At Caleb's basketball game.
K-Freezes and Strawberries 'n' Creme!!!
Sisters at the river.
Janelle sewing.
Mom and MariChuy.
Wendell, Alain, and Bradley.
Michelle, Alma, Bev, and Carla.
Family picture time!
Sunday and Monday stared me in the face with dark, ominous eyes. But I knew that the end justifies the means, at least in this case. Yes, I had tons of things to do, but yes, it would TOTALLY be worth it! I started my week with less than 48 hours until I would see my family and my friend again. At the San Pedro service, the bugs were hunting blood, but the only one that drew on me was one that chomped my toe. I went home in time to finish getting lunch ready. After lunch I called my family, who were just picking up Janelle, my friend. After the Choix service, we took Mochiqui children and Marlen home. My favorite part about supper was putting ice cream in my coffee. Then I made more lists to the millions of things I needed to do before 7:15 p.m. on Monday.
~~~
I got up early to make cookies for my family. I managed to avoid burning them. I must admit that I was extremely proud of myself, but I shared them, regardless. We ate breakfast and then I got to work. I walked uptown to see if I could check into the hotel. The hotel clerk was very accomodating and told me that I could move in "ahorita" (right away). I walked up to the buses and asked what time the afternoon buses went. The man was not so accomodating and I was horrified to learn that I had to get the 1:45 bus and wait around in downtown Los Mochis until Lenn picked me up at 6:30. I decided to take two books even if that meant that I had to carry them around with me all day. Then I finished some last minute shopping and visited Vanessa's family. They admired me, saying that I looked "emocionada" (excited). I didn't spend much time there because I needed to move into the hotel. Loren took Janessa and I up to the hotel to move everything in the truck. As we were unloading cots, a mattress, and crates full of random items, we had lots of observers. Maybe because we had to walk across the busy street. Janessa was so embarrassed that she carried the mattress so that it hid her completely. I was too excited to care much about anything at that point. I stuffed everything in the rooms and walked back to help Loren and Donna a little before they left for their day at the river. I ate lunch alone and then headed off to catch my bus. When I asked what time my bus was leaving, a man told me "ahorita" (right away, and yes, the word is over-used in Mexico). So I unsuspectingly climbed on board and came face to face with the cleaning man who belligerently stood in my way. I asked him if he was cleaning, thinking that if I started a conversation, he would kindly remove himself from my path. Instead he merely nodded stubbornly. I suggested that I wait outside to which he nodded vigorously. As I sat waiting across the street, Sam came up behind me. I excitedly yacked away until it was time to leave. The bus ride was uneventful; I like them that way. I rode the bus all of the way to the last stop, not even sure if I was at the right place. I looked around in the shops, finished one book and started the next until Lenn came promptly at 6:30 to pick me up. Then we were off to the airport. We waited for what seemed like a very long time. Finally their flight arrived and out they came after grinning at me across the security check. Lenn took us to Soriana where we ate gorditas. We had a long trip home and we were all very tired and excited. When we got to the hotel, we realized that my cot did not fit between the two beds. Therefore I slept on a partialy opened cot and we had no floor space. In case of a fire, we all would have died because of the suitcases piled in front of the door. Bev admired our friendly lizard while the cockroaches made themselves scarce.
~~~
We would have slept good if the electricity wouldn't have turned off, taking with it the power for our noisemaker (our air conditioning). Instead, another noisemaker took its place...an boisterous rooster who cock-a-doodle-doo-ed until the air conditioner turned back on. I got up and took a brutally cold shower and afterwards we rearranged our room and traipsed up to JLR to buy breakfast. Meanwhile, the electricity turned back off and we couldn't even heat up the tortillas we had bought. We dropped off our valuables at the Yoder's house and then walked uptown to look around. I took my family to the dulceria (the candy store). They were as fascinated by all of the candy as I was when I first visited the store. Mom and Bradley became patrons and we meandered up to the plaza (after a lengthy stop at the crowded bank) to enjoy our consumable purchases. We sat and enjoyed the plaza and then walked to Pollo Mayo for a mid-afternoon lunch. My family loved the chicken. Dad got into rolling corn tortillas and actually became a pro. We didn't eat near all of our food. Bradley went to pay the bill and the people behind the counter started talking with him...Dad suggested that I go rescue him. We went back to the hotel and then Janelle and I took our leftovers over to the Yoder's. Dad and Mom joined the Mexican siesta time while we kids were more adventurous and went to Caleb's basketball game. My siblings got to meet Ricardo who introduced himself as "Richard" and delighted in talking to all of the gringos who couldn't understand anything he said. Alain, a little boy from town, was fascinated with my brothers. When I asked him what he thought of my family, he said: "Ellos son bien grandotes!" (They are good and huge!). We got back to the hotel in time to climb up on the roof and watch the clouds change colors as the sun set behind the mountains. I gave everyone their souvenirs and then I took them up to the clocktower. Unfortunately, it was still closed, but I wasn't quite ready to give up. I crossed the street to talk with a guard and he pulled over a police truck to see if my family and I could climb the tower. The driver got out and came around to talk with me and tried to talk to me in English. To my family across the street, the scene was intimidating... A lonely gringa surrounded by at least four policemen. But we climbed the tower and enjoyed the view...although three were annoyingly scared of the height and clung to the pole in the middle. Back at the hotel, we tried out our new sleeping arrangement. Bev and I ended up sleeping together in a single bed. A little snug, but we haven't seen each other so SO LONG! We didn't fall asleep right away, but laid there and talked and laughed... I missed those girls!
