Woke up this morning with a horrible headache and nausea. Didn't feel like getting out of bed, but had a busy day ahead.
I reminded Dr. Gustavo to talk about Clara needing blood, as he asked. Then turned on his program and heard the announcement. We got five calls from that one announcement. One of the people wanted money. But the rest all just wanted to help. So far not even a third of the people who have tried to give are eligible. I am also surprised by how many people can't give because they have had hepatitis, dengue, malaria, or other crazy diseases which excludes them.
I got my residency paperwork started this morning. Then picked up Fabricio to go back to Red Cross to meet the lady who responded to Dr. Gustavo's request for donations on his radio show. But I ended up getting in my first car accident. It was very minor, but the guy was a major jerk. I think he might do this as a way to scam money.
We were merging into heavy traffic that was barely moving. A taxi comes up on my right in a lane that does not exist and is honking like a maniac. But this is typical in Honduras, so I don't think much of it.
However, as we merge onto the big road, he doesn't back off. I had already merged into traffic and he tried to force me to serve into the lane to the left of me. Luckily we were barely moving when he stuck his arm out the window and started pointing to the side of his car. Neither Fabricio or I felt any impact. He basically side swiped his own car with the corner of my right front bumper. Then he sat there staring at me. So I just stared back. Neither one of us got out of our cars.
I was so grateful to be with Fabricio! 99.9% of the time I am alone in my car. If I had to have a car accident, I am glad that it was that .01% of the time that I had someone with me. In fact, Fabricio is the only young man I know who goes to the gym every day. He is not tall, but he has the muscles to prove it, so he was the perfect passenger.
I called the insurance guy, who I just met yesterday for the first time. I'm sure he's thrilled he insured me when I call him with my first accident 24 hours later! He said he was close by and on his way. He called the main office and had me on the phone with them until my line cut out. Meanwhile the taxi driver is telling me to just pay him 1,500 Lempiras ($75) and I can go. I told him there is no way I am paying him any money at all because it was his fault.
Every taxi that passed pulled in front of me and stopped, blocking me in as if I was going to try to escape. They would get out and look, then get back in their cars and go. I was a little nervous they would try to gang up on me. But I think they could see that he had nudged into me while I was already in my lane.
The police came and asked me to move my car, but the insurance guy said I needed to wait for him to get there. It's 4:30 rush hour traffic on a road that is always nuts when it is not rush hour. I understand the policeman's point. I was respectful but I didn't move.
The police asked for my license. (Here licenses don't have addresses, so I felt fine with that.) He went and talked to the taxi driver. Then he came back. I said I am not paying that guy anything. He was beeping his horn, driving too aggressively, and this is his fault. The cop said no, you are not paying anyone anything. He asked if I was okay, if Fabricio is okay, and if my car is okay. I told him everything was fine. My car didn't even have a scratch. It was just dirty where the guy side swiped himself onto me.
The police said I can't let you hold up traffic any longer. If everything is okay, you may go. He held up the left lane of traffic, let me pull around the taxi, and I left. My insurance guy arrived just as I was pulling away. It's nice to know he is willing to come fast if I need him.
Fabricio and I made it to the Red Cross in time to meet the lady who came as a result of the radio request. She was really nice. Clara's daughter, Karla, was there too. I remember the last time she had to go through this with her mom it was really hard on Karla. She couldn't eat and she was on the verge of tears all of the time. But let me tell you, Karla looked great! She was calm and smiling. She had a sense of peace about her that can only come from God as she told us that the doctors have said they will do all they can do, but only God can save her mother. She said with a smile that she has faith that her mother will recover, it doesn't matter what the doctors say.
Fabricio decided that rather than stay and go home with Karla, he wanted to go with me to my weekly prayer meeting. We prayed for Clara and for Fabricio as he begins his next phase of life. (He is moving to Spain on March 20th!) Then I took him out to dinner. I was thinking we would go someplace that he could get some typical 20 year old young man food. But he decided he wanted to try sushi for the first time. Since it was 2x1 and I am now anemic, (Boy! That is a great excuse to eat sushi!!) I thought it was an excellent idea.
I had forgotten the people at the sushi place all know Clara because they took swimming lessons together when I taught last year. Within minutes the restaurant staff were on the phone calling friends and family to donate blood! As of today we have 11 donors who already gave blood. We have three more that are going to try. We'll see what happens with the sushi people.
I think it was good for Fabricio to see them jump into action. He tends to carry heavy burdens and I believe he felt like he was the only one taking action. I know he hasn't been sleeping much and he spends all day on the phone trying to contact people to donate. I hope it lifted his burden when the people from Usami stopped working and huddled around us, bouncing ideas off each other about how they could get more people to donate blood. At least he could see they care.
After I got home I was on FB and Fabricio sent me a note. In Honduras it is very normal to say "Te quiero mucho" which means "I love you". Fabricio is working on his English so sometimes we chat on FB in English. He thanked me for driving him around today. I thanked him for being willing to organize everything and all of his hard work. Then he said he was going to bed and wrote "I love you" in English. Fabricio is so shy! I didn't dare explain that "Te quiero mucho" is not the same sentiment as "I love you", so I just replied, "Te quiero mucho!" Someday when he is relaxed and not going to be embarrassed out of his mind I will explain the difference. But not tonight.
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