Donya Elida Esmerelda

Everyone, meet Elida Esmerelda!

(she's the fox in the white  and blue dress)

Here I am just working in the pharmacy and away from all of the patients when Dr. Martin (the head honcho of this whole operation) comes in and tells me that he needs to show me something. So, I blindly follow him not quite knowing what our destination is. His leading me stops and I am left standing next to Zach, his mom, another mom and her baby, and another older woman. I smile but do not know who to look at and my face is definitely leaking my secret: I am more confused than anything else. Zach's mom shoots a glance to the older woman and so I focus my eyes there. Dr. Martin says, "Cassi, I want you to meet this woman. I think you and her look so much alike that you could be her daughter." (I wish she was smiling with teeth here because we do both have quite the gummy smile. As you may notice, smiling in pictures is not the Honduran way... so a no teeth was probably as close as I could get). I smiled genuinely and then went in for a hug, commenting on her curly hair and freckles. It was decided, she was my Honduran mom. Now apparently, this is no joking matter so when Dr. Martin translated it... someone else was simultaneously carving it in stone. Every time I saw her that day, through windows, in passing, whatever... we exchanged smiles and sheepish giggles. I finally had to have someone translate to her that I would work quite hard at my Spanish so next time I come down, she and I would be able to communicate. (Smiles, hand holding, and hugs only get you so far, I have come to find.... words would be nice to know as well). After having left, she and Dr. Martin about me coming by and seeing her house. Now to be honest, this whole thing was very much confusing for me. I am not sure if I was invited or if it was Dr. Martin's idea. I am also not sure if that gesture holds a certain amount of weight or what. But sure enough, as we were leaving the village, the whole bus stopped right in front of her house and Shell and I got out. There we are (above) with her family in front of her home. They were all on the front porch waiting for us... Super sweet! I introduced myself to my honduran dad and sister. Now Shell doesn't speak a lick of Spanish so this was somewhat a feat in and of itself. She asked me to tell them who she was so I very brokenly said "Ella es mi esposo madre"... immediately realizing that if anything I should have said ella es la madre de mi esposo. But thankfully, we had that mother daughter connection going on so Momma Elida understood. She took us into her house and showed us the two rooms that made it up. The first room had one hammock hanging in the middle of it and a few knick knacks set on a "shelf" running throughout the middle of the room. It truly looked more like a support type of beam than a shelf. She told us that the hammock was where all three of them slept. The second room held two rusted bikes in the center of the floor. Both broken and unridable and both having been there an extremely long time. And that was that. She was grinning ear to ear the whole time! (Kitchens are typically outside due to the heat so, that was something we did not see).

It blows my mind to see the differences in living and lifestyle. There are no pantry's here covered in snacks. There are no refrigerators for leftovers. No storage for superfluous clothing. No room for momentos or photos or glorified living by any standards... no chairs even. Yet even still, she was so pumped to show me her house and what she called her own. Now here is where I typically tell you what I have digested after processing but, nothing. I've got nothing so far. A part of me is saddened by push for cush in the American lifestyle but I am also saddened by the lack of what I call needs in this Honduran home (for things like a fan, an additional hammock, pillows, places to sit, etc.) But that's all I've got. I am not sure what to come of it. Perhaps that'll take time but for now, I just wanted to share with you the hospitality and kindness of your everyday Elida, the sweetheart.