Well that shy young lady that arrived that day is still with me and helps in all of the projects that we are doing…..But she is not shy anymore. Where at first I would ask her to do something and she would only nod….today she will look at me and say..."I’ll get to that later as I have something more important to do now". She drives me a little crazy and at times I’ll admit that I am almost angry with her. When she sees that look, whatever it is that I give her, she will turn to whoever is around and say “He’s mad at me”, and I have to smile and usually I just say….”almost”.
I don’t think she has ever been to work on time. When she worked at the spa in Ambato, there was always an excuse. The busses were full, I had to feed the cows….or this or that. The list could go on and on.
When she was working at the school and her house was less than 10 minutes away she still had the same excuses except for the bus.
She is now working at the volunteer complex and her work habits have not improved. She knows and I know, that I will never tell her to find another job. And if she ever quit, I would miss her….a lot.
All of the above, I say with all of the love one person can have for another. She is part of my family of friends, that I have here in Salasaca. I am the godfather to her brother and I am not even Catholic. On my 74th birthday she hosted surprise party for me at the home of Jose her “novio”.
Almost a month ago now, Jose and a few members of the musical group left on a tour of Peru, Chili and Argentina. I don’t know who arranged it, but I hope they come back rich and famous. In the meantime Fabiola is coping with the loss. She and Jose have been together for a long time. She jokes about being liberated, but I know she cries when no one is around.
Recently, around the 1st of November when everyone was getting ready for the big party to honor the dead at the cemetery. I asked her if she was going to take care of me when I died. ( Which means preparing you for burial.) She said “yes, I will do that, but you need to leave me $4,000”. I asked her why, ”Because I will need to buy four cows”. “Four cows”?, I said. “Yes, because I will have to feed all of the people who will come to the funeral”. I doubt that it will be a four cow funeral, but it is jokes like that, that make me feel like I am doing something that is worthwhile.
The first of the year we are giving Fabiola a new job. Her passion in life is not cleaning and washing clothes, but dancing and being part of the local folkloric dance group. In fact, Fabiola helped prepare the children for their dances in the Christmas program.. After the program I talked with Rosa Maria about making the folkloric dances of Salasaca part of the curriculum here at the school, and have Fabiola teach the class once a week. She thought it was a wonderful idea so starting in January, Fabiola will be in her own element at least one day a week.
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