RSS Feed (xml)I'm travelling with a local friend from our village and her soon to be daughter in law, a young girl who's having a baby and in need of maternity dresses which are expensive and hard to find here. The girl speaks mostly Spanish and I speak mostly English so communication so far hasn't been easy but it's easy going enough and our mutual friend doesn't mind doing a bit of translating. So I'm quieter than usual, perusing the stalls in search of a hammock when we see the store with the dresses. I turn to her and her eyes light up and all of a sudden communication is not an issue, we are both picking up dresses and holding them up. She's laughing now and we together find a few she likes and she goes behind the makeshift curtain to try them on.
She comes out and she's beautiful in sundresses that will work till she has her baby and words don't matter now, we are finally speaking the same language, the one where women want to feel beautiful no matter the situation and no matter how hard life is or how different we are, in those moments we are just two girls on a shopping trip. Her shyness recedes in these moments and I love watching her, the simple joy of knowing you are able to get something you want in a way you can afford.
She makes her purchases and I find my hammock and we stop to eat papusas and two of us enjoy a cold beer. We are getting ready to go back home and as the quietness settles back in this time it's lovely, filled with satisfaction for a job well done. I'm still a bit nervous, you are reminded how little you belong somewhere when you realize that neither country is interested in your welfare and you have no rights in either and home is a place very far from here. But some of it is the stuff I make up in my head and from watching Midnight Express one to many times in my youth.
PS. Today I have the best internet connection I've had in weeks so am going to attempt to come visiting so don't be surprised if you see me pop up.
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