Florencia, our neighbor... tortillas, hand-ground coffee, and this is the only time I´ve seen her not smiling.
“People say that colds are contagious, you know, that one person can pass it on to another… but that´s a bunch of lies,” said the sweetest little old lady that lives next door to us and has made it her personal mission to make sure we never pass a hungry moment. I could hear little Kalea cough and whimper in the background, struggling to get through the second illness of her lifetime… which onset a couple of days after an unannounced visit from the sniffling, snotty, 4 year old daughter of our neighbors.
“Actually, the people are right, sister Florencia. The common cold is caused by one of several viruses, all of which are contagious from one person to another through coughing, sneezing, and contact. I would recommend you not visit… and what is that delicious-smelling concoction that you´ve brought us?!”
“Oh… I´m old enough… that ‘ol cold won´t get me.”
Florencia was sick 48 hours later.
“I guess it´s goin’ around,” she says “… but you see, I didn’t get it `til today… and I didn´t even visit you yesterday.”
I try to explain the incubation period briefly and make mental notes for the curriculum we´re developing.
“How are things going, Angel?”
Angel is a 50+ year old Colombian who owns a farm and the dry goods store. He´s lived in Panama most of his life, has done well, and has a car, block home, and 2 young sons with his second wife.
People seem more likely to get "evil-eyed" when they perform domestic functions downstream from defecating animals.
“Ok I guess.”
This translates as “Not ok. There is something wrong in my life.”
“What´s wrong?”
“Hermít is sick.”
…”We took him to the medical doctor and the witch doctor, and we think he´s been eyed… the evil eye,” he twists his face a little for effect.
This is our neighbor Eustacio. His eye isn´t evil... just a little lazy.
…What am I suppose to say? I decide to keep quiet and listen.
I, for one, believe firmly in the evil eye. I would describe it as the polar opposite of the placebo effect. Hermít has bacteria. He´ll be fortunate if his parents’ beliefs don´t intervene in the healing process.
At Faith and Fruit, we advocate the consumption of fruits and vegetables in almost all circumstances.
“Don´t eat that fruit in front of your brother!” shouts Hermít´s mom. “You know that sick boys can´t have fruit!”
And these are some of the more educated, affluent members of our community. I shudder to think what types of beliefs lurk out there for us to encounter. But we are learning about them day by day and have begun to develop a curriculum aimed at helping folks here understand creation… the micro part.
Some supporters are donating a microscope and we´ll acquire a digital microscope camera and projector through a project we´ve helped organize. Connecting it all to this computer, we´ll be able to show people what the “evil eye” is all about… when it´s not psychosomatic, of course. Be careful out there.
Blessings,
alan
Very interesting post–I hope that you are able to communicate clearly and that you find the community open-minded as you try to help them live healthier lives!!!!! God bless!!!!!