LESSON IN CULTURES

I went to tutor my sweet student about a week ago on a Monday after school. The Resource Teacher (also my sister in law) tells me that Jessica's room is having a year end "Reading Program" on Wednesday and invited me to attend. WELL OF COURSE I would come!

The next morning when I went to tutor, Jessica said, "Mrs. Lora, would you pick my Mother up tomorrow? She does not drive and would like to come to the program." As we all would, I immediately said, "Yes". Only problem is -----her Mother does not speak English. Well I tell myself---if I talk slowly and loudly (like all Americans think) she will get what I am saying-----It will be fine! I send a note home with Jessica stating EXACTLY what time I will be there.

The next morning, I am headed to pick Senora up and get behind a S L O WWWWWWW! truck. ALWAYS a stickler for being ON TIME, I am about to have a stroke. FINALLY-I pull up before their apartment EXACTLY on time---NO ONE is outside. Oh well, I'll go knock on the door---the METAL door. I KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK------NO ANSWER! I wait a few minutes---KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK VERY LOUDLY----no answer. Well perhaps she caught another ride---since NO ONE answers and Grandmother and 2 babies are also living there. I head to school.

I walk in the front door---there is the Resource Teacher---"Have you seen Jessica's Mother?"

NO!

I walk to Jessica's room which is in the farthermost corner from the front door. As I walk in--me and one other Grandmother are the only adults besides the teachers. I look at Jessica--she looks at me smiles and then past me and her face drops. I ask her about her Mother and she says "She was home! Perhaps in the bathroom--but she is home." We get the teacher's phone and Jessica calls Poppe (her Daddy)--who speaks broken English. I get on the phone and he tells me the same story. I look at Jessica's face and can't stand it-----I will go back and get your Mother. I tell the teacher and she informs me we are starting in 5 minutes. "I'll Hurry!" I SPRINT out of the door---slam the car into action and fly to their apartment.

As I pull up, there she is---waiting outside for me. She gets in the car and I try to have a conversation. I say, " I knocked knocked knocked (with hand motions) and no one (with head motion) answered the door?" She looks at me and simply says, "Sleeping". OH MY GOODNESS as I FLY back to the school. Now remember one day a week I tutor after school and take Jessica home. I am CERTAIN as I was flying down the road, Mother was thinking, "I let my sweet baby ride with this maniac!"

We get back to school, I double park by the nearest door, beg someone to open a locked door, and race down the hall with PG Momma in tow. We slip into the room and the program immediately starts. WHEW!

I related this story to my friend Margarita who is from Honduras and she begins laughing. It seems that the Latin culture are not quite so hung up on clocks as we all are. She said, "If they invite you to dinner at 6, don't bother going until 7. It would almost be rude." GOOD GRIEF! I obviously have a LOT to learn!

As I sat and listened to the students recite their poetry, I was thinking, my brother is right again---NO GOOD TURN GOES UNPUNISHED! But on that day he was wrong!---You see the look on the face of Jessica when her Mother walked in the door and the sweet picture she had drawn and presented to me were ALL the reward I could EVER want or need.