Growing up, I was always told it would come in handy, and it certainly would have yesterday. To add onto my last entry, another hard thing about being in the Peace Corps is that the effect of being away from your friends, family, and every other familiar thing you've ever known is compacted by the feeling that you are often times taken advantage of by the exact people you are here to teach and learn from. Although I've calmed my thoughts about the owners of my house by reminding myself that they are not actually part of my community, there's no denying that my Brigada Verde kids are, and that yesterday, a group of them lied to me.
It wasn't a big lie, but after all I've done for them, it shocked and appalled me that they could even think about being dishonest with me. Last week, I gave a young girl some candy for her birthday, so yesterday a group showed up, mid-birthday song, claiming that it was someone else's birthday. Although I was suspicious, they came singing his praise, and had given him the customary water bottle bath that seems to be a tradition among the 12 and unders. So I gave him sweets, and even some old Christmas decorations that had heretofore adorned my porch. (Truthfully, I was ready to part with the latter, but these same kids had been my decorators and I wasn't willing to simply trash their work.) They were on their way, singing and display their sweet and shiny winnings, and I didn't think twice about it, until I found out later that it wasn't actually said-boy's birthday…
Irrationally angry - how could my OWN kids, because that's how I think of them, take advantage of me, even in this silliest of ways! - I fumed for a while, and decided I would not let this go unaddressed. Several hours later, the oldest boy and ringleader of this deceitful plan passed by my house on the way to church (how could he even live with himself! Indignation!) so I called him in for a chat. I felt very motherly, giving him the I'm-hurt-and-disappointed,-how-could-you-lie-to-me-just-to-get-candy,-how-can-I-ever-trust-you-again-speech, but it seemed to get the point across. Don't worry, I wasn't too harsh. He and his sister left smiling, but I'm sure they'll think twice before lying to me again.
3 comments:
Sorry to hear you've hit some bumps, and I have filed a complaint with the sucky dueno department for you here stateside. Hope things start looking up. Go buy yourself something luxurious!!!
When Lucy and Ricki when to Spain to film a movie I think the movie was called 'Babaloo' (on 'I Love Lucy'), the little Spanish street kids trick Lucy into getting them all black shoes and a birthday cake for their birthday! SO, I just wanted you to know you are not the first person to fall for the 'its my birthday' trick. It may be amongst the oldest in the book. BTW, its my birthday.
Sounds like you did a good job addressing it! Hold them accountable--it's always a service to them. I'm sure their intention was not to hurt you, just to get candy. It's good for them to learn that this DOES hurt your feelings. (This is almost routine working at the teen shelter. I have such new empathy for adults! haha) It's also good for them NOT to get into the habit of taking advantage of gringos. We ran into a lot of that in Peru, even as HODR volunteers ("but we're helping you!"), and it was ugly and disappointing.
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