A New Friend

My second day at Casa Hogar was a little different from my first. I arrived much earlier than last time, going straight to the Casa Hogar without going to the school. The kids were sitting in the dining room, with the asst. director telling them the wonders of Christ (the Casa Hogar is Baptist Evangelical, something rare in what is basically a Catholic nation). Right after they were let go, Javier, Raul, and Omar came up to me. I tell you, they attach so quickly. I got them to do the walkways much slower this time. I had to help Adrian step by step in mopping one walkway. I met a few more boys, Juan Luis, maybe 3 or 4, and Edgar, who could not be more than 2 years old. I sat with the kids as they ate breakfast. I sat between Omar and Raul, who were competing to see who would finish first, but they were so distracted that the girls beat them both. Sulivan, who was sitting on the other side of Omar, kept grabbing my arm and holding it against his face.
After oatmeal, Julio passed out cups of orange juice. Juan Luis was at the end of the other table, and they ran out just before him. He started crying, and I felt really bad for him. Later, though, I think I saw him with what used to be Julio’s glass of juice. Good kid, that Julio.
I made a new friend today in Isabel, 4. She’s just about the most adorable a kid can get, and she has attached herself to me fully. Javier and I played tag, and I contracted Isabel to help me by sending her to ask him to carry her. It worked a lot; he’d forget we were playing and I’d catch him. I played lots of games with Isabel. I swung her around, and picked her up so she could fly like an airplane. Since Adriana and I don’t have watches, we ended up staying late 20 minutes. I told Isabel I had to go, and she just started bawling. I’m not entirely it was because of me, but I think it was. Augh. I feel so needed. It’s going to be so hard to leave at the end of the month.