Simple Pleasures

We started off today with an amazing view of Jamaica and some easy breakfast conversation.  I learned that Andrew can fold a t-shirt in under 4 seconds.   I had a Pop-Tart for the first time since I was in middle school.  Strawberry (with the frosting) will always be my favorite.  After we finished breakfast we went downstairs to visit the kids at Sophie’s Place.

All of the children at Sophie’s place are disabled with high levels of severity.  Worse than anything I have ever seen.  There are about a dozen of them.  Each have a story of how they got here and what they’re battling. Today I was greeted by Chrisagaye.  Picture yourself with an unlimited about of energy but at the same time being unable to express how you feel in words.  This is her.  She’s close to deaf and very rambunctious. She almost knocks me over as she runs up to hug me.  I’m standing next to Libby and she hugs her as well.  She grabs her arms and twists her to the left and then to the right until it becomes clear that she wants to dance.  Libby dances with her.  I take a swig of my water bottle (it’s hot) and Chrisagaye notices this out of the corner of her eye.  She immediately pushes Libby aside and walks up to me and watches me drink from my water bottle.  She starts to laugh and clap.  She is hysterical laughing.  I am confused by what’s going on, except I can’t help but laugh and smile back at her.  She motions for me to sip again.  My water bottle has a cap that locks and unlocks so I once again unlock the cap and take a swig of my water.  She starts to once again clap her hands.  She is somehow impressed by how I’m able to unlock the cap of my water bottle and sip from it.  She goes around and starts tapping everyone on the shoulder so they’re able to watch me drink water.  I repeat just as she asks.  She motions me to follow her and I follow her until we’re next to Andrew.  She points at me and motions for me to yet again sip.  She wants everyone to experience what she’s seeing.  I drink and notice the look on her face.  She’s transported to some place that must feel a little bit like heaven.  I get to witness this.  This goes on for a full 20 minutes.  At one point someone says…”You don’t have to actually drink, you can just pretend to drink” but I would never do this.  This was my simple connection.  These little moments give these kids so much of their joy.  All I had to worry about was a full bladder.

The next home that we went to was named Matthew 25:40.  This is a completely different experience.  There are 20 kids.  They are all functional, and they all have HIV.  Unlike the children at Sophie’s place they’re able to carry complete conversations.  The 10 of us stand outside the house and wait. We are greeted by a girl who runs out of the house and jumps into Kevin’s arms.  Another sees Andrew and yells out “Sweetie Mon!” to him and I laugh because Andrew has been telling me this is nickname for weeks and I finally got to hear it from one of the kids.  Andrew gives the kids candy when he visits, but it’s obvious that they remember this group for far more than just sweets. Some of our  girls hang out and watch the Lion King and Andrew and Kevin toss a football around with some of the boys.  Jennifer hangs out with a few of the kids and takes a lot of pictures with them.  I try to do a bit of everything.  As I’m throwing the football one of the boys walks up to me and asks if I’d like to go on the swings with him.  Of course I’d like to go on the swings!  He leads me down a small path until were in the middle of a dilapidated playground. There are two swings.  He leads and I follow.  He’s quiet at first.  I ask him how old he is and he tells me he’s 11 years old.  I ask him when he’ll be 12 and he asks me to guess. After several guesses I learn that his birthday is July 22^nd.  He asks me how old I am and I reply with “I’m pretty old.”  He nods and asks “Are you 15??”  Love this kid.  After a few more minutes he asks me if I know John Cena.  This is wrestling talk and I’m very rusty.  He doesn’t remember Hulk Hogan, and he’s far more interested in the newer wrestlers like CM Punk.  I have no idea who CM Punk is and he assures me that he’s “the best” in wrestling.  I think back to watching wrestling when I was a kid and how it was a great bonding experience with my father.  Soon we’re back in the house and we’re sitting with another kid who is educating me on all that I’ve been missing these past few years.   I’m way out of touch.  The other kid is 19 years old and has a love for wrestling and cooking.  The next thing I know I’m in the room with 10 kids and we’re all watching  a recent Summer Slam video.  They are quiet.  One of them turns to me and asks if I am a wrestler and I tell him that I’m not.  He asks me if wrestling is real and I have no idea what to say so I go with “ummm…they really do get hurt.” He nods.  I’m sitting there and thinking about all these kids.  I really want to just stay there and watch wrestling with them.  Maybe tell them about Hulk Hogan and all the great matches I once watched with my father.  It also makes me want to call up my dad and tell him that I love him. 

Kevin walks in the room and tells us that it’s time to go.  We all get up and say goodbye to the kids.  One of the kids, the one from the swingset comes walking up to me and he whispers in my ear.  He says, “Remember this always, and remember CM Punk.”  I won’t forget.

-Chris (1^st Year)