I introduce to you: Nelly
"So where are they gonna live?", "And who is gonna cook for the group?...I'll do it!", boomed a strong voice from the back of the cramped makeshift church. I shifted in my pew to see who the crazy lady was that was unofficially running our welcome meeting. I saw a strong brown woman with a man's hair cut, slacks, and a faded white polo. I had never seen a woman like her in Panama. She was rough and loud...
She was my new mother.
When I entered her house my heart sank... It was scary. The foul oder of pig pen waffed from the back. The house and everything around it were a mirade of dark grays and green tones. Even the sun didnt seem to touch this place. I entered the house and my eye scanned the room. A thin patina of dust coated every inch of the room. Old pictures, liquer bottles, and Quincenera favors were jammed on shelfs around the t.v. There was a large bottle filled with a green liquid and a brown shriviled objects that resembled an organ. It turned out to be cockaroches. Fatigue, heat, and home sickness robbed me of my usual openness and i shrunk into my room. She treated me with indifference and didn't seem to notice.
It did not take long for me to see how amazing she was and for us to become friends. She was strong. Really strong. She could hunt and cut wood and carried around a machete. She was also single....very strange in Panama. Nelly could often be heard yelling "Naaaaaw!!" or yelling a joke. She reminded me of Philly...She reminded me of Home.
One day, she told me that she wanted to go to a special 5 hour walk in honor of a saint and that she didnt want me to come. She said her "husband" would be coming in to watch me.... I was very confused. I asked the PCV who hosted us about this husband and she replied "What husband? I've been here for nearly 2 years and never seen her with a man?!". Well this "husband" man surely came. She said "This is my man" and suanteered out the house....without him. He spent time in the house watching soccer and fixing the broken latrine door. He also set about sewing things around the house.
Later that week we would have a party with the whole community. We taught them how to do the Electric Slide and they taught us Tamborito. Nelly was the first one to get in the circle to dance of course. She scooped up the women and twirled them around. Hip jutted out and hand on stomach... Just like the men. Every one laughed and joined in. Men willingly gave their wives up and she even took me out for a spin.
When it was time to leave, she started to cry and gave me the largest hug she could muster. She gave me a gift of a small leather keychain. I asked her if she would forget me. She replied with a resounding "Naaaaaw!"
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