Rewards

“HOLA!” I look up from my plastic table and lean forward on the plastic chair I’m sitting on outside. Jose smiles and takes one had off the pile of fire wood he wears over his back, to wave at me. My smile grows wide as I wave back and I lean back in my chair with a quiet, but happy giggle. “Hola” me dijo.

For the past 8 months in La Montanita, 13 year old Jose has been cat calling me. When I walk by, he whistles. When I’m farther down the street “tss,tss” and “venite mi amor, I ‘love you mamasita!” he calls at me. It’s bad enough when the teenagers and old, married men do it to me. But its even more humiliating and frustrating coming from someone barely through puberty.

On my birthday part last month, Jose had the nerve to show up, hover at my door and finally ask for a piece of cake. There were 2 tiny slices left. I put one on a paper plate and walked over to him. I said “You can have this last piece of cake, but you are not going to hiss at me when I walk down the street anymore.”

He still looked up at me with googly eyes when I walked by, but he stopped saying things. Or at least he was quiet enough that I couldn’t hear him.

Last weekend, he was outside while I was loading up a pick up truck with my soccer team girls to travel to an away game. I asked if he wanted to tag along, free of charge, but he would have to ref the game. He agreed.

Today, he walks by my house and says “Hola.”

Sometimes, I get so frustrated here. I work 2 hours at night, planning a meeting for my girls soccer team so that they will be able to own a pair of cleats… And 3 girls show up the next day for the meeting. I offer to help solicit gifts for a Christmas Party for the town (500 of them!) and my community leaders won’t meet with the mayor for the snacks because he is from a different politic party. Maria knocks on my door asking for $3 and Mario laughs as he tells me that he lost all his drawings from Art Class.

No one gets me. I shouldn’t be here. They don’t appreciate my work. They don’t want me here. No one likes me. I have no friends. They just want money. I’m just a big gringa to stare at.

It’s so easy to think like this. I fear this stuff a lot.

But then people surprise you.

Happiness comes in weird ways.

You reap rewards in ways you never thought of.

It just took a “Hello”. An “Hola” from Jose. And I can’t stop smiling. He gets it. I want to be here.
I lean back and good memories come flooding to my mind…

The girls from my Artesania group who came over to my house this week when I invited them. An hour late, but they all showed up. We spent 3 hours making decorations for the Community House for the Christmas Party. We talked and laughed and listened to music…it felt good. One girl even wrote up a description of the community and our project to show my friends at home, as I asked. I was so proud of her. Together we wrote a Thank You card for our Artesania group leader. The message came from the group and it touched my heart. They do appreciate my work.

Last night, some girls invited me to a bull riding show in a neighboring community. We laughed as a soccer game was played while a bull ran loose on the field. Kids trying to make goals while avoiding getting stuck with a horn. Not the safest game but man, funny to watch. We huddled together as it got late and a whole lot colder than I ever thought it’d get here. We giggle, a giant group of girls, arms wrapped around each other. They do want me here. They do like me. I do have friends.

Esmeralda tries to wash her cup from the coffee I offered her during our Artesania Christmas Decoration making session. “Leave it” I say. “No Jaime. When someone offers you something, you return the favor”. They don’t just want my money.

“Hola” Jose called to me as he waved, smiling. I’m not just a big gringa to stare at.