Life in Antigua: Part VII

Well, this is it - the last installment of the Life in Antigua series. I hope you enjoyed it. Hopefully I'll have some interesting posts related to England starting tomorrow. Maybe I'll tell you about the sun coming out today. I hadn't come out since last Wednesday, but I already posted about that, didn't I? Is there anything in particular you want to hear about?

K10, I'm working on another BSL post. Go here to a previous post I wrote about it to hold you over until then. 

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Hi friends and family!

I'm sorry for ending my last e-mail so abruptly. I think I was just getting sick of writing and my Easter dinner at McDonald's was getting to me. Let me try to pick up where I left off...

Thursday morning my mom left to go back to the States. Pretty soon after she left, Rodrigo (11), Juan (17), and I went to San Fransico (the church not the city!) to see the exit of one of the processions. There were so many people there! It was definitely not for clausterphobic people. The only events I can think to compare it to would be the Holy Fire ceremony on the Saturday before Easter in Jerusalem or Airband at Taylor. It was pretty and everything, but once you've seen a big procession, you've kinda seen them all. Maybe I've just been here too long.

On our way back home, we stopped into the hospital where I volunteer to see if Rodrigo's little friend Sergio was there. Rodrigo had gone with my mom and me one time and became fast friends with the three year old. Sure enough, he was scurrying around causing the usual ruckus. I asked permission to take him out to see the procession, and the four of us took off to find it again. Sergio kept calling Rodrigo "mi amigo" (my friend) and Juan Carlitos "payaso" (I think that's how you spell "clown" in Spanish, but I'm not sure). Sergio sat on Juan's shoulders and charmed everyone around us with his unusually intelligent chatter. He even recognized a picture of Hermano Pedro, the saint after whom the hospital is named, that was carried before the procession. After it passed us by, Sergio wanted down. The paiyaso couldn't get him off of his shoulders quite fast enough for his liking, so he bit his ear... HARD! Even though I shouldn't have, I laughed even harder.

That night, I went with Rodrigo and Carlos (13) to all of the vigils at the different churches. Nearly everyone stays awake all night on Thursday. There are tons of street vendors around, all of the restaruants are open, and there are people EVERYWHERE! Friday morning at about 5:30 Rodrigo, Edgar (one of his 28 first cousins), and I walked around and looked at alfombras (those beautiful carpets made of sawdust and flowers and all sorts of cool stuff). There's no way I could even begin to describe them to you. They were simply amazing. Good Friday is the pinnacle of the Holy Week activities, so the artists pulled out all the stops for Friday's festivities.

Saturday morning I had a little adventure with Rosamaria (my "mom" here), Carlos, and Rodrigo. There's a new business in town called GOLFY RENT-A-CARS. The boys wanted to rent one SO BAD, so Rosamaria finally gave in and we walked over to Golfy to start the fun. I noticed that the battery light was on before we even left, but I didn't say anything. I'm not an expert on golf carts am I? We drove the little thing around Antigua and the neighboring towns. Rosamaria even let the boys drive on the back roads. WHOA! CRAZY! It was so funny... I think Carlos found his calling in life - to be a golf cart driver. He kept saying, "Ay, que boniiiiiito" (Wow, so preeeeeetty) and stroking it like it was a pet.

Anyway, we drove it on the highway with big chickenbuses whizzing by. We started off at a pretty decent speed, but the longer we had it, the slower it went. After a while, we all were trying to throw our body weight forward to make it go faster. Finally, it just died altogether. Rodrigo and I jumped out to push it through the Holy Week traffic and Carlos (the lazy one, remember?) just shouted, "Faster! Faster!" until I jerked him off the back seat and forced him to push it with us. Then, a big van with tinted windows pulled up beside us. About 20 (okay, maybe not that many - but there were a lot!) Guatemalans quickly filed out of the van and helped us push it to our final destination. Whew! I definitely got my exercise for the week. :)

Sunday, Easter Sunday, began a total letdown. There was one little procession put on by the hospital/church where I volunteer, but again, it was LITTLE! The resurrection seemed like an afterthought. Antigua was virtually dead. However, God, in his faithfulness, led me to an evangelical church to celebrate the life of Christ! The people from the church were in the park where I was studying carrying brightly colored banners and flags and saying "Cristo vive!" (Christ lives!) so I followed them back to their building. It was so refreshing... Afterward, I went to McDonalds to eat and write in my journal. You're probably thinking, "That is so sad! Easter dinner at McDonald's?!" Actually, McDonald's is one of the most beautiful places in Antigua. There is a beautiful outdoor garden with lots of flowers and a beautiful fountain in the middle. It's quite peaceful. As to my Easter meal, I treated myself to a McFlurry. I've never had one before. Does that make you all feel better?

