 Olga |
Last Tuesday was a hard day here at the Hogar del
Niño. It really hit home that it is an orphanage, after all.
Last week we received a tiny little girl named "Olga". She was about half the size of Maria and spoke very little Spanish, mostly just "Si!" and "No!". Our staff cleaned her up and put her in some new clothes. She had been abused by a relative while her mother was in the States. The whites of her eyes were sky blue, a sure sign of parasites in her system. She ate more at a sitting than I did. She really did shovel it away. It was obvious she had very little food at home. |
 Olga |
| She managed to steal all our of hearts within a week. She was
so small and needy of affection. She loved to crawl into one's lap especially
while one was working at a computer. She would laugh for hours at the silliest
things, then suddenly become serious. During these brief episodes she would
frown off into space, totally unresponsive to all stimulus, contemplating
things I'm sure I can't imagine. Then in a bit all would be well again.
On Tuesday some relatives came to pick her up, and it was a sad moment. The day was made even more depressing by the departure of Sergio. He graduated this weekend, and at the age of 18 it was time to leave the orpahanage. It was an emotional event for most everyone here. Sergio wants to attend University, but it is doubtful if he'll be able to afford it. |
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| Today was the Day of the Dead. Benjamin, Marvin and I left the hogar this morning at 4:00, heading for the cemetary. A full moon in a cloudless sky lit the way. It was an easy place to locate -- we just followed the sound of tolling bells, loud music, and a steady stream of people bearing flowers and food. This is the day that dead relatives are celebrated, and it is a party enjoyed by all. Near the gates of the cemetary there was an impromptu food court, where the smell of cotton candy, fried chicken and incense mingled freely. Inside the cemetary were candle-lit groups of extended families, both remembering their deceased and having a good time. |
 Celaje en Santa Cruz del Quiché Sunrise in Santa Cruz |
| We were home before dawn. Benjamin and Marvin
went back to bed, but I stayed up to see the sunrise. At the first glimmer of
light there was a gradually increasing commotion of roosters, dogs, buses,
firecrackers, chirping of birds. Smoke began to flow from the eaves of
neighboring homes. As the sun approached the horizon, high clouds turn vivid
orange. Then the sun was up, casting its light on the grim face of Santa Cruz
del Quiché. It's another day in Central America. There were plenty of festivities today. The typical food of this holiday is corn, and we've had cornbread, hot corn beverages, and even corn on the cob. We wisely picked about a bushel of corn yesterday at the new orphanage in anticipation of this corn extravaganza. |
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