Saturday, September 7, 2013

Crazy Day of Blessings

September 7, 2013. A damn rat in my room kept me up all night. He was playing with some papers that fell from my wall behind my bed. I tried to shift around and make little noise to scare him but he just ran to the other side of my room and continued. Of course, around 5:30am I had to pee. Great. Headlamp in hand I ran as fast as I could the short distance to the door, unlatched it, and bolted. I didn't hear from him after that. Maybe he ran out after me...
I "awoke" but more like arose from my bed and started my laundry. Dulce headed out to Villa telling me to go arriba or to see Linda cuz she didn't want me left alone (even though I'll be moving out on my own soon lol). After finishing I slowly headed down to first see Manuela. I was super nervous cuz I just realized I've got to be in the capital this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and I forgot that when I said I'd start working over there this week :/. She wasn't there (talked to her later in the day and she was totally fine with it! :D) so I headed to see Linda. Aaaand she wasn't there either. I returned to an empty house and started watching the Hunger Games in my bed. For whatever reason after that unsuccessful walk, I didn't feel like going anywhere anymore. I went through 101 excuses to not go arriba knowing that that way, I wasn't going to eat. After all, there were those bread cookies things on the table. After about twenty minutes I couldn't do it anymore and after having such a good day yesterday, I didn't want to ruin it. I got up and headed arriba to my host mom's house. She seemed genuinely excited to see me, I helped a little with clearing out some wood despite them yelling at me to sit down (I can't tell you how much I miss manual labor...seriously), Lili "taught me" how to mop (though I did learn a different way to squeeze the water out of the mop-Mom and Gram you both would die at the site of the water I used), and we ate. And as I sat there with Alex on my lap wrestling him and engaging in conversations with the family, I could help but fall back to the beginning when I was here. I sat in silence mostly. My host mom and her mom would try and talk to me but I never understood more than one word. They would get up and leave for another room whenever I joined. Fredito never spoke to me. I wasn't allowed to help with the floor cleaning. And I would sip my coffee as slow as I could or eat at a snails pace to avoid having nothing to do but sit there.  This time Lili and I joked around as she took a video of me mopping. My host mom's mom engaged in conversation with me. My host mom's dad did too from his hammock. I chased Lili around the house. Tickled Alex like crazy as he tried to mush my face. I got three cups of coffee (half of one was Dulce's cuz she didn't want it all-I understood her the whole time!) that I drank at a normal pace. And so on... I can't tell you how good it all felt and how glad I was that I got out of my bed and went arriba when I thought I didn't want to. It also made me feel so much better about living on my own. I'm nervous about mentally getting stuck in the comfort of my home and not getting out into the community. It's too easy living with Dulce; I just go with her. But today she wasn't there. I showed up unannounced and it went great. I can do this.
Speaking of living on my own. Yobi didn't come to fix the door today. He's coming tomorrow.. Then the more I thought about it, the more I realized it would be smarter to wait until next weekend... Ugh. But with Corps Forum in the capital this week, why would I move all my stuff now just to leave the house vacant for three days (especially with everyone telling me they don't want me to move cuz of the burgluries)? So I asked Dulce if it would be alright and told her I would pay for half this month when I get back (which is going to make me broke but it's only fair since it will be mid-September). She laughed at me and said not to worry, whatever is best for me. She's the freaking best. I'm disappointed but I feel like this is symbolism. Haha but seriously. Nothing ever seems to work out on my schedule but everything seems to work out. No, I'm not moving out for another week now. But it's better that way and hey, it's another week I won't have to cook for myself ;). No, nothing (well, hardly nothing) is going the way I want it to or think it should at the school. But the kids hug me everyday and "Julie!" or "Profe!" is yelled by too many munchkins I don't know the names of everyday in the street. And I love it.
To continue this crazy day of blessings, I went to El Puerto with the director of a school there. He desperately wants a volunteer and has plans to call my boss to solicit.  But in the mean time, he wants any help I can offer. And after today, I want, more like need, to make time for him. He has passion. He has purpose. He has drive. And he has ideas. I first met his family. We then went to his school where a church is attached. It was beautiful and spacious. The concert was supposed to start at 5 but of course, didnt start until 6:30. There was singing, praising, dancing, clapping, and joy. The concert was put on to bring parents in so they could raise money to buy books for the children; something they lack greatly. Sadly, it rained all day and the crowd was very very small. But they carried on just like they would have if the place was packed and it was incredible. I still have goosebumps from the singers and the dancing third graders. This is what a school is supposed to be like. With people who care about the kids, about the school, and about the involvement of the parents and community. I was recognized twice and after many people telling me how impressed they were that I knew so much Spanish in just 6 months, I understood nothing John (a Canadian who is working in the school through a religious mission) said about me in front of the whole crowd. And it was obvious cuz I froze and turned red. Damn. Hahaha But it's all good. 
I've gotta somehow fit in going there. He wants help with their library. And his first grade teacher is new and struggling. So long as I make it clear that I WILL NOT TEACH ALONE, I want to go there and help. We'll see. 
I made it home by 8, received the most beautiful email from one of my best friends back home (Charles, you better know I'm talking about you) and with a full and heavy (in a good way) heart, I'm off to eat and go to bed. Buenas noches.

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