Hell’s Half Acre

We managed to give out 80 dispensas on Wednesday; we brought down 50 bottles of water, 40 litros of oil, 40 kilos of Maseca, 150 onions, 210 carrots, 46 boxes pure de tomate, 54 bolas of garlic (what do we call the whole thing of garlic in English?), 100 jalapeños, 150 potatoes, 50 chayotes, 40 dozens of eggs, 34 litros milk, 120 granola bars, 3 flats of cookies. I figured we had about 50 dispensas, but Noe decided we had enough for 80 dispensas. He cut all the 1 dozen containers of eggs in half and stretched the food for 30 extra dispensas and was really happy he could stretch it. He still met family after family hoping for more; hoping to get a dispensa for each family living in the house and not just each house.

We decided to make up the dispensas when we got to Noe’s house so that he could decide how many to make up and were lucky enough to meet his father and his uncle helping out. His mother, aunt and grandmother stayed in the background though they did come out to say hello. The kids pretty much single-handedly put the dispensas together and Ellen did it all in Spanish (tres papas, un ajo, un Maseca…). Pike insists on English. I’m still waffling on whether or not to speak pure Spanish to them and force a learning; today Ellen asked me to speak just Spanish to her, so that makes me waffle more in thinking they need to decide how much Spanish they hear.

Giving out the dispensas was pretty boring for the kids; Noe didn’t want the people in town to see how much we had (or they’d want more?) so the boys just handed the bags to Noe as he asked. The were able to hand out cookies though; school was just getting out of the morning classes (kids in Mexico generally go to school for either the morning or the afternoon until I think secondary school) and a couple kids passed by. I yelled to Jesse to chase the kids down and force the cookies upon them but word got out pretty quickly and very soon the boys were absolutely SURROUNDED by happy kids. One guy with a mustache who was VERY short managed to get a couple also.

I had hoped to spend some time with Noe and his family afterwards and chat; we wondered where his siblings were (one sister lives closeby and I think that is all of his siblings) and why he lives there and not Majahual where he was born; how we was going to earn money now that the hotel is out of business for the foreseeable future (he is working in Chetumal two days a week) and how the people in town will fare (many work in the “monte” which is laughable only because the land is SO FLAT that a “mountain” must only be a bump on the landscape). He tells us that many people in town live off the land; all that they own and eat comes from their harvest. Others commute to Chetumal now in search of work. But the boys began to feel sick again (Pike had spent the day before in bed) so we excused ourselves and headed back home. Maybe next time.

Noe tells us that only 150 dispensas will be needed to finish the town. I know we’re not giving dispensas to everyone in town; most of the “nicer” looking homes aren’t getting any dispensas. I asked Noe if those people are upset with him but he replies that they aren’t. Everyone simply seems to be very happy with that which they get although many try to convince Noe that their sister or aunt or mother should get one too. So many little children will come up and ask for one for their mother but Noe will tell them that they got one last time or sometimes they can convince him. Generally, it doesn’t take too much.

So we’re going back on Saturday. I’m conflicted, wondering if we shouldn’t be helping the people in Majahual but then I see them getting a visit from the governor, I see many dispensas heading out there and I see and hear of no-one heading to these little Mayan pueblos. But then I think, “Everyone in Avila Camacho has a house, be that cardboard and guano and 3 families in a house and there are a few families in Majahual without any home at all” and I’m conflicted again. It is so very hard to determine who is most needy, and all I can do is trust Noe, who has NEVER had a hand out, who tries his hardest to give to the poorest in his community, from the interactions I’ve seen with him and the residents, seems to know the community intimately, and refuses dispensas for his own family (of, quite honestly, three separate families). My eye and camera show the damage from Dean and I’m quite confident that the food is very much needed in this forgotten pueblo; I’ve seen the families doubling and tripling up due to the homes lost to Dean and while I’d love to be able to repartir dispensas to everyone, this is the best we can do right now. If you have suggestions or ideas, please let me know. Many of the homes in Avila Camacho have new guano roofs, there is reconstruction going on; we saw new lamina (metal roofing) on homes on the road into Avila Camacho so people are recovering and I hope that our providing some food relief allows them ease in rebuilding.

We’re hoping for 100 dispensas on Saturday; today we were at Costco and Home Depot to get stuff for the palapa that we can’t get in Playa del Carmen and picked up mass quantities of bananas, Maseca and water. We’re going to take one bench of seats out of the van and we should be able to fit 100 dispensas in. It will be a challenge we look forward to.

Fall is coming to Mexico. I’m constantly turning off the A/C in the evening; that is when you can tell. The days are hot as normal, but the evening is quite cool and that is how we know the seasons they are a changing. I no longer look forward to a cold beer at the end of the day; it just isn’t hot enough. I think I must switch to rum, eh Jody?

Now that the bodega is closed off; doors on both entrances/exits, Jamie and I are spending more and more time there, leaving the trailer for the kids. We’ve been looking at futons and while we’re aghast at the prices ($6000MN at a 1/2 off sale for a good one; $2500MN for a metal one with a futon mattress that allows you to feel each and every irregularity in the metal supports) we’re hoping to support the carpinteros in Limones who are asking only $4000-5500MN for a hardwood futon. Living in a area where the weather can wipe it all out without a second thought makes us really think hard about spending money on quality however.