Dust storm

I’ve heard about dust storms and seen pictures; however, it is a completely different experience living in one. Last night after cooking some halal turkey bacon I opened my kitchen window about a quarter of an inch to let out some of the cooking smell. Exhausted from my day of teaching and tutoring, I forgot to close it. Big mistake…

Shortly after 6 this morning, I stepped into the kitchen to get a glass of juice and pack some snacks to bring to school. As my bare foot touched the ground I immediately remembered my mistake. I quickly glanced and saw the open window. Despite being open just a fraction of an inch my entire kitchen is covered in dust. I left footprints on the floor, walking from the door to the fridge. My once-clean dishes in the strainer are now the color of sand, along with my stove, sink, refrigerator and all of my cooking utensils and shelves. I even found a layer of dust inside my kitchen trash can.

I should have cleaned it up right then but didn’t want to get dust on my black pants before work. (The layer of dust is there as I sit writing this...) The air is unbelievably heavy. I’m not sure I’ve taken a full deep breath all day. While walking into school I noticed a trail of footprints I was leaving behind, reminding me of the first snow of the season when I was back in Connecticut this past December. The maids and guards all wore medical masks and worked hard to sweep/spray the dust away before the students came.

My students were excited. Some complained about not being able to breathe and kept running to the window, asking where the hospital building went as it disappeared from view. At one point I turned off the light when leaving the room and noticed just how dark it was when I came back; there was no sun today. Rather there was just a tan sky, full of lots of sand.