Tragedy Update April 10, 2010

Ok. I know a lot of you are wondering what has happened in the last 24 hours or so.
Let me start where I finished off....

After my last blog, I tried and tried to sleep, but to no avail.....there were people walking "with purpose" back and forth outside my window, watching the house of "the shooter." ---again, he lives to our immediate right. I was hearing voices all night.....angry, loud, purposeful. Then I heard the smashing of glass.....they were breaking bottles on the light post outside my window, in front of the shooter's house, and I could make out, "You are dead!" I think I maybe slept for an hour or so. I could only keep envisioning the shooter walking past me, stone-faced, cold-hearted. So sober, so relaxed, just walking past me with his pistol in his right hand, swinging in tune with his walking steps.

The morning came all too early. When we went to the parroquia, (parish) I was approached by Fr. Jack and Sister Peggy, wanting to know what we knew. I told them my side of the story, and what I saw. Jack said he heard 4 shots and went to the roof, hearing the 5th shot as he reached the top. The night watchman (Vanini) pointed out the body, lying still on the ground. Fr. saw his friends pick him up and put him in a taxi to the hospital. Fr. Jack then told me the boy died. I pretty much figured he would, being shot at such close range. I could see the flashes of the shots which were about waist-level.

So, now we have a 22 year old "corrupt" boy who's been killed. The mother, my friend. The sister, our foster daughter. Many people witnessed me holding my little Stephanie, and hugging her mother Isabelle. The wrong people. This is the problem. The "other" wrong people witnessed me comforting the shooter's mother who was having anxiety/heart problems... I was now caught in the middle.

So as Friday played out, I went to afternoon Spanish class as usual. I took the alternative way home from the parish, bought some fry-bread, and was almost home when Brookston met me on the street. I could see the cop's vehicle in front of the neighbor's, and thought now what??!!

Brookston, who appeared quite nervous, was talking very fast and trying to explain to me what had just happened.........the victim's friends had come to our place and were throwing rocks/cement pieces at the shooter's mother....Now she's about 60+ years old and was on her roof to feed her dog. The boys started throwing stones at her. Brookston said one bounced into our foyer and scratched Julio's motorcycle......Brookston also witnessed the "mother" throw a large piece of cement onto the guy below, knocking him down. The police arrived a short time later.

So as I was processing this information, thinking, "my kids just witnessed this violence---for real!!!" Wow. I went into the house, put some sugar on the fry bread, handed it out, and was sitting outside in our foyer talking to my house mom and brother, when we started to hear escalating voices.......off from afar, but too close for comfort...........the hair on my arms stood up as Brinley said, "mom, I think something bad is gonna happen.".......

Just then, a pickup with cops drove by with 3 militant-looking cops standing up in the back of the pickup armed with AK's...(or not...but big rifles, anyways)....They were desperately waving at all the people to get inside for protection. Our whole family ran inside and were in "lock=down" for awhile. Of course, some of us curious ones snuck a peek out the windows......only to see nothing.

When the imminent danger had passed and the riot noise had dissipated, we went outside to process all we had just experienced. The neighborhood was "quiet" for a time, and so we ventured out to Louis Carlos' place to see our MN friends, the Millers....escorted of course by our house mom and brother. We had a nice time. Wilder and Robertito returned later to Louis' house, and walked us home. Wilder then told me that his 4 cop friends were on patrol to keep us safe......Good 'ol Wilder! Always watching out for his "family.....(us)..." He told me the 4 cops that I helped to get reading glasses over a month ago were around keeping us safe. Wilder had brought them to the neighborhood earlier that day, and said, "Please keep my gringo friends safe. They are caught in the middle of danger." Of course they remembered "the tall Gringa" who helped them at the medical post a few weeks ago. So they were patrolling the neighborhood until 7am this morning. Also, Wilder told me that there were undercover policemen in the neighborhood fully armed, watching and waiting for any unrest. So, last night I slept......I went to bed fully aware of the police outside my window.....every noise I heard, I would remind myself, "There are police outside my window...".....and I slept........

This brings us to this morning. Once I awoke and had my 2 cups of coffee, we got ready to go to the parroquia for music lessons. The kids were really excited. When I got to the parish, I found that the man didn't show up, so the kids were very disappointed. Sr. Peggy gave Brinley the home-made violin she so wanted......she told the story of how a man from the parish made it for his daughter and she didn't want to play it.......she then sold it to Sr. Peggy for very little money to feed her family......now, it belongs to Miss Brinley.....Sr. Peggy has passed it on to her little "sweetie." Ok. I cried, a little. Very choked up at the whole story of this violin.

So Sister Peggy had me come into her office and asked that we move into the compound for protection. She gave several good reasons, and stated that she was very worried about us. So I talked to the kids and felt them out for their feelings. It was pretty much unanimous that we continue to stay with our host family......however, Fr. Jack then came into the picture.....

I then visited with Fr. Jack for an hour, listening to his advice...."of course it's your decision, but I think you need to move into here today." He continued, "You are the closest volunteers I have ever had so close to such violence." So I contemplated it for a few minutes, and the boys came into his office and listened to his reasoning.......They were then OK with the idea of making a move to the parroquia....where there's 24/7 guards upstairs and downstairs.

So we went to our family's house, afraid to tell them what the new plan is.....however, they took it well........both Mercedes and Tony, our house mother and brother agreed that it's for the best... that it's not worth putting ourselves in danger for nothing.

Fr. Jack had pointed out that we've had a better experience than any other gringos visiting Chimbote.....we have lived "the life" of the families, witnessed the violence that can occur, and are still safe and sound.....no sense taking any chances....he had explained the customs to us....
When someone dies, they keep the body in the person's house for a vigil.....it's the family's responsibility to provide alcohol for the visitors to keep them there.......so all his friends have been drinking day and night, awaiting his funeral........The funeral won't be until tomorrow (Sunday), which means there is great potential for more unrest in the neighborhood.
He also told us that once the body is in the ground, it's custom to return to the person's home for a "party.".......which can go on for hours and hours......however, he's witness it where the victim's friends wait until he's in the ground and then seek their revenge on the assassin's family. Since this won't be until later tomorrow, it's just another reason to get out while we can.

"Thank you, Fr. Jack".... for making this very difficult decision for us....for me....for my family.

So we returned to our host family's house with very heavy hearts. Our family didn't see it coming, but supported our decision to move to a safer environment. We have left several of our things there, indicating that we will definitely return....... Mercedes will still make us lunch every day, and still do our laundry, but we will no longer be hanging out in the neighborhood after 4pm. Wilder brought the big white van to load our belongings, and he too agreed it's definitely for the best that we get out of there.

So this afternoon, we all moved into the dorms in the compound......it will be an adjustment, but one that is necessary for our safety......we are all very sad, but I am relieved and will sleep well tonight, knowing I have 2 guards guarding us 24/7........

We don't have wireless internet at the parroquia, so we won't be online as much.......We will blog and return emails if the internet is working at the parish....
Love to all, and please keep us in your prayers.

Collette


This morning, I awoke refreshed, the events o


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