Already my perspective on what to get upset over is being challenged by what I witnessed on the drive to Jacmel. Not that missing a yoga class was a big deal- but it got me noticing my reactions to things, circumstances, really noticing how I live and what is actually going on 'out there' in the world behind the walls of our hotel. I felt so naive. Stating the mantra "I am so blessed" has begun. Hardcore. Over and over. Excited and nervous to meet the kids we sat at breakfast talking over the days plan.
We loaded onto our "tap-tap" which is basically a pick up truck that has two long benches bolted into the bed of the truck. Some have tops, some have an arched bar (placed in just the right place for my head to whack when loading and unloading) and this is how we will get to and from the kids home, their school, the home building project and the waterfall-excursion- adventure- travel- trip.
We took our yoga mats and folded them in half to create some sort of a cushion for the ride- and it really did help. My friend Muriel had warned me about "tap-tap ass" a coined phrase from her Seva trip last January. I now know exactly what she meant. We even made up tap- tap songs (more on that later).
We arrived at the house pulling up to the red gate. The kids weren't home from school yet- which was a good thing. We wanted to unload all of the donations we brought and put the majority of them away before they came home. Kristin O'Connell (the founder of D2C) had mentioned to us at breakfast that they are trying hard to break the pattern that the kids see: "white people arrive and always bring presents". She called it stopping the 'Santa Claus Syndrome'. I think this is brilliant and very smart of her to do it this way (even though in the back of my mind I wonder what DO the kids think when we all show up?)
We hear them all arrive home from school and see them come into the gate. Dressed in their school uniforms, white shirt and navy blue shorts or skirt/ jumper apron for the girls. We are all giddy and sitting on the front porch. They walk up one by one (like someone had previously told them what to do) and one by one gave each one of us (we were 9 total) a kiss on the cheek and a very light touch hug. Then ran off into their bedrooms (boys on the left, girls on the right) and changed out of their school clothes into "play clothes". Racey is an 8 year old, American, blond hair, blue eyed, fair skinned, strong and extroverted young girl from Maine on the trip with her Mom, Melinda. I watched the kids excitement to see another "kid" in the group. It was awesome to see. They immediately all began playing. Speak any English, Creole, French? Didn't matter. Kids will just be kids, and it was time to play.
Two boys and two girls permanently live in the D2C home. Alicha who is 6 years old is feisty, wide eyed, and has the most infectious smile- I notice her butterfly necklace and say "Papillion" slowly and probably too loud, meaning butterfly in french- one of the few french words that I think we might have in common with Creole. She gives me a huge grin, and squeezes her little arms around my neck and walks away. Shelove (what a name!) is ___ years old?, she looks 4 but I think someone said she was 6 as well? tiny, adorable, skinny little chicken arms, and does a Haitian dance that will make you blush. I have a harder time making more of a connection with her as she is always on the move flying from one room to the next, dancing, singing, and playing with (aka giving the death squeeze-holding on way too tight around the neck) their new kitten Mocha.
Darwin makes direct eye contact often- observing me observe him, and really tried to learn English and teach us Creole while we played a memory game. He has a bad cough and runny nose when we arrive. Dawindi is on the quieter side. He has dimples that are so sweet that when he smiles I just want to cry. Why is that? He is so happy and having fun playing and I am a puddle just seeing him happy. Oh boy.
So here they are. In their home. None of them have parents to speak of, but they now have loving nannies that watch over them, feed them, and make sure they go to school. Seeing where and WHO the fundraising donations are supporting fuels my fire to keep going. Immediately I'm already thinking of 'who I know' that can support this organization in a big way. Here are these four sweet souls that got lucky. I start to think about where they would be if Kristin hadn't come along? I am starting to realize the impact that we are making and the absolute COMPLETE change of life that these four individuals have had due to D2C.
My head is spinning with thoughts about what I am witnessing. I'm proud to be there and we all start to play a board game. Once we enter playtime, I'm not seeing poor and privileged, sadness and life-saving, it's just a bunch of us playing a game, laughing, and everyone wanting to win at the word game Bingo.
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