Marci Soifer

It may have been a maximum security prison in Peru under 85 degrees in the middle of a desserted, dry valley lined with cacti, but today, it was Christmas inside, and it was fantastic. I was a little nervous, because my normal group of myself and two other volunteers turned into 17 of us, entering the prison to really create a celebration. I did not know how this was going to go over with the mothers or children, with so many people, and even another volunteer costumed as Santa. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

We played salsa, danced, played musical chairs, and ate the cookies. The women made us hot chocolate, which they just call milk, at the oven in the childrens section (I told them I had a bad stomach and had to refuse...i know how to say that politely, dont worry). We gave each child a present, from their respective spots on our Santas lap, which they all immedaitely opened and played with proudly. The mothers thanked and thanked us, with hugs and kisses that are traditional of greetings or gratitude in Peru. The children laughed and smiled, except for the few who had never seen a person in costume before, who spent the duration of the party screaming and crying each time Santa came near.

I spent the entire party with a little boy named Willy, who I had warmly met a few days ago. He is small, a little 2 year-old, who has a head of tight curls, which is unique in Peru. He looks the way I did when I was really small, with the curls, but his are obviously cared for differently than mine. Willy HATED Santa and refused to go near even the room where Santa danced. We played outside for a long time and finally brought him close enough to the door that we could sit in the doorway and watch, my back against the door frame and him sitting in my lap. We held hands and I moved his little hands around with some bouncing of my legs to the music. I tickled him and made funny noises with my lips, and he echoed, which resulted really in him just unintentionally spitting a little here and there. Every few minutes, I would try to get him up and dancing, and we get up and a moment would pass, and Willy would be down again. Eentually, I noticed that his little head was moving from my chest, down to my hip. Looking down to see what was wrong, I noticed that he just fell asleep. His mother danced and danced with the other women and children, and I was glad to see her smiling, so I let Willy sleep and sleep, right in my lap.

Eventually, Willy woke up to recieve his cookie and gift from Santa, which he seemed able to handle when he realized that he would get a toy truck out of it. And, when we left, I went to say goodbye to him and let him know that I would be back tomorrow, only to then recieve his little kiss on my cheek. I think I may have a new friend.

Tonight, I will go to a nearby plaza for a concert. The (this is the part when I would use the quotation marks if I could figure out how to on this computer) best band in Ayacucho i performing, and the apparently are a great Green Day and Beatles cover band...sounds interesting. I will pass on how it goes.

Later...