dearest kids, Mom & family, special friends and Inquisitive followers,
Funny to not be with you tonight with the fire on and new pots of coffee brewing... no not funny.. i would love to be there.. i will not miss another thanksgiving! ever! happy though that there will at least be 17 around that big old table and you all get to rub elbows.. our little plan for thanksgiving dinner has gone down the drain with the oven on the fritz and no intention to have it repaired... that's ok.. jacqueline and i will feast on avocados and salad at a little place i discovered just blocks from here.
On Thursday it was a holiday here for the boys and i went a little late to see them.. so arriving around lunch time and for the first time in a month was invited to join them. you have seen this room in the pictures with the guitar players.. it is very long with tremendously high ceilings.. 20feet??? windows line each side with orange gingham curtains that flutter and blow in the wind... today almost all the boys are here with the exception of aldear, who remains away with his Mother and Guido, both of whom I have not seen in a week.. ... 37 boys.. all lined up , chairs at haphazard angles to the table, tablecoths folded in heaps.. they are devouring soup..little elbows and arms wrap around metal bowls and mouths catch scoops of creamy liquid with appetite.. there is no order.. even here they fend for themselves.. my eyes take in the moments.. the directora comes into the room and asks me if i would like some soup... i smile and accept.. she leaves and shortly one of the boys brings me a ceramic bowl full of soup.. it is delicious.. it is creamy white with chunks of potato and tiny pieces of some grain that looks like a tiny version of tapioca... as the boys finish their soup one by one they get up and go back to the kitchen to return with a main course of rice, boiled chicken with yellow skin, and potatoes.. now an older senor comes in and sits at a table in the one corner. .. a table in line with the two tables that are placed beside the window with the old sony boom box that belts out music from some local station...
occasionally the group from this table glances over to see what i am up to and eric yells out "deborah,,you ugly", to which i yell back with a big smile... "eric, you are handsome".. and he is...
i too get the main course, and i am both surprised and delighted that it is delicious... there are no forks or knives here, just one gigantic spoon to eat with.. so fingers do the trick alot of the time...... as the boys finish they take their bowls and put them into a huge farm house type sink with a tap that comees out of the wall. one by one as they finish, each boy returns back to the table with a tin cup full of sweet tea.. there is no mothering here... there are no manners and there is nothing pretty in the setup... music blares and food begins to fly...
at the end of the table with me are two boys....we are intent on each other and they are both watching my every move.. thank goodness the soup is good... so, aware of the little eyes that are with me, i carefully place my big spoon into the soup and deliberately scoop it up toward the top of the bowl.... then i lift it straight up... let the anything fall off and put the spoon into my mouth... i repeat this...like a miracle one little boy does the same... i smile and nod.... i repeat this until my soup is gone and so does he..... the beginning of table manners...
one by one, and in groups the boys leave the dining room... the music remains. blarring..
the sink is piled with bowls, some rinsed, some with bones of chicken......
kevin, the boy who served me... questions me with his eyes making sure that i am full and i am, and so are they.. and i am so grateful that the old cook is a good one and that there is lots to go around...
i have a new mission ... it is called manners.
friday comes... and most of the boys are in school. but i am delighted with my usual morning crowd and we are all getting along royally...it is time to pick up the guitar case, so i get permission from the ¨mama¨to take two boys for the walk...those boys are eric, and elvis..
eric , the one who says repeatedly ¨debra.. you ugly¨... well this isn´t phasing me.. he is a great boy.. handsome, bright and not tough despite maybe wanting to look it.. so away we go... you will remember that the guitar that we bought was in that true peruvian neighbourhood quite unlike the downtown cusco , or route to the orphanage , that has become so familiar now.... the streets and sidewalks are bare until we turn into the street that leads us to our shop.... yes, a few vendors sit on sidewalk corners, goods spread on blankets in claim of their territory.. and men stand in groups contemplating road construction before jackhammer sounds fill the air... i cover my ears... before we know it we are at the guitar shop and the owner remembers us... i give him 20 sols and he sends his chica to get change... we have the guitar case and elvis examines it to see that it is truly fine...
