Moments in Time

It was on December 23, 2014 that our caravan of moto taxis finally reached the home we'd traveled over rutted mud roads through cornfields and dry forests to find. It was a few miles from the village of San Bernardino in northern Peru, where a teacher had told us of a poor family struggling day-to-day just to survive. 

Our charity, Promesa Peru Chiclayo had donated school supplies and furniture to the school some weeks earlier. We normally didn't get involved with individuals or families, but the conditions that the teacher laid out for us convinced Maribel and me that we wanted to see the family ourselves.

The house was typical of houses in the poor desert villages; a mud floor with crumbling walls and a leaking roof. But also typical was the effort of the family to keep their dwelling as clean and organized as possible.

We had stopped in the city of Tucume to buy as much food as one moto could handle. Previously in Chiclayo we had purchased clothing, school supplies and toys. 

Now almost six years later I don't remember how many kids there were or the names of the grandmother and mother. We never saw the father which was usually the case. It's a macho thing...the father doesn't want to see his family receiving donations; things he can't provide. 

I do remember the names of one of the girls, Her name was Maritza, and she had one of those smiles that could light up a room. She loved Maribel and would run to her and hug her on the several occasions that we returned to the house. I think that she and the other kids wanted to show affection toward me but couldn't overcome the strangeness of a gringo being in their home.

Me and Maribel were reliving our visits to that family over lunch today. Some of the kids will be in their teens now or nearly so. I wonder if they ever think about us. I know we'll never forget them.