Alegere

Today is Sunday, and as such, subject to various obligations. We can do no washing. We must go to the piata (especially since we need light bulbs).

But today is no ordinary Sunday. We have a very specific obligation here today. Today is voting day.

By the end of today Moldova may have a president. That president might even be not-a-communist.

I went into the kitchen circa 9am for some tea. Laurentiu was ironing his pants on the kitchen table. Maria was bustling around in her best hat.

I asked what was going on, why was everyone so frumos? We never go to church.

Why are we frumos? It's Voting Day.

Maria had already been. Laurentiu was just about to pack Bunica into the car.

Renata is one of the facilitators at the school today. She's been wired for weeks. Even took me to a political rally for her favorite candidate.

Maria, so contained most of the time, flew off the handle the other night about pensioners and the impeding opinions of conservatives.

Bunica spent a good twenty minutes wagging her ancient CCCP passport at me like Senator Byrd used to do with the constitution.

The drunk PE teacher harassed my star 12th grader for her voter pin number in the middle of my class.

Peace Corps moved our Thanksgiving celebration a week early so there would be no stragglers in Chisinau today.

It's exciting times.