18 - A Short Visit, A Lasting Memory
7/5 We traveled by van to visit the swi. It rained on the way and Kate became quiet in the back seat between cousins. Jerome, our guide had explained to her earlier, as she sat in Baba's lap, that we would visit then leave and she would come with us to say goodbye, then leave with us. She had even packed her card I prepared for her to point to if she became upset or confused. As cousins passed her to our seat in the van, she began to cry softly.
I held her, kissed her, looked into her eyes and said Baba, Cora, Kate, Mama, America. We pulled out her Adoption book and pointed to the pic of her, Mama and Baba. She reached out and touched the picture. "Wo ai ni" (I love you) I said to her. She seemed to absorb every word we spoke. Jerome even joined in to remind her of what he told her earlier. She quieted and let me and Gerald take turns holding her. We gave her a ziplock baggie with candy and a bandana (thanks Janise :-) and told her she could give it to Ting, her best friend, as she says goodbye. We had no real idea of what lay ahead during our visit.
When we arrived, Kate was the first out of the van and marched straight thru the gates into the courtyard to stand among her former peers. She gave Ting the baggie of goodies and Ting was obviously confused and thought she was to share the tiny bag among the others. Have I told you how sharing is Kate? Gerald began passing out the treats we brought and Ting could keep her gift.
The children flocked around Kate, touching her, perhaps to see if she had changed since living among White People. Soon, everyone was wrapped around the brief joy of a TootsieRoll pop in their mouth. Pictures were taken of children in the courtyard and the light blue shirted Ayis. One Ayi in particular was very "agressively" touching Kate and pushing her and others around for pictures. So, I smilingly headed her off for a picture with me. It'll be available on our swi group soon...
Toddlers were on one side of the courtyard and about 30 older children and ayis were there. The toddlers appear clean and in good health. The older children allowed outside with us are clean, I guess, yet begging for attention. There is nothing to do but walk around. We asked to see where Kate had slept, but the director said No and he acted as if we had knocked on his door uninvited. Oh, well, I'm not sure that I really wanted to go inside....
May I voice a frustration? Several needs that we saw were strabismus, hearing loss, extra digits and a sweet down syndrome boy. I tried to explain thru our guide that Americans will adopt these children; that these needs are no problem. Janise and I even pointed out that we both have hearing loss. I told of the special education available for ds children and that they can grow into productive adults in America. The men I spoke with had looks on their faces that told me they aren't convinced that these needs are acceptable to American families. Maybe if future visitors to this swi would politely and gently continue the conversation...
Open windows in the courtyard allowed Janise (she has not lost her camera :-) to take pictures of the clean and neat kitchen, cook and other areas until the director noticed her and stopped that. She managed to get some pictures of older children inside rooms on the right side of the courtyard. Older adult men were milling in and out of these rooms. An ayi told one to leave the room where I was at the window trying to coax a boy to try a sucker. He didn't seem to comprehend this could be accomplished with "hand to mouth." He had sores on his ears and mouth, his hands were cold and weak, and I guess he was very used to the putrid smell of waste surrounding him in this wing of the complex.
A last window revealed a handsome boy who spoke English. He was a middle school student when his parents died two years ago. Then he was sent here He no longer goes to school; he was very articulate and spoke clear English. He came outside to visit with us some more. He is bright; he lives here.
Kate made the rounds. One ayi in particular seemed to bother her. We will find out more with the pictures after we are home. Kate is brave. She marches about with straight arms at her side as if she has watched many parades. She is tiny, but don't let that fool you. She is strong, yet she is tiny and fragile.
Candy is gone and there's nothing more we can do. So, it is natural to leave this place. Goodbyes are said and the crowd moves outside to watch us walk away. Kate climbs into the van to sit between Mama and Baba for the ride home.
We stop on the tollroad at a typical toilet. Kate thoroughly threw up. Maybe a combination of the riding motion as well as the emotional roller coaster ride of the day. I could only pamper her as I cleaned her and helped her rinse her mouth. Baba helped hold her as we laid her between ourselves for the ride home. She fell asleep between her parents. She awoke between her parents. Tonight her Mama and Baba made a big fuss over the scrape on her heel. We bathed her and put lotion on her. We kissed her scars. We dressed her in warm pjs. We gave her medicine for her upset stomach. She is sleeping with her parents close by.
