I feel like it just happened, but now that I count the days, it was two weeks ago that we gained three new members to the orphanage. The details about them are unclear due to the normal loss of info that occurs through Ranjith's translations. Navetitra and Ram, a recently orphaned sister and brother, were picked up from a village in the north of the state, and their parents were killed in a road accident. This seems like a clear-cut story, but we are not even certain when their parents died, how they got here or what their ages are although we're guessing that she is 5 and he is 4. In India, a person's age, much like the concepts of truth and time, are relative. We were out of the state when they arrived, and apparently their first few days were a rough adjustment but they seem to be doing much better now. The girl follows Deepa and Chitra, the two oldest girls at 8 and 12, around and mimics their activities. Ram is very chatty (if only we could understand him) and smiley.

Aren't they beautiful?

The third orphan is a different story. She is in her 80s (we've been told) but looks about 95. She had been living with her eldest son, as is usual for Indian parents, but was kicked out of the house when she become to feeble to perform any household chores. Far too old and weak to work, someone gaveRanjith and Sumathy a call and they picked her up to bring her here to live. She's very friendly even though she doesn't speak English and can't seem to accept the fact that we don't speak Tamil. We're buddies since I helped walk her to the prayer room a few times. And she loooved it when Becca and I wore our sari's yesterday.

The old woman, or Grandmother as we're supposed to call her, sleeps in the 'cubicle' in the main dormitory that we took turns sleeping in before, and shuffles across the dorm to the restroom with the Western toilet that also opens up into our room. I think the noise and filth of the kids bothers her, so much that she doesn't use the other restroom with the squat toilets that the kids use. Yet she doesn't know how to use a Western toilet, and ends up peeing and pooping on the floor. She is just like the other orphans in that sense, but it is a bit frustrating (and smelly) to have to clean up more excrement in a place (our bedroom and the adjacent restroom) that served as our relatively poop-free sanctuary. Especially since we're not supposed to wear shoes of any kind indoors. One evening when I was sleeping in the cubicle, I started to walk the 30 feet from the restroom to the cubicle across the floor where all the children sleep. Dina, the little 8 year old boss man of the orphanage, noticed that I was wearing a pair of shower flip flops and shouted "Sist-ah! No! Slippahs inside, no!" I had already anticipated this and showed him the bottom of them, which I had scrubbed clean. This did not placate him, so I took them off and tip toed around the piles of poo and urine. Father had told them not to wear shoes (aka slippers) inside, and Father's word is as good as gold.

The cubicle on the right, the bunk beds where the 3 year olds sleep and the floor for everyone else.

Dina, the little boss man at 8 years old, with Tiger, the nice "guard" dog

Well, it is as good as gold in most cases, at least. There is no such thing as private property at the orphanage, and toys are broken and lost at an alarming rate. Anything within reach of the 3 year olds is rapidly destroyed or covered in excrement (or both at once). Even though the kids have been instructed not to touch anything that is in our room, we've 'lost' plenty of items like two flashlights, my sports bra and a whole box of Orbitz that Becca's mom had sent. Most of the things taken are small things like toys, hard candies and things from home that would have been given to the kids, eventually. I made the mistake of leaving my night time things (my iPod, flashlight and earplugs) in the cubicle once, which has a transparent door that doesn't lock. Becca rescued my iPod from a group of the 3 year olds, and I found 1 and half of my earplugs, which Sharadha had taken a bite out of.

Becca with Ragavi.

Ali holding Rakesh and Kate holding Ramesh.

I only have a few days left before I leave and I am extremely sad to go. I really love these kids. There is no way to really describe it without becoming too sappy, and there will be plenty of tears when I leave. The situation is far from perfect and I've been frustrated and sick in ways I could never have imagined, and, at the outset, I didn't think that I would be coming back to India after the trip ended. Yet the discomfort is minor compared to how strongly I feel for the children. It is truly miraculous what Ranjith, Sumathy, and all of the older kids (without whom this orphanage would fall apart) do. I want to come back someday, hopefully soon. I love these kids too much not to.

Akshaya

Kate and Becca have two more weeks, so if you're in Valdez and would like to donate while we're still over here, you can still take the donations by A Rogue's Garden and Kathy will deposit them into the account we access here. And, once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the donations made so far. It is so appreciated, very needed, and actually goes to the children (which, sadly, is a rarity in many orphanages and homes).

If you're in Valdez, see you in May with more pictures and stories!

-Susan