I would say I am closest to my first host family in Cerro Banco; they kinda treat me as one of their own daughters. I guess it doesn’t make much difference when you have 13 kids already to add in one more. Because of this they get angry with me if I don’t stop by their house every few days to visit and eat some sort of meal and a cup of sugar with a little coffee in it.
So after spending the whole day in my house, due to excessive rain, I decided to brave the storm and head over to Vicente’s house for a visit. It started out as any normal visit would: Vicente was lying in his hammock, Adelia was cooking over the fire, Juanita was sewing a chacaras, and there were various kids and grandkids running about the house and taking turns to greet me.
I was there for about an hour and during this time we covered all the normal conversation topics:
1. How much does it cost to get to the United States and how many hours on a plane
2. When I am going to marry an indigenous man so I can live in the community forever
3. If I am currently making a Chacaras
4. The rain
5. If I get scared living by myself
6. Is Bin Laden still dead
7. How much do bananas cost in the sates
I was finishing up my bowl of boiled yucca and bananas when one of the kids told me that Maryenella wanted to see me in the other room. Maryenela is one of my favorites. Unfortunately, she is rarely here because she lives with her husband in another community in the comarca. I finished off the food and walked into the room where I used to stay with 5 other girls when I lived there.
Maryenela was lying in bed in the dark, as in was approaching night time. She turned over, smiled, and said “look!” She shined her flashlight next to her and there was the tiniest baby I had ever seen. I was shocked! I hadn’t even known she was pregnant. “AJA LA VIDA!” I exlaimed. “I can’t believe no one told me!”
She had the baby at 5am that morning in that very room. It was a girl and her first child. When I asked how she was doing, she said medio malo, but I knew she was happy because she couldn’t stop smiling. Ngabes in general do not have strong reactions to things, but this time I could see the happiness shining right through her. It was beautiful.
I was pretty sure she hadn’t given her a name yet, as it is common in my community not to give names to babies until they are at least a few weeks old, but I asked anyway. She replied, I want you to give her a name. Once again; shocked. Me? Really?
For anyone who knows me, knows that I am an incredibly indecisive person, almost at an unhealthy level. But the name came right to me. Elisabeth, named after one of my oldest and dearest friends. Maryenela said it was beautiful and unique and thanked me.
Pregnancies and having children in the comarca is much different in the states. It usually is not that big of a deal to have children and it is rarely talked about. In fact, women generally like to keep in under wraps for as long as possible. I pretty sure this is why they make their naguas so big. Also, the word for pregnant in ngabere is the same word for sick. So, instead of saying, "you have such a nice pregnant glow about you"......you are sick. Even though all this is true, there is still something so magical about having a child, no matter where you are.
