Boys, bugs and laughter

Spring break for the boys (and us!) is over. We pick up Gener from the bus stop today, and then we’re starting anew. Saul and Nahum returned from Waslala on Monday – Gener stayed a few extra days – so we’ll all be together again in a few hours. Both John and I were very thankful for the break, as I was actually daydreaming about “packing it in.” That is a bit of an exaggeration, but it was a relief to be able to think of that option! With sickness and antics, it was difficult for us.

Monday night when Nahum and Saul returned home to us here in Managua, they were tired from standing for the entire 9-hour!! bus ride. They were not able to sit at all because the bus was very crowded. I picked them up at 1pm, and when John got home at 9pm they boys were more tired still, but they wanted to talk. So, the four of us sat and talked, and we learned many things that they are now willing to share. They are not new things to them, but they’re willing to share it and the info helps us understand them better. It was a very valuable time, and one of the best parts was that they chose to open up about life in “el campo.” We didn’t ask them. They wanted to stay up and talk! This discussion illuminated the reasons they chose NOT RETURN to the mountains in 2005 after their mother died. The jig-saw puzzle of their life is beginning to come together. With every new piece, we understand more … see more … and feel more for them.

During these 4-5 days with only Nahum and Saul, we’ve seen a different dynamic. Saul, though he is leaving, is the “glue” between our two boys who are very different from and also are not that fond of each other. Wow. The things you learn! Anyway, it will be interesting when Saul moves to Indiana (mid-May?) as the peacemaker will have left.

The night they came home, we had a “picnic” on the back lawn, complete with a big OFF candle. There aren’t any mosquitos yet, but it was a nice touch and helped us see the food. As the meal ended, Nahum took a knife and fork and “played” the juice jug, the salt shaker and the chicken dish as though they were drums. He got a pretty good rhythm going, and Saul was being a silly boy making faces and moving to the rhythm of the jug/shaker and dish. It was hysterical. We were laughing and having a great time until I noticed a big cricket-looking thing walking across my mid-thigh on my light tan pants. Thank God I was wearing something light so I could see it! I screamed ‘bloody murder’ which shocked Saul (who then screamed too). Then there was Nahum … fork and knife in mid-air … who did not react, but just stopped and looked at us with a question mark on his face. It was really funny. And funnier still was Saul who later told me that he was embarrassed because I made him scream like a girl. I have such a riot of fun with these guys.

There are a lot of bugs, and I hear from the boys that the ones in and around our house are nothing (in size) when compared to the 8” spiders that live in “el campo” in the mountains. Etc etc. I think they stand in wonder at me when I either 1) scream when I see a big bug, or 2) make them kill it for me. I have been told by Nahum after he’s obediently squished a bug that “I am sure he wanted to live.” He says it in such a dead-pan voice that I still don’t know if he’s kidding or not. The bug thing is getting easier, but I just don’t like surprises. I am SHOCKED at how fast a centipede runs. I always thought they would crawl slowly with their teeny legs, but those things go MUY RAPIDO. And it’s scarey. And yes, I scream. And then Nahum kills it for me. You get the picture :).

It’s time to drive to the bus stop and pick up Gener. And so another dynamic (and much more activity) will change life here. It’s a constant change, and I guess that’s good. It’s causing me to really look at life, to really be flexible and as they saying goes, "It's all good."