Ruth and I left by bus for Esquintla at 9:30 this morning.  I should say by buses.  The first bus had wooden seats across and was not very comfortable.  The second bus was an ordinary chicken bus with twice as many people as seats.  We thought it would take an hour but instead we arrived at Miguel's sisters at about 12:30.  There was a lot of traffic and at one point our bus went way to the right and was passing all the other cars.  I said to Ruth, "My do they have a special lane now for buses?"  Her reply was, "No, Diane we are driving on the sidewalk."  I guess for a few minutes I forgot we were in Guatemala.

Esquintla is south of Guatemala City. It is on the eastern section of the Pacific coast. It lies at the heart of the country's most productive region.  There is, sugar, cotton, pineapple, mangoes, avocadoes, and many other fruits.  The temperature is more coastal and hotter then Guatemala City. Arriving in Esquintal you see the locals wearing typical western dress.  The typical Indigenous clothes are not worn here.  The town is old, and in a state of advanced decay.  A lot of the buildings are crumbling. Ruth and I got off the bus and walked to a gas station where we waited for Rolando (Irma's husband)  to pick us up.  When he came we went to find another bus to take us to their house which is in a small aldea outside the city.  We waited for a bit and there weren't any buses so we took a taxi.

Miguel and grand nephew

Arriving at Irma's we found her busy in the kitchen preparing a meal for us.  Miguel was playing with Claudia's baby (Claudia is Irma's daughter)  The baby would be Miguel's grand-nephew.  Also there was Miguel's other brother Carlos. Carlos's wife and their 3 children.  Irma had contacted Carlos and he was very excited to come and meet his brother.  Carlos like the other siblings kept looking at Miguel throughout the day and remarking how he couldn't believe he was here.  Carlos works in a small pueblo about 8 miles away.  He works for a company that does sugar.   He said he drives truck, and helps with the loading and unloading and does some metal work.  He is a very thin young man and doesn't look as much like Miguel as Willy.  He met Miguel a few times when he was little but he was raised by his father who is still living.  This father is different than Miguel's. Irma and Rolando's home is very nice.  They bought the land 4 years ago and have been building on to it.  It is small but very clean.  They have a kitchen and 3 other rooms.  She has her tienda in front and sells the general items found in local tiendas.  Miguel is having a great time and looks like the prodigal son that has come home.  He loves being around all the children and has found out he has 11 nephews and nieces and 1 grand nephew and 1 grand niece.  He asks me why I didn't bring all the rest of his clothes because he is staying awhile.  When he arrived with Irma and Rolando the previous night they decided he was too big for the small bed they had so they went out and bought him a king size bed which takes up one whole room.  They said they wanted him to be comfortable and to come back again. Irma had made a great meal.  She had grilled meat, a very thin piece of beef on a tiny little grill and had made an avocado and salsa salad.  Of course we had fresh tortillas.   She had made a great drink out of pineapple.  Miguel said they had gone to the market and bought all the things that morning. They brought out a chair and a plate full of food and wanted to serve me first.  I sat down but wanted to wait until the rest had their food.  I had forgotten that most Guatemalan homes do not use silverware but use their tortillas to pick up the food.  I did this although clumsily and was glad they had napkins on the table.  Miguel instantly remembered how to do it and didn't miss a beat eating.  At the meal we sat and they asked questions about Miguel's life and we asked questions about theirs.  I am just so amazed that the children have turned out so well having had an alcoholic mother.  None of them seem to have that tendency at all.  They all seem to be very loving and good family people.  Carlos was very good with his wife and 3 children.  They were neat, clean and very respectful.  The two oldest children were in school and they told me about the school in their pueblo.

Miguel's mother's grave

After the meal Miguel really wanted to go to the cemetery and see where his mother was buried. First though we had to do photos.  Miguel wanted all of us to go outside and have our picture taken.  He said he wanted to remember all of this.  Carlos and his family wanted to go to the cemetery too.  Soo.off we went, this new little family of small little Guatemalans and the tall gringo from the US.

