Monday, October 28, 2019
RUTEN TOOTING
After 70 years of uninterrupted residency, the last Ruten has left Burkina Faso, a place dear to my heart. My aunt and uncle were teachers at a french university years ago, and my friend Stephen grew up in rural Burkina. The Fulani people, who I remember as the politest greeters, were nomadic, and I met them in Nigeria where I visited later. Now they are involved in the growing instability the country is facing with violence and extremist ideology. The Rutens, who welcomed me to their family reunion in 1993, have reluctantly left this past year. I will always remember their ability to eat cayenne pepper by the shakerful, and the wonderful connections they made for me with Franche- Comte and the Burkinabé. I always think that PE Trudeau called me to learned French, but maybe it was a small town pastor, and his gracious and hospitable family that did!
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