we get our 10 sols change and leave examining the tiny brown quarters that house fine workmanship .. the smell of varnish is in the air... an amazing harp stands on the sidewalk inviting fingers... as we walk we talk... guys, we need a smaller guitar for the little boys... elvis questions me with his eyes and asks me ..now? yes now.. i say.. we need to find one. where? he points to the same place and back we go... we decribe between us the size that we want and begin to negotiate prices.... 100sols... i shake my head...no.. 80 sols.. and we have to see it first... no.. 90 sols... 100sol with the case.. perfect.. it will be ready one week from monday..........we still need a few flutes , tamborines and morrocas.. but i am not sure that these would not disappear....
as we walk we examine inside the stores... it is hot... ice cream is advertised on a board and i ask them if they would like one.... ok.. pick one... no you... no you... anyone you like... i go inside to buy the cones ,... those awesome ones with the wafer and chocolate and nuts on the top.. mmmmmmmmmmmmm....we get three...we walk back a new route into a street where roofers are throwing tin sheets into the street... men shout something at me and call me an americana.... we keep walking . i am happy to be with the boys.
we settle on against a wall near the orphanage to finish our cones.. the boys take a long time eating... it is glorious time...
inside we find the guitar and settle it into its´ case.. perfect fit. the pick gets hidden in the zipper compartment..
then i tell them, we have a new thing to learn in the dining room.. we need utensils.. i go to the cook but he has none.. soon jean-paul returns with a tupperware container full of large spoons... in the large wooden cupboard bowls and mugs settle into their quarters.. names on masking tape proclaim the owners...
all of a sudden the boys begin to get their bowls and zoom into the kitchen... i am asked for lunch...again! i am given a special bowl.. ceramic... there are only about 10 for lunch, the same little wonerful crowd and everyone begins to settle at the tables, with table cloth, beside the music box.. on goes the music... wow that is loud... i look at gabriel (the wild one playing the guitar that is strong as an ox) and tell him, no gabriel, today we are learning manners... of course this is in english and means nothing to him or to anyone else... so let´s play..
eric, my beloved, sits down... wait i say motioning him to get out of his chair ... he does.. and walks to the end of the table .. i great him as if i am the hostess in a restaurant and motion him gracefully to his chair which i have pulled out from the table..... i motion for him to sit down and he does... at this point he has his soup placed on the table and spoon in hand... everyone is watching.. some laughing... the music is off..... i carefully pick up his soup dish and walk away with it to the end of the table... then i turn around and face him, with his soup dish held high in the air as if i am some fancy waiter bringing his meal... i am laughing inside at the whole event and all are visibly delighted... i give him his soup and the game with the others begins...
i sit down beside eric and begin to eat my soup.. same as before scooping it to the top of my bowl, sitting up, and carefully putting it in my mouth... everybody watches as i mimic what i am seeing... i lower my head to my bowl, put my bottom lip under the edge of the bowl.. then arms wrapped around my bowl i scoop a huge spoonful directly into my mouth.... everyone laughs... i sit up and shake me head saying ´not like this´.. . like this.. and all of a sudden most of the table starts trying... i whack eric with my elbow...he looks at me .. then i tuck my elbow close to my side so he gets the picture... eddie, my cha cha guy, has it down... it is magical... ooppss..... well the magic at least is beginning... i get up from my chair and cruise around the table tapping elbows and arms , all quickly withdrawn...
it becomes a game ... and by now the phycologist and garcon in charge of baths..dressing.. timing.. have joined us, arms wrapped around their bowls, heads down and soup being devoured...
a marvelous lunch in marvelous company. thank you for the blessings of the boys and me together friday, at lunch celebrating our lives in that special moment.
Thank you my kids, Mom & gang and my dearest friends for all the blessings you have given me in knowing you and loving you... and also for your constant love for me despite myself !!!
Today i am going to see the boys... maybe bring some brown buns and butter and some choices of fruit for dessert.. i will see what i can find... they will all be there today and i have never had a sunday with them but it feels like the best thing i could do .. so here goes..
all my blessings and love to you.. wish i was home with you. to celebrate our life... i will call you tonight after supper..so 8ish.. have the coffee on. it may be a long talk.
love Mom, me.....
ps will send some pics later of the gang at the table.
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