LONG STORY…Could’ve been shorter, but I
want to remember the details.
Last night, I and two other Americans not
on my team, were asked to watch a house full of sixteen boys. The crazy 16 are
divided up into three rooms. Two rooms have 3 bunks. The third room has 2. Each
bed is inhabited by a very young, highly energetic BOY!
I was asked specifically to go to the house
sort of like this:
Mimi – I want
you in this house, because these boys are wild. You speak Spanish & you are
a familiar face. They might listen to you better…I mean, seriously, they walk
all over the Gringos. The past two times we’ve done this the people gave up
before their shift was over. Please will you take the house?
To be honest, I’ve spent times
with these boys on an individual basis. I’ve tried to keep my distance when
they are together because like they said…the boys are wild. It’s a bit
intimidating!! Not joking.
I prepared myself mentally and thought of
all the possible things we could do to keep them entertained in case it wasn’t bed time yet….and
then thought – how the HECK am I going to get them in bed?
Luckily they were in their pj’s and it was
bed time when I got there. The two Gringo’s who were also assigned to watch the
kiddos were there and started process of getting them settled down…sort of. I
mean they were trying! Let me just say –
THEY WEREN’T LYIN’! When they said they’ll walk all over the Gringos. THESE
BOYS WERE IN “We’re BOSS HEAVEN”!
I thought I’d go into the wildest room
first…but I wasn’t any help. AT ALL! LIKE NONE. Me…walking in…was like…like
adding fuel to a flame. I made it an Aggie Bonfire! When I came in one of the
boys started making really, REALLY loud farting sounds. Another boy was talking
so loudly to the boy who was sitting on the bunk next to him and then belly laughing...And finally –
this kid. OMG. This one kid jumps out of bed crawls towards me and starts
barking like a dog! He even got close enough to my ankle and pretended he was
biting my leg.
Of course, I thought – WHAT WAS I THINKING
SAYING YES!!
I had to step out. I went to a quieter room
(comparatively speaking) and the only thing I could think of to do was to say –
“We’re going to play the quiet game. I want to see who can be the quietest
while I sing to you guys. Whoever is the quietest will get a little pack of fruit
snacks.”
I started to humming my favorite lullabye –
Baby Mine.
These boys ate it up. They fell asleep and I
was amazed it actually WORKED! But I was also thinking in the back of my head
that this little trick was definitely not going to work for the room middle
room.
I go to the back room and you hear the Gringos
begging, “Por Favor Duerme.” The boys were on all fours in their beds and just
smiling…Just having a good ol’ time!
When I go in I say the same thing except no
humming this time. They just did it. The fruit snacks sold them quick!
I went back to the middle room and told
them the same thing. One of them said – “You mean, that little pack of fruit snacks
will be just for me? I don’t have to share? Like are when exactly are you giving this to us? Are you sure?”
They were a bit more skeptical. It took
some serious hummin’ to get these boys settled down. Even after I left I could hear
some rustling…giggles…steps back and forth to the restroom, even though they
had just finished going.
After lunch, this afternoon, I went over
and I had them count out with me in English sixteen little pouches of fruit
snacks.
When we finished counting is when I heard a
million things at one time:
WHOA! SHE KEPT HER PROMISE!
OF COURSE SHE KEEPS HER PROMISES!
WOW – WE ALL GET ONE!
DID YOU HEAR THE LULLABYE LAST NIGHT!
SHE SINGS!
THAT WAS THE BEST SONG I’VE EVER FALLEN
ASLEEP TO!
A flood of hugs from every direction were
coming at me. It took everything in me to keep from bursting out in tears of
joy. I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to keep this sacred promise and
to gain some trust from these boys. It’s a big deal. It’s a HUGE deal.
These boys were just craving some TLC and I was there to give it to them. I'm speechless.
