9 months old on her hip & a 3 year old boy holding on to her coat. The Dad & an older sister just stayed in the hallway and didn't get involved at all. The other mom & Gma & 2 girls just looked the other way. I offered to have one of the kids sit with me so the mom with the baby could sit down but she was vehemently arguing for her families seats & refused my offer. After about 10-15, the conductor came by & asked to see all the tickets. He had to ask several times to the mom sitting already. When she stood to show the tickets she was within inches of the other mom & both started shouting & shoving until a woman stood between them & quoted the family out. The winning mom sat down and immediately started nursing, the dad sat next to her with the 3 yr old boy & the older girl, probably about 12-13 sat by me and put headphones on. She pretty much ignored everything else going on. That ended the drama. By then however, I was pretty invested in the families now in my compartment. Though we were passing fields of crops, green houses, flocks of sheep w/ shepherds, orchards and earth-tone villages next to mountain streams, I focused on savoring my time these two Moroccan families next to me. The now calm mom continued to nurse as the baby turned his head as far as he possible could to see what was happening to his 3 yr old brother. The 3 yr old ask his "Papa" to show him some pictures on his phone which he did. Then the Papa started practicing counting on his fingers and encouraging his son to do the same. He clapped & they high 5'd when he succeeded. The baby saw this and put his little hand out and the Papa grinned and high 5'd him too. The 3 yr old then starting singing what sounded like the ABC's which made the papa grin too.. Obviously enjoyed his kids.
The other mom tried to take pictures of her two girls. The older one (about 8) smiled nicely & poised by her 3 yrs old sister who refused to smile. Then for some reason I didn't figure out, the 3 yr old started kicking her Gma who gave her a good swat. The 8 yr old came over & kissed her Gma. Next the mom tried to get her girls to stand in the hallway & look out the window. Soon the other 3 yr old joined them and the two 3 yr olds started running down the hallway. The Papa ran after them. The baby had a toy that he chewed on & made cute baby sounds in"English" cause my babies made the same sounds. Mom tried to feed the baby some food and he kept grabbing the spoon & pounded it on the table. So there I was—sitting in the midst of two Moroccan families who acted like most American families in so many ways. They could have been any family in most any country. Though their languages, skin tones & clothes vary, families are much more similar than not. When will the world realize this???
Side note: Can't help but note that the skin tones in the 8 African countries we've visited have varied tremendously from very dark black to white with olive, reddish, light brown in between. Sure changes my perception of what an African looks like!
