“Earthquake,” Steve shouted, bounding out of our bed and
jumping into action. Grabbing Marina
from her bedroom, he threw her onto his lap and entrenched himself in her
doorway. “Grab Benji!”
It was 2:50 in
the morning, and we had moved to Costa Rica
three days earlier. Minutes before, my
dreams were interrupted; not by the usual car alarms, roosters or baying
hounds, but by a 4.4 on the Richter scale.
I made my way down the treacherous, winding staircase, sans
glasses, which I cursed myself for leaving on my nightstand. I wended my way into Benji’s small room/cave,
and saw him lying there like Sleeping Beauty, stone asleep. I shook him tenderly. He didn’t move. “Benji,” I whispered. “Earthquake, Sweetie, come sit with me in the
doorway.” I half dragged him out of
bed, and he continued to snore while I waited for aftershocks. When none came after a few minutes, I dumped
him back in bed.
In the morning, Benji was surprised to hear that there had
been an earthquake.
___________________________________________________________________________
As an incentive to move to another country, leave their
friends, and start over again in a new place –we offered our twins a carrot: Cell phones for all! Marina
was truly ecstatic about her new phone. She remarked: “Now I’m going to call all of my friends and
talk for hours. Wait. I wish I had some friends here.” Wow.
That’s so sad, isn’t it?
Instead, we suggested that she take advantage of the
introductory offer of three days of free texting. “Who will I text?” she asked.
Well, the only folks whose number you have: your family!
Thus began the waterfall of texts that we received every few
minutes. “Where r u?”, “I’m in my
bedroom.”, “I have shelves in my closet,” and a hundred other fascinating
insights. Just wait ‘til we let her get
a Facebook account. I’m sure the updates
will be scintillating.
In our yard, on our walk to school, and in the school
courtyard, mangos drip from the trees in luscious bouquets. The school maintenance staff showed the kids
how to pick up buggy, green mangos; launch them with force and good aim at the
tree; and then delight in the fallen treasures.
The staff at Country Day School has been so welcoming, professional
and accommodating. And they’re not even
paying me to say that. Today, Benji and
Marina helped me place hundreds of books into my classroom bookshelves. So many books, so many students, so great to
be living in Costa Rica!
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