Drama at the office

I went to Xecaracoj Tuesday afternoon for the last time. It felt a little weird when I looked around at Dona Viki’s house and said goodbye to the ladies to think that was most probably the last time they would ever see me and I them. Several people here have commented to me how volunteers can just come, spend a while, and go home, leaving a community of people that keep on going with their hardships while returning home or continuing on to new travel experiences. Viki asked me if another person like me would come replace me, just like I’d replaced the previous gringa Ariel. Gringos must seem like a weird bunch to Guatemalans, and not without reason I have to admit.

There’s been a lot of drama at the office the past two weeks, and most of it has been secretive and amongst Elba, Mariella and Lesli versus Eunice. Eunice apparently quit, though considering her tears and desire to keep on being a volunteer and 4-year work with the OMM she certainly grew attached to the place, and I have a hard time believing Tita didn’t just fire her for her repeated recent absence, disorganization and forgetfulness. This affects the three interns greatly because now they don’t have a supervisor that is supposed to report to their school and direct them in their internship. Because of the OMM’s screw-ups, the groups have been unsettled: Llanos de la Cruz (it’s unclear to me because no matter how much I ask and how clear I am no one wants to tell me what’s really going on) might have decided to not associate themselves with the OMM anymore, or suspend the current projects for the time being. In Xecaracoj, last week some lady from somewhere else came and said she wanted to teach the ladies how to make bread. She has an oven, which was a very attractive aspect for many ladies because the group’s been promised a stove project by the OMM but it’s still pending, and wanted to do her workshop on Tuesday, the same day as the OMM. However that’s the OMM day, and the ladies won’t do two workshops the same day, so it was agreed upon after the lady left that the bread workshop would be on Monday. They tried calling her to let her know many times but she never answered, and when she finally did on Monday, she wasn’t able to come that day. So the ladies had all gathered that day and didn’t want to come on Tuesday to the OMM workshop because they’re really busy with sewing especially, preparing all kinds of things to sell during Semana Santa, and couldn’t afford to waste another day. As a result, only three ladies showed up today at Dona Viki’s. We all sat around and talked, about plants and how Viki doesn’t trust doctors, about how she chose to drop school and start making money long ago when business was good, and about politics. According to Viki, Efrain Rios Montt, the arguably bloodiest and most ruthless ex-dictator the country suffered under, is backing Sandra Torres. Although she’s a woman and it would be great for this country to be governed by a lady, she’s certainly not the right one but is definitely using all the poverty-alleviation and free food programs she’s created to get votes. But as Dona Viki says, our children and grandchildren are going to have to pay for those programs. They are at loss of word when asked whom they’re going to vote for, because no one is desirable amongst the candidates – Rigoberta Menchu apparently isn’t running again. Mariella was also interviewing Viki and her daughter about their education and health practices. Viki went up to fifth grade because she liked selling stuff more. She now sells vegetables and flowers at the market. She only goes to the doctor’s when she’s sick. She doesn’t know any contraceptive methods, but only has four kids. She is afraid of the hospital and doesn’t trust doctors because her daughter-in-law fell once and the doctors took an x-ray and said her elbow was fractured and they’d have to cut it or something, but Viki took her home and made a plant concoction that cured her immediately. She’s never been a victim of violence and has a pretty good healthy relationship with her husband. I talked to her daughter Vivian in the car; she’s 26 and has a 9-year-old son. She didn’t mention she had a husband. She also takes care of her brother’s daughter because his wife died in childbirth a couple years ago. She also wanted to move to the US illegally when she was a teenager but her parents wouldn’t let her. 

Anyways, as the drama pans out and stuff gets rearranged to adapt to Eunice's absence I feel a little awkward being there since I don't actually do anything really, but I'll make cake next week for a little goodbye treat, and everything will be alright. 

Also, for our expedition, we've decided to go to the Yucatan after San Cristobal, and we may not even go to Belize, or just pass through. Those white beaches are calling us after 2 1/2 months of city and work and a week of zapatista investigation...