~~~
I left from breakfast early to start the beans for lunch. Alain met me on the street and asked when my brothers were going to leave the hotel room. The others followed close behind. The girls made cookies for the prison, worked on sewing, and made red rice, beans, and guacamole for lunch. The guys went to the prison for the service with Loren, Rod, and Ian. After lunch dishes, we relaxed a little before heading uptown for the infamous K-Freezes and strawberries 'n' creme. We got ready and left for prayer meeting. Alain met us as we walked. He had been waiting impatiently for my brothers at the Yoder's and finally gave up and came to hunt us down. We were swarmed by children and adults alike wanting introductions. I had suddenly "shy" children pulling on my arms, asking for introductions. Afterwards, the we girls went to Mochiqui. The Mochiqui girls quickly claimed Bev, Janelle, and Michelle with "Es mia, es mia" (She's mine, she's mine). We walked up to the taqueria after we got back. My family loved the food and decided that they needed to come back sometime. Cockroaches were patiently awaiting us when we got back to the hotel. Bradley, the brave "cocky" hunter, came to help the poor girls out. Again, we stayed up, talking and giggling until later than we should have.
~~~
I got up early to start breakfast. Michelle and Bradley came with me to Don Josecito's store to buy the ingredients. The boys fried up the hot cakes while I ran to get syrup and bananas. We had lots and lots of pancakes. The girls and Mom went to the Yoder's to help with sewing and lunch. Bev and Janelle spent the afternoon on the roof while I edited my pictures. Eventually, we all walked down to the river which had shrunk a lot since the last time I was there, but at least it still existed. We skipped rocks, waded, took pictures, and enjoyed the scenery at the river. Dad complained of a stomachache. No one was too sympathetic since he'd eaten a whole bag of salsa verde chips. We came back to look at pictures in our air-conditioned room. We ate at Papa's where Dad determined not to like the gorditas but readily consumed the tortas. We had a drawn-out affair which finally ended with chocolate cake. The day ended with my first hot shower.
~~~
I might have refused to get up if my alarm wouldn't have been so annoying. I sat on the balcony and hid behind the big fern to do my devotions. I was cleverly disguised from the men at the hotel across the street. Janelle and Mom came with me to get breakfast. JLR was closed, but we chanced to meet up with Diego, the English-speaking post office man. We bought groceries elsewhere, ate breakfast, and then went to the Yoder's to get a ride to the orphanage with Lenn. We got straight to work, sewing, cleaning, and making fence. Bev and I organized schoolwork and then we all ate lunch together. We then worked until about 4:00 when we started walking to Mochiqui to make corn tortillas with Maricruz. We visited Alma and Jaciel who were excited to see us...Well, Alma was excited and Jaciel was scared of all of us traipsing across his lawn. Maricruz was thrilled to have so many guests. We helped grind the corn and mix up the tortillas. Rumaldo came back with coke and some sort of meat to eat with the tortillas--YUM!!! We sat around and had a nice visit (thanks to Donna who helped in the language area). After we got back into town, we kids walked up to the hotdog stand and met with the single VSers from the orphanage for hotdogs. We took hotdogs back for our weary parents. I hung out in Mom and Dad's room...then came a knock on the door. Because I was in my pj's, I opened the door and stood behind it. Wendell and Mom looked at the doorway in horror and finally Mom said: "Tricia! Close the door!" Apparently a mysterious stranger in a white cowboy hat had knocked on the wrong door.
~~~
I hate colds. Oh how I hate colds! Especially when they keep me up at night and make me grumpy while my family is visiting. The leftover milk I picked up at the Yoder's had turned sour. Everyone complained. Mom and I went to start laundry and were accosted by Ricardo on the front porch. Then we had Saturday school and I had to introduce my family to everyone. Afterwards we made lunch...really SALTY bean burritos.We walked over to meet my landlady, but she wasn't home. We kids went walking around my neighborhood and got K-Freezes and buy some souvenirs. We again joined the Yoder's for delicious pizza in the evening.
SPECIAL EDITION:
I had a really really good week. I have the best family and friends in the whole world! Of course, it helps that I am such a cuddly cute teddy bear! I am a little jealous of the glorious brown tans that Janelle and Bev got while they were here. However, I was so busy being a tour guide that I had no time for tedious things such as "reading in the sun." What great times we had--I even enjoyed the teasing that the girls so liberally dished out on me. I deserved every bit of it! I wish I had been more open when they grilled me, but some things in my life must remain a secret until I speak further with my father. ~~~ Bev and Janelle
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