8 Julio 2011

In our quartet of lunch rotations, today was my turn. As I was chopping tomatoes for spaghetti sauce Meche and Angelica show up hauling a wooden table with them. At first, I thought this was because last time they had to eat with their plates in their laps and I felt embarrassed. But quickly Angelica explains that she is only lending this to me for a year while she is in Arequipa City giving birth. This is such a kind gesture, I nearly cried. The whole time I was cooking I kept trying to put pots and what-not on the ground and then would giggle and announce, “I have a table, now” and move the pot to the table top. The ladies got a huge kick out of this every time I said it. This simple act of them taking care of me makes me feel so at home.

As we finished lunch, I scurried off early, as usual, to world map painting only to find our supplies behind the locked doors of the library. With no one in the Municipality with keys, I met with the eagerly awaiting kids and cancelled today’s activities. I then put the responsibility on them, “if you guys can track down someone with a key, let me know.” Thirty minutes later they show up with the supplies from yesterday that weren’t locked up and a world map from the 4th grade wall. Knowing we wouldn’t be able to advance much, I couldn’t say no to the beautiful initiative that they put in to spending the afternoon together.

We painted until the Sun was so far behind the mountains we literally couldn’t see anymore through the darkness. I arrived back in my room only to have Meche at my door minutes later.
“Let’s go get you some keys.”
“Really? Ok!”
I slipped into my coat and we headed to pick up the rest of the crew. Meche chanted, “let’s crush some council members” as the four of us waltzed down the cobblestone. You see, it was originally in the contract that I got a key once they finished the wall, but they failed to deliver. So, the ladies were going to make it happen. And boy did they. Thirty minutes later I walked out of that place with 4 copies. I love these women!