Running in Place

October 19, 2008
So this week started off well. I got the children’s files organized. It was kind of sad having to take out the discharged kids out of their old houses. I also worked on the profiles for all the new kids that need to be sponsored at the benefit. Its hard reading their stories. Each one is a little worse than the last. Each one either their mother died or their father died or both. And the fact that even if they had extended family, none of them wanted to take them in no matter if they are positive or not. I also got all the Christmas stuff ready for the tailors for when they came to pick it up. I dropped of a sample piece of cloth at the local tailor who is going to do the younger girls frocks, so that I could make sure that she is doing it right and asked her to be ready by Friday. However, the past two days have been kinds of a bust. I had Hafeez call the wholesale tailor that measured the boys to have him come measure the older girls so that they can make their Punjabis, and they were supposed to come on Friday. Jayapaul also called to tell me on Thursday that they were going to ARV on Friday if I wanted to come, which I definitely did. And Lynne asked to be able to talk to everyone on video chat on Friday at 5:30. So, Friday was supposed to be a very packed day. I even wrote a schedule so that I could keep track of everything. I woke up early so that I could be ready for ARV, but about half an hour before we were supposed to leave for ARV Hafeez and Jayapaul told me that we were not going to go until Saturday because they didn’t have enough time because Friday is vegetable day, which I totally understood. I went back to my room and finished off the profiles for the new kids and waited for the tailor that was supposed to come at 3. At around 4 I called Hafeez and he said that the tailor had just called him to tell him that they weren’t coming, but would come anytime on Saturday. He then suggested that I get on the bus so that after he dropped the kids we could go straight to the local tailor, Suma, to look at the sample and give her some of the frocks to start on. However, once we got there she told us that she wasn’t done and to come back tomorrow. By this time it was almost 5:30, but we had to go to Hostel 1 to meet the new visiting doctor, who is looked after the kids while Ratnam is gone. He checked all the kids, but he had to go get some medication for one of the boys, who was bit by some animal, so we had to wait until they got back so that we could take Subba Rao back to Hostel 2. But, when the doctor came back he said he wanted Subba Rao to stay with him so that he could show him the way back. So after waiting almost an hour for nothing Hafeez dropped me back at the house. By this time it was about 6:30, so I missed setting up the computer so that Lynne could talk to Thanuja and the kids. So basically everything that was planed to Friday didn’t happen. It was quite frustrating, but I hoped that Saturday would be better. Saturday I got up even earlier, because they wanted to leave for ARV right after they dropped the kids off at school. We actually did go. It was nice to hang out with the kids for a little since I have been in the house pretty much the whole time the past two weeks working on things. The kids were great and we came back to wait for the wholesale tailor to come at 3. Again at 4 I called Hafeez who said that they were on their way and that they would be here by 4:30. The power went off so their was not much I could do. Hafeez took the boys back on the bus and the girls stayed at the school to wait. At 4:30 I went and hung out with the girls. It was fun being with the girls. Normally I just play with the younger girls, but I talked with the older girls instead. It was fun because they now enough English so that we can talk. Two are really funny, Meena and Suneeta and they spent most of the time telling me that the other one was crazy. After the tailor still hadn’t showed up at 5:30 Hafeez took the girls home. I woud have gone to Suma’s , but I wanted to wait and set up the computer so that Lynne could see James. But, the power was still out. It stayed off until about 6:30. We finally got a hold of Lynne, but the connection was really poor. Hopefully today will be better. I forgot to mention that all the kids have been sick this week. James, Luke, and Sweety all have a fever, have a really bad cough, and their nose’s are running. Thanuja and Laxmi (Srilatha) got no sleep Friday night because James kept waking up. Finally today I slept in a little. At around 10 Hafeez called and said that he had come into work and that Suma was also available, so he drove me there. The ambulance is getting work done on it again, so Hafeez took me on his two-wheeler. It was kind of fun. I felt like a local. Suma had finished the sample, and it looked pretty good. I dropped off 8 more dresses for her to do and I will give her the next batch next Sunday.