Compras

On the Ranch, birthdays are celebrated in 3 ways.

1. A kid’s friends throw eggs/water/whatever they can find on lucky child in celebration (Honduran tradition).
2. The volunteer in the hogar makes a cake.
3. The child gets to go to the city for a meal and $10-$15 to buy whatever they want. (They do this once a month with all of the kids 11+ who are celebrating birthdays that month).

Yolani in my hogar celebrated her birthday a few months ago. She was turning 11, so this was her first birthday outing. Like most kids, she pretty much spent all of her money on cookies, candy, chips, kool-aid mix, sweetened condensed milk, and corn flakes (yes the strange things they buy when they have the option). As we were leaving the grocery store she pulled on my arm and asked, “Tezra, what’s this piece of paper for?”. She was referring to the receipt. When I told her that, she proceeded to ask “What’s a receipt?” At which point I realized it wasn’t my Spanish she didn’t understand, but the concept. I often calculate what grade I would have been in when I was their age and try to imagine myself asking the questions they are asking me. That’s not exactly fair since many of their mental ages are quite different from their actual age and our life experiences have been different. But it never ceases to amaze me some of the things they ask me about that I don't give a second thought to knowing.

Dania celebrated her birthday in June and I was quite looking forward to the outing with her, since I’ve decided she would have been my best friend had I grown up on the Ranch. As I have mentioned, most of the kids fill up on food and sweets, and only because they are begged to buy something practical will they purchase something that isn’t edible. I asked her the day before if she knew what she was going to spend her money on, expecting the usual, “I don’t know,” but she that wasn’t her response. “Talcum powder,” she simply told me, “for me feet.” Well, not expecting that, but way to be hygienic.

And then there’s Yuri. She’s a trip. She’s very sweet, photogenic and everyone who visits seems to fall in love with her. She is a Michael Jackson fanatic and every day since his death has mentioned something about him. So it’s no surprise when I asked her what she wanted to purchase, she responded, “Michael Jackson videos.” But she assured me that if any of the venders tried to rip her off she’d pout her lip and in a whiney voice explain, “Oh that’s too much for me! I’m a poor little girl who lives in a home, give it to me for cheaper.” Yes Yuri, good plan...

It’s also interesting going into the city since Tegus, like many cities, is filled with poor on the streets. The beauty of children is that no one has yet told them that it isn’t polite to stare. So they probably make some of the only eye contact these people get. Their head swivels with each person we pass and their eyes linger too long on the faces of these men, women, and children. “Why are they lying here? Do they live there? Why don’t they have anywhere else to go? Why is there poverty?” Kids are honest … and I wish I had better responses for them.