Goodbye to Juliet

Thursday evening I took a different route home, one which led me by Juliet and Patricia’s (her younger sister) house. I am SUPER glad I did so, because when I saw them, they squealed and hugged me, then ran away saying they had something for me. In response to the letter I gave Juliet over the weekend, they BOTH had written letters to give to me. I wanted to cry then and there! Ok well, if I was a crier I would have. Juliet then gave me a Japanese comic book; when I got home I realized it was a children’s Bible in the form of a comic book. I read their letters, which were super precious, and hung out with them and a few other neighbor kids for a little while. Juliet informed me that they were going to leave Saturday morning at 9, so I should come around at 8 to say goodbye. As much as I treasure each and every moment to sleep in, of course I wasn’t going to pass this up!

Juliet

Some of the neighbor kids. Patricia is the ham front left.

Florence, also known as Flo

When I got back home and realized she had given me possibly her only version of the Bible, I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to give it back, but I didn’t want to be rude and not accept her gift. I asked my sister for advice, and understanding where I was coming from, she thought it would be ok to give it back. Lillian (my sister) then gave some back-story on the girls for me. The girls are orphans, their mom having died in childbirth just less than 2 years back. She thinks they are sponsored through a program (maybe Compassion) so they can go to school, and they live with their grandmother. And yet these kids have so much joy!

As Friday night rolled around, I set my alarm for 7:30 am to make sure I was there by 8. Before my alarm even went off Saturday morning, I woke up to Juliet’s voice out my window yelling “Bye! Jessica, Bye!” NO! I thought to myself. I don’t want to miss her! So I quickly struggled to put my glasses on through my weave (it’s quite difficult by the way) and looked out my window to see if they were still there. I saw her and Patricia already walking back up the road, so I threw on a skirt, grabbed the book, and began “the exit.” (I say “the exit” because to get out of the house, I first start with the door that separates our rooms from the living room, which is locked and loudly grinds on the floor when you open it. Next, is the door to get outside, which is a metal door with another loud lock and loud scrape when you open it.) When I got to their house at the top of the road, they were there in their school uniforms and backpacks, and greeted me with that wonderful run and jump that I love so much from them. After talking a bit with them and their grandma, I explained to Juliet that I have a book similar already, and asked if she would like to have it back since it was special. She smiled and took it back, and I was glad I had remembered to bring it! I didn’t stay for long because they were getting ready to leave (via boda boda, the motorcycle taxi… school things and all!), but before I left, the grandmother told me that the girls won’t stop praying for me.

How humbling!!

Here with my American eyes, I felt as if I needed to be praying for them. Yet these young girls were praying for me. I was touched beyond measure. I painfully waved goodbye again to them for the last time and walked home. Let me tell you, I’m not the crying type, but I was almost there! Needless to say, I wasn’t able to fall back asleep that morning.