(no subject)
i went to su casa yesterday, the latino family shelter where laura is living this summer as a full time volunteer. while laura gave an english lesson, i sat and played with a pair of kids and a big ball of play-dough/clay stuff: just sitting quietly, the two of them young enough that language wasn't yet a barrier between us, creating and then dismantling a stuck-to-the-table purple person. later on we played tag with some kids across the street, and anthony kept hitting me with a stick and telling me that it was "goot" (which i guess means some sort of magic). that night we rode around the attic in a wheelchair, listened to barbara streisand on an old eight-track, and read the velveteen rabbit out loud. then today, as we were wandering around, a woman stopped us and asked for money. a white girl and an asian-american girl in a solidly african-american neighborhood. she said that her son had died in memphis and she needed a one way ticket to get there. she had $47 under her rug upstairs. then, she told us, actually, she wanted the money for cigarettes and a beer. "at least i'm honest, right?" she said, her eyes tired and unfocused. and then, "i know you don't condone it - drinking and smoking. so it's okay. i wouldn't want you to give money to something you don't condone." and i felt like a self-righteous, privileged little bitch, even though i hadn't said anything to her. and another lady was there, with a cropped fro, and she said, "hell, they don't have no halos around their heads. you don't have to apologize to them. they're just teenagers." and laura chimed in, "no, we like drinking! we like beer. seriously." and i just laughed and nodded. we like beer. mmmmmm. and the lady said, "well, let's go!" and part of me wanted to do it so badly. we truly didn't have any money on us, or i might have just walked down to the tavern and bought that lady a beer. instead, we left her at the next street corner with an awkward (but sincere), "good luck."