April 18 - Finally I get to Muñoces... but not with Napoleon

April 18, 2017   While waiting for la Tortuga to show up I see an old fellow who use to ride out with us to a plot of land to work. I call out, “Hola, Napoleon,” and walk over to greet him. He mumbles something indistinguishable, I smile and say, “si,” and he continues to talk and I smilingly I nod my head in agreement. 

There’s a beautiful lady with him who I believed to be his daughter who will accompany him to the fields. 

We talk and then he stands up and points.

La Tortuga has arrived and he, the lady who was with him, the teachers and I get aboard for the ride out.

How he got in and out of the truck was a miracle.

But interestingly he didn’t get off at his plot of land.  He rode all the way to Muñoces and then got off… with the help of some folks I knew.

 

It was then that I realized this wasn’t Napoleon but Maugdaleno, a fellow who is one of the patriarchs of the community.  He lost his wife, Paulina Evangelina Reyes Muñoz, one of our favorites, several years back.

 

Then we start the hike to the church, up the steep dusty road seeing more and more of the people of Muñoces

First the students on their way to school…

Then Vilma, a mother with a basket of food on her head walking with a small child heading toward the school…

Then Manual and his wife, Aminta, and their children…. We weren’t permitted to visit them the last time we were here. But this time I marched into their yard and gave them hugs.

I tell Manual he sure looks different without his uniform.

 Then I spotted Juan Carlos and Rene and his kids, calling another little girl to come over and get in the picture.



Aren’t they the most handsome group you’ve ever seen?

You’ll have to wait one more day for my meeting with the Directiva.  I promise you it will be written about next.