Bye bye kids

I had a very emotional week. Lots has happened. We used to think that four of the kids were HIV positive, just carriers of the virus. But Monica got some test results back, and it turns out that all of their AIDS is active. This means that they have anywhere from a few months to a few years left. The oldest girl is the worst case, and probably doesn't have long. We were shocked. Monica took it really hard, she texted me when she got the results because she couldn't come home and see the kids. And as soon as she did, she started crying. These kids are like her children, she cares for them in every way, and now we know that they could die if they catch a cold. I can only feel a small amount of what she must feel, and it really sucks.

The worst part is that Monica still needs to go back to Spain to have surgery, and so the kids are going home for an entire month. After finding out the news, Monica didn't want to leave, but everything was already set. -Tuesday was the day they were supposed to leave, but the oldest girl's Grandpa called on Saturday to pick her up because he didn't have time on Tuesday. Later in the day, Shama Rimu's (my favorite) uncles came to pick him up unexpectedly. As soon as they walked through the door, Rimu started crying.

Him singing Gangnam style for me

This gorgeous, smiling boy stood motionless and sobbed at the thought of going home with these two people that beat him.

I hated them from the moment they walked in. You can't see it very clearly in the picture, but Rimu has a burn scar on his forehead from boiling water being dumped on him, and his left ear is scarred from being hit by a rock by his mother. He is constantly crying out for attention, and for once in his life he was in a place where he was being loved. I am terrified for what his family will do to the progress he's made here.

Eventually, we convinced his uncles to come back on Tuesday and he was perfectly behaved for the rest of the day. Domestic violence is all too common here. All of the boys said they have been beaten by their family members, usually when they are drunk. Monica and I talked with all of the kids about how to avoid being abused, to stay out of the way, keep productive, and if there's drinking going on, stay out of sight. Monica told them that if they get hit, they should ask why, because most abuse happens for no good reason. I also taught them some defensive karate, not that it would be a lot of use for such small kids against adults, but I wanted to build their confidence. And it was also really fun.

The  night before they left, we had a birthday party for Rimu. He turned 8 years old on the 21st (we think, none of the kids have birth certificates), so we celebrated before they left.

I just... I can't. there is too much cute

Frosting face

That night, we just chilled and watched a movie, and it was so nice. The next day there were a lot of tears. We got ready to go in the morning, then everybody's family started arriving to pick them up, and Monica talked to them about what homework they have over the break and all that.

The boys were like, teacher teacher, who will kiss our dolls when we go home? How adorable is that? I wish I had taken more pictures on the day they left, but there was lots to do. Eventually, everything was ready and Monica had spent an unnecessary amount of time explaining things to the family members. We walked everyone to the bus stop, and the crying commenced. I was sad to see them go, but what I couldn't stand was watching them cry.

Rimu's uncles had apparently forgotten to come get him. We had to call them a million times and tell them they would have to pay for Monica's plane ticket if they didn't pick him up right away. How could you forget something like that? We had told them only three days before. It was the definition of neglect. And by the time they came to pick him up, I didn't want him to leave with them. It was probably the hardest goodbye.

My boss sat me down a few days before the kids left and told me that I was going to 下乡(descend to the villages) for a month to help out at a school that was short on managers. So stay tuned for me next post on the GLORIOUS life in the rural Liangshan mountains.

For now: China pic of the day

It was so hard not to laugh out loud at this guy's hat. I think they spelled it wrong...

Love, love