Day 33--The End of Our Final Trip

Day 33-- February 20, 2009

Today is our final day in Kazakhstan. The end of one journey and the beginning of another. Aidar woke up as a happy little boy, of course, which can only start our day with a smile. We visited with Aziz, our translator from our last trip, and went to see his wife’s store. It is in a market area that is just as you would imagine it—small shops, fruit stands, a little bit of everything with people everywhere. We couldn’t stay long because we had to get to the embassy, but it was so nice to spend time with someone so kind.

Ducien, our driver, picked us up and took us to the embassy. He, too, is one of the kindest people you would ever meet. Just as we arrived, it began to snow. It was a really pretty, wet snow—the perfect kind for a snowball fight. We met up with Olga, and went up to the U.S. Embassy. It’s not at all what you would expect. It’s on the top floor of a bank building. It’s a waiting room similar to DMV (except no one is ever there), and we simply went to a window to pay for Aidar’s visa ($400—Yikes! We didn’t see that one coming), and then to another window to pick up our documents. The entire process took maybe fifteen minutes.

We went back to the apartment, where we left Aidar with Ducien, and Olga, John and I went to meet with Assya, our translator, and Aidar’s father. He is such a kind man who is so incredibly sad. His tears broke my heart. His wife did not have the strength to come. He wanted us to know that they would have kept Aidar if only they had the money and the resources in Kazakhstan to help him. He also wanted us to know that he and his wife are healthy, and they don’t understand how Aidar was born with a cleft lip and palate. They do have one son who is older than Aidar, and he showed us a picture of this handsome little boy. I think his wife feels incredibly guilty; thinking it somehow must be her fault. He said that since Aidar was born, his wife has simply existed, and that they’re afraid to have more children. He asked us to tell Aidar when he grows up about them; that they love him and would not have given him up if they could have kept him. We assured him that Aidar will always know—not only when he is an adult. We told him that Aidar will know that he has two sets of parents: one in Kazakhstan and one in the U.S. He cried probably three or four times. It was so sad. I hope we gave him some peace in his heart.

So we leave tonight with both joy and sadness. Olga said that this is the first meeting that she knows of between birth parents and adoptive parents. I know she feels his anguish as well. We are almost in disbelief that we are leaving….but we’re not on the plane yet. Hopefully, we’ll be home Sunday and you can all meet the little guy in person.