The Hacienda: A small hotel we called Home

 

I believe the world is one big family, and we need to help each other. ~ Jet Li

Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back. ~ John Ruskin

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Last week’s email was about two moments of kindness that changed everything. This week’s is different. It’s about the kindness people offered us: an experience of family – caring and love along with routine and stability – when we were “alone” and very far from home both physically and emotionally.

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My friend and I arrived in Peru late at night. A person from the hotel picked us up and we presumed he was taking us there. However, instead we were taken to a empty and locked up building somewhere outside of Lima. When we went inside, it was clear that no one had stayed here in some time: dirty and dusty plus it didn’t feel safe. So, in no uncertain terms, I told the driver to take us to the hotel where we were booked. He said that all of the rooms there were occupied. I said I didn’t care. “Take us to the hotel! We’ll figure something out.” I was supposed to receive Michael the next morning at 10 am and I couldn’t conceive of doing it in this abandoned place. 

So he drove us to the hotel and it turned out that they did have one room available: the “penthouse.” I put the word in quotes because it seemed nothing like a penthouse to me. It consisted of a bedroom, bath, and kitchen combined with a living room. Very, very basic. How did we happen to come to this hotel? I don’t know whether the adoption agency or the local lawyer booked it. I never would have chosen it.

Every guest at this hotel was in the midst of adoption. As a result, it was very noisy what with, just for starters, babies crying. The lawyer (abogada) for our case also was working on five other families staying at this hotel. When she came to work with one of the families which usually involved her needing money for some unknown adoption purpose, all of the other families would come to the lobby and descend on her as well. Moving was a great idea because it separated me from the anxiety-producing competition for the lawyer’s time and attention.

The adoption process was supposed to take about two weeks. But, given it was Latin America, I planned for six weeks. I had invited three friends to join us for two weeks each. When my first friend was leaving, I decided we would leave too and move to a different hotel. Just a couple of blocks away I had seen a small hotel that looked very inviting. And it was that and more. Indeed. Two other friends joined us there over the next month. By the time we were left on our own, we weren’t really on our own at all. The hotel staff and one guest in particular became family of sorts for the months that followed.

 

 

 

 

I’ll begin with Rita. The hotel had no restaurant or room service but it did have a small kitchen. That’s where Rita worked. She cooked for the staff. I arrived in Peru at the same time that cholera arrived. That meant that all of our water had to be boiled. Rita took over! Not only did she boil even Michael’s bathwater but she also took charge of making his bottles of formula and storing them in her small refrigerator. In addition, she served as a mommy-mentor for me. What a blessing!\

 

 

 

 

 

Others on the staff gravitated to Michael as well. And then there was Robert (holding up the tails of Michael’s formal wear PJs), an entrepreneur from Germany who was also living at the hotel while he supervised the building of a school in a barrio outside of Lima. All were wonderful. Staff found me extra linens and pillows, a desk, a rocker, a table for changing as well as a small red tub for bathing Michael. (Somewhere I have a photo of Robert bathing him! Delightful.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our room was home. We spent a good amount of time there. I bought little cloth figures and used embroidery thread I brought with me to hang them in his crib like a mobile of sorts. I also hung colorful hand-sewn applique scenes of Peru behind his bed. He liked sitting in my bed surrounded by pillows as well. He spent a lot of time bouncing in the closet with my clothes and a stash of non-restaurant snacks. And I had a desk! You can see the edge of the changing table to the left and the rocker to the right. And then there was the magnificent garden! Robert often hung out with us but, on this occasion, he took the photo from the balcony of his room.

We walked around the neighborhood every day. Just by way of example, every day we encountered this group of moneychangers. They called Michael the winner of the lottery. We also encountered women and their colorful hand-sewn applique scenes of Peru. I bought some and hung them behind Michael’s crib so he could enjoy them.

 

 

 

 

And then there was Dr. Garcia. He saved Michael’s life when Michal was found malnourished at six weeks old. I arrived four weeks later, when he was ten weeks old. We visited Dr. Garcia about once a week. One day he was especially pleased with Michael’s progress and he said, “It’s amazing what love and milk can do!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Barbara
Miraflores, Peru
Scans of 35mm slides