Now, ya'll are probably wondering what's been going on with the two older brothers at the house. Weeeell, things got a bit more interesting since I last wrote. Sunday night as I was doing the dishes, Juan came into the kitchen and said, "I'm going to die." "Of tiredness?" I asked. "No, of love. And you will be mentioned in my last testament." (I can only assume that means an obituary or somthing.) HOLD UP! Does this approach sound familiar to anyone else? Anyway, I played dumb and gave him a questioning look, but he expounded no further. As I was leaving for the hospital the next day, I said goodbye to him as he was at the computer. "Goodbye and what?" he asked me. 

"Goodbye and... what?" I said. 

"Goodbye and I'm going to die," he said. 

I gave him the same "I'm confused" look. He made the "knife through the heart" motion. I laughed a nervous laugh and made for the door.

When I got back from the hospital that night, I had two surprises waiting for me. Which one should I start with? Augh... I'll just continue with the Juan story. Surprise #1 was a note from him - typed on a 2" by 3" piece of paper in about a size 6 font - wedged between the pages of my Spanish/English dictionary. Ok, BASICALLY it went like this, "Choose a side, because I can't go on living like this. That is why I have been saying 'I'm going to die.' Don't ask me what the sides are because you already know what they are. I know it's stupid, but tell me what you think of me, and tell me the truth. Tell me how stupid I am. Please at least give me your beautiful smiles that I love so much. Forgive me if I've done something that you don't like. Please know that I have the most honorable of intentions," etc. etc. For being such a small piece of paper, it managed to say a whole lot.

Here are a few of my first thoughts: "AAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! What does he MEAN choose a side? Did he have a talk with his brother? Does he want me to choose between the two of them? Choose between friends and more than friends? Choose between friends and not friends at all? I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DTR WITH A 17 YEAR-OLD!!!" And, of course, "This is going to make a great story."

Well, to make what's proven to be quite a long and complicated story short, we've DTRed (that's "Define The Relationship" for all you non-TU or Crusade folks) a couple of times since then, and all is well. It was definitely a challenge to communicate heartbreak nice and easy in a language that I am not totally comfortable with, but God is good - all the time - and Juan now knows that we are FRIENDS, nada mas (nothing more), and we even shook on it. Bless his heart... I worry for him. I just kept telling him, "Everything is okay. Don't worry." For those who want the full story, ask me when we see each other next ok? It's really quite touching.

By the way, Jose (20) has been in full avoidance mode since his confession of love. I think it's for the best. As far as I know, neither brother knows of the other's affections.

So, the second surprise was a new pair of housemates from Santa Monica, California. Emily and Frank are in their fifties and they are OBNOXIOUS! They fight like... like nothing else. Their Spanish is terrible, and they like to SHOUT IT! They are studying at another language school for six hours a day, and they come home in the afternoons DRUNK AS SKUNKS. I mean... there are several bottles of vodka, their drink of choice, in our little trashcan in the bathroom every day. Plus, Mr. Obnoxious always leaves the toilet seat up. That's so annoying. Meals are a kick. The family always looks to me to interpret for the American couple, but I can't understand their slurred speech in English, let alone Spanish. I'll be sure to add them to my list of people to impersonate. :)

Well, after living through all of this drama the past few weeks, I am ready to go home. I am leaving for Cali a week from today, and then I'll be in the Midwest for a month for weddings and graduation and whatnot. This will probably be your last installment of "Life in Antigua" from Antigua itself, but I'll be sure to write you all from home to tell you that I am alive and have survived the love triangle... if I do.

I'd appreciate your prayers as I wrap up my time here. I want to finish well and continue to be a witness for Christ to the people I encounter. Please also pray for little Jose, a month-old baby in the hospital with a cleft palate. There is a team of doctors coming next month (they come every six months) to operate, and he needs to be healthy in order to get a surgery. He currently has a booger of a cold. :(

My love to you all!

Nicole

This guy has some amazing pictures of Antigua during Semana Santa (Holy Week). Definitely check them out.