One of the guys F works with invited us to go to the beach and eat with him and his family. We agreed on Saturday at 2:00 pm. This is typical “Mexico” so that is why I am sharing it. We took a bus to the work site in Zihuatanejo and after discussion with Javier we realized all would not fiit in his truck. F thinks he might have asked him to bring his truck but was unclear due to language uncertainties. So Javier took us to his home and his wife and I and two kids waited while F and Javier went to get our car in IIxtapa.
Aida is darling, 19, and the kids are 3, Javier, Jr. and 7 months, David. While we waited she bathed both kids and took a bath. I watched the kids while we got ready. No problem, they were great. When F and Javiier returned Javier took a bath before we left. So we got away almost 2 hours after we met. The beach was gorgeous, Playa Larga, and Aida and I walked the beach. She had never been there. We had a great meal and really enjoyed the family.
The kids were great—no crying, no whining, no sleep. Javier, Jr. wanted sweets before he ate his meal. Sound familiar? Javier is 21 and works for his dad on construction. Both of them are really sharp and ambitious and he and Aida are buying land to build their own home. Both are really attractive as you can see in pictures. Aida dropped out of school when she got pregnant at 16. They live in a home with his parents and brothers, 6 families all together. Each family has their own area but seem to share some of the areas. We met his mother and she was so friendly. We really had a great day even though it is very draining attempting to speak Spanish for hours.
We allowed them to pay because they invited us and we felt it would be demeaning for us to pay. F did pay the tip. The owner of the restaurant could speak good English so F asked his opinion about us paying. He said play it by ear but seemed to think if they invited us they would be planning to pay. F told the owner he worked for Javier. The owner said “You mean he works for you.” F said, “No, he is my boss.” F went on to tell about why he is working and wanting to learn construction terms. The owner stopped him and went on and on about how fortunate that there are people like him who are willing to build for the poor. It was very humbling. But it also gave the owner a real respect for Javier and the owner asked him a lot of questions about his construction company.
F has been very impressed with how exacting all the men are with their work. They worked over an hour getting a chalk line exactly square and straight before starting to lay the tile. They obviously get paid well but apparently do quality work and people know what they are paying for.
Observations and Differences: When Aida bathed the kids she had a big tub full of water. Everything is cement, of course. She had a slanted platform next to the tub and she dipped water out of the tub to wet down the kids. No one got in the tub. Then she lathered them down and really scrubbed them with a poof net scrubber. Then dipped water out of tub and rinsed them off. The water drained off of the slanted platform to a drain. After she dressed them she put lotion on them and hair gel so their hair stood up a little in front.
The cement house was so small that when they got out plastic stack chairs for us to sit our knees touched. There was one bedroom with two beds and a hammock for the baby. It was very neat and clean. Nothing matched. There were a few pictures on the walls. None of the walls were painted, just concrete. The outside of the house had been painted and Javier was very proud that he had built a lot of the house. They had one parking place in a covered garage but it was so tiny it took us forever getting our care in and out.
When I was watching the kids I stepped outside so Javier, Jr. could play with the neighborhood kids. They were all darling and had a new dog they were playing with. They were playing on a street on a hill just outside of their homes. The street was very narrow. There was an older girl, about 13, who was intrigued with why I was there and asked me a lot of questions. But I couldn’t help comparing these kids to US kids. They were the same. They were having a great time and laughing and the little ones were squealing. They were kicking a soccer ball. They had no idea they were “poor.” They were dressed like our kids would be and about equally dirty from playing outside. The girls’ hair was pulled back. Aida’s boys were dressed in clothes just like our kids. I even thought how cute Javier, Jr. would look in some of Daniel’s hand me downs.
Aida sent a cousin to the store to buy one disposable diaper that she put on David after she cleaned him up. She didn’t change it the entire time and we got home about 7:00 pm. Maybe she uses cloth diapers other times. Also she didn’t take any snack food or toys for either boy and they got by fine. She is nursing so she nursed David a little.
They are very polite and offer you a chair and food and drink when you come in to their home. They were very proud of their home and wanted us to see it. When we met their mother it was the same and she had us come upstairs and look at her home and she offered us food and drink.
It was a very special day with a wonderful family!
They asked us to meet them at church and the next day we went to a church but never found them. I guess we didn’t have the right church. They go to an Evangelistic Christian Church.
