Day 4: Back to My Beginnings

Today, I moved into my permanent housing, which is in the home of a mother and daughter who live near the center of the city. After negotiating the price earlier in the day, I brought all of my belongings to the windowless cement room with high ceilings and green walls. The stifling heat makes a high-powered fan a necessity. The two women that are hosting me are incredibly hospitable. This evening, the mother, Maria, has popped into my room around 10 times bringing with her little things to make the room more a home. “Here’s some shampoo,” “Here’s some medicine for headaches,” “Here’s some juice,” “Here’s a table,” Here are some bananas.” As part of the negotiated price, breakfast and dinner are included. When Maria asked me what I liked for breakfast, I told her that I usually just ate some cereal and juice. 10 minutes later, she entered the room with some baby cereal. Hmmmmmm… not exactly what I was expecting, but hey, I’ll try it.

Joel Montgomery

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