Wednesday, September 28, 2011

A Boy and His Dog

Last week as a training group we traveled to community in the Comarca Noble Bouble to trouble shoot their aqueduct system and learn techniques for common construction projects. We’ll call it tech week. This community was in the mountains of the Comarca. From atop a hill the Pacific Ocean was a sliver of a view to the south. It was located in a cloud forest. I love the idea of a cloud… forest. A forest of clouds. It’s such a paradox. Forests are hard and solid and dense. Clouds are light, airy, and in motion. Around sunrise and sunset every day the clouds would rise from the hills beneath us and a fog would sweep the community. Also every day a terrible rain would occur. Most people in the community stop working, make their ways to their homes, and settle in for the evening. Not us though, not Peace Corps. 

After our work day it is still raining and I am walking to my host family’s home. I need to walk down a hill, cross the cabrada (creek), and walk up another hill. The cabrada, normally a modest trickle, is swollen by the day’s rain and proves a challenge to cross while not practically swimming. Wanting to remain relatively dry, I ponder my options. Also pondering at his options is a boy who had about 8 years and his small, wet, dog. We start shouting across the cabrada at each other in brief, tactical sentences. Turns out we both want to cross, going opposite ways. His short legs and impaired with-dog balance was making him hesitate. He points me up stream a little ways, where the cabrada forms two branches separated by a grassy island. As I tramp my way through the trail’s side brush he successfully navigates the first crossing. I meet him with the next crossing and the cabrada’s swift flow still between us. He leaves his dog on the bank and offers me a hand. I gingerly step into the creek and the water rushes up to my quadriceps. With his help I cross to the other side. He immediately asks for a quarter in return for the help. I call him crazy. Still in the water I help him cross then go back for his scared little dog, still on the opposite shore. He whimpers and backs away but I soon have him in my rescuing arms. I stumble and toss the pup ashore and go back. All is on their desired sides of the cabrada. As volunteers we say we work hombre a hombre or shoulder to shoulder with the Panamanians. Sometimes this includes crossing creeks. 

After tech week we made our way to the beach for a night. Seriously, over a month in Panama and this was my first trip to the beach? It was worth it. To relax in a cabana with the ocean in full view was heaven. 

1 comment:

  1. that's a bold kid. asking for money, for helping him. kudos to him.

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