Irma told me that there are alot of different cemeteries.  Some are private and expensive, but we went to the one that poorer people can be buried in.  When you enter the cemetery it looks quite nice, in fact there are flowers and the grass is cut.  There are above ground crypts and they are taken care of fairly well.  But, there are different parts to the cemetery.   As we walked things changed, soon we were in a section where they just had markers in the ground, then just crosses.  This part of the cemetery was full of garbage and not kept up.  I thought Miguel's mother must be buried here some where, but she wasn't even buried here.  This was all plots of land that people had bought to bury family members.  In the very back of the cemetery it looked like there was a wall.  It wasn't a wall it was thousands of burial vaults running about 6 high.  They were all painted different colors and had names painted on them.  This is where Miguel's mother was buried.  Ruth told me this is the rented spots.  You rent the space and pay so much every year.  This is where the very poor are buried and this is the way it is in most commentaries.  I asked what happens if you don't pay the rent.  She thought she knew the answer but asked Irma and Rolando the question too.  If the family doesn't pay the rent the remains are taken out and dumped in a ravine or in a common grave somewhere.  When I looked around I could see empty slots where apparently the rent hadn't been paid.  I had not been to a cemetery in Guatemala so I did not know this.  We walked passed hundreds of names on the wall and came to the one that had Miguel's mother name on it.  He looked at it for a little bit and then broke down and wept.   He sobbed and sobbed for the mother he loved and the mother he wanted to help but now couldn't.   When he first arrived in the states he would tell us that he would like to go back to Guatemala some day and help his mother.  He wanted to buy shoes for her and send her to school. Of course coming from the crying family that I do I was crying also.  Actually I started crying the minute I stepped into the cemetery, as I am now just remembering.  Anyhow, Carlos went to Miguel and put his arm around him and also wept.  There were the 2 brothers, one the mother had abandoned to live on the street and the other that was taken away from her, but they both wept and hugged each other.  Irma then started talking about how happy they all were that Miguel had come back to see them and how thankful they were to his US family for loving him, taking care of him and bringing him back for a visit.  She said I can see how much Miguel loves you Diane and how much you love him because when he is in pain you are in pain.  You are his mother.  Of course this just about had me wailing.. Carlos also said some things as did Rolando about how lucky Miguel is and how he needs to be a good son to us.  I really liked that part, although he already is a wonderful son)  So..we stayed for awhile more exchanging words and then started walking out.  Before we walked out Miguel asked me if I would take a photo of his mother's grave.  He said I want to put a photo in my room at home so I remember this time here at the cemetery.  As we walked out of the cemetery Carlos walked with Miguel, arms around each other. Two brothers who in some ways were worlds apart but in many ways were so alike.  It was wonderful to see the bond that was forming with them.  They were already planning how Carlos was going to go to the orphanage at the river this week with Miguel to see where he had lived for 6 years.  I think this will be a good thing for both of them.

The family including the gringa

When we got out of the cemetery we said our good-byes to Carlos and his family.  They were taking a bus the opposite way and the rest of us boarded another bus.  We then went to the bus terminal and Ruth and I transferred to a different bus to go back to the city.  Miguel had decided to stay at his sisters until Wed.  I hadn't brought his clothes, but Irma said that was okay she was washing his clothes every night for him.  When we left she gave me a hug and said "Thank you for trusting me with your son".

The bus ride had more people then on the way there.  There were 3 people in each seat and people standing in the aisles.  Before we pulled out Rolando came to our window and handed Ruth and I each a can of apple juice.  The buses are quite a sight and I enjoy just thinking about how things have to be done to get that many humans cooperating in one small space.  I wonder if it could be done in the US.  Anyhow, it was quite packed, including a 3 foot piñata of an orange and black tiger right in front of me with wires sticking out.  The most interesting part is when the bus is rolling down the road, around the curves and the bus helper comes through to collect money. There is probably 6 inches of space between the seats and these are filled with bodies.  I have discovered how small the section is between the seats when I see small Guatemalans turning side ways to walk through.  You can imagine how much fun it is for me. Anyhow, when the bus helper comes everyone in the seat rolls to one cheek and the person in the aisle steps in.. This is when I discovered the wires on the tiger in front of me...  The ride back took several hours but towards the end, I like most Guatemalans could hang on to the seat in front of me and doze abit.  It had been an emotional day and I needed to just rest.  Ruth and I came back to the office and I spent the evening reading and doing some thinking.  I really had a good nights sleep and am ready to go today.  Today Ruth and I have some plans that I will share with you later. (Don't worry Ed, nothing too risky)

Talk to you later.

Diane

Quote for the day from Ruth.  This is from her friend Bernardo Batres, a lay person who works in a parish.  "If I have too much of something, it is because it belongs to somebody else".