Please hug your children tonight; please thank the Lord for putting you where you are; please say a prayer for the precious waiting children who still wait.
I held her, kissed her, looked into her eyes and said Baba, Cora, Kate, Mama, America. We pulled out her Adoption book and pointed to the pic of her, Mama and Baba. She reached out and touched the picture. "Wo ai ni" (I love you) I said to her. She seemed to absorb every word we spoke. Jerome even joined in to remind her of what he told her earlier. She quieted and let me and Gerald take turns holding her. We gave her a ziplock baggie with candy and a bandana (thanks Janise :-) and told her she could give it to Ting, her best friend, as she says goodbye. We had no real idea of what lay ahead during our visit.
When we arrived, Kate was the first out of the van and marched straight thru the gates into the courtyard to stand among her former peers. She gave Ting the baggie of goodies and Ting was obviously confused and thought she was to share the tiny bag among the others. Have I told you how sharing is Kate? Gerald began passing out the treats we brought and Ting could keep her gift.
The children flocked around Kate, touching her, perhaps to see if she had changed since living among White People. Soon, everyone was wrapped around the brief joy of a TootsieRoll pop in their mouth. Pictures were taken of children in the courtyard and the light blue shirted Ayis. One Ayi in particular was very "agressively" touching Kate and pushing her and others around for pictures. So, I smilingly headed her off for a picture with me. It'll be available on our swi group soon...
Toddlers were on one side of the courtyard and about 30 older children and ayis were there. The toddlers appear clean and in good health. The older children allowed outside with us are clean, I guess, yet begging for attention. There is nothing to do but walk around. We asked to see where Kate had slept, but the director said No and he acted as if we had knocked on his door uninvited. Oh, well, I'm not sure that I really wanted to go inside....
May I voice a frustration? Several needs that we saw were strabismus, hearing loss, extra digits and a sweet down syndrome boy. I tried to explain thru our guide that Americans will adopt these children; that these needs are no problem. Janise and I even pointed out that we both have hearing loss. I told of the special education available for ds children and that they can grow into productive adults in America. The men I spoke with had looks on their faces that told me they aren't convinced that these needs are acceptable to American families. Maybe if future visitors to this swi would politely and gently continue the conversation...
Open windows in the courtyard allowed Janise (she has not lost her camera :-) to take pictures of the clean and neat kitchen, cook and other areas until the director noticed her and stopped that. She managed to get some pictures of older children inside rooms on the right side of the courtyard. Older adult men were milling in and out of these rooms. An ayi told one to leave the room where I was at the window trying to coax a boy to try a sucker. He didn't seem to comprehend this could be accomplished with "hand to mouth." He had sores on his ears and mouth, his hands were cold and weak, and I guess he was very used to the putrid smell of waste surrounding him in this wing of the complex.
A last window revealed a handsome boy who spoke English. He was a middle school student when his parents died two years ago. Then he was sent here He no longer goes to school; he was very articulate and spoke clear English. He came outside to visit with us some more. He is bright; he lives here.
Kate made the rounds. One ayi in particular seemed to bother her. We will find out more with the pictures after we are home. Kate is brave. She marches about with straight arms at her side as if she has watched many parades. She is tiny, but don't let that fool you. She is strong, yet she is tiny and fragile.
Candy is gone and there's nothing more we can do. So, it is natural to leave this place. Goodbyes are said and the crowd moves outside to watch us walk away. Kate climbs into the van to sit between Mama and Baba for the ride home.
We stop on the tollroad at a typical toilet. Kate thoroughly threw up. Maybe a combination of the riding motion as well as the emotional roller coaster ride of the day. I could only pamper her as I cleaned her and helped her rinse her mouth. Baba helped hold her as we laid her between ourselves for the ride home. She fell asleep between her parents. She awoke between her parents. Tonight her Mama and Baba made a big fuss over the scrape on her heel. We bathed her and put lotion on her. We kissed her scars. We dressed her in warm pjs. We gave her medicine for her upset stomach. She is sleeping with her parents close by.
Please hug your children tonight; please thank the Lord for putting you where you are; please say a prayer for the precious waiting children who still wait.
posted by Linda @ 11:11 PM
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