Peeping

I went to brush my teeth in the designated ´tooth brushing room´. It was a mud room with a large tile sink and the washer and dryer machine. The dryer machines here were different; they just spun the clothes without heat and so they still had to be hung up afterwards. Before, it hadn´t really been significant to me that Aurora´s (my homestay mom´s) undergarments were hanging in this room from the ceiling on a circular devise, similar to a hanging basket, but just the rim with clothes pins on little chains. It was early that morning that the practice became very visible to me. The devise rested right at eye level and was placed just off-center of the tooth brushing sink. One would struggle to not at least notice its presence and if the underwear was bright colored, - as almost all of mine were that hung that morning - one may even be intrigued to look. As I stared at my own hanging undergarments, I thought of my father Jaukin and my older brother Yeisin. What did they think of my colorful underwear?

That night Yeison and I got back late from roller skating. Aurora and Jaukin were already in bed. The house was dark and I went to brush my teeth. Yeison had beaten me to it. I could not go in that small room with him and my underwear, so I went to my room to wait. Emerging with a clear coast, all of the lights were out and I had no idea where the switches were... I made it to the room and began brushing my teeth in the dark. Something was in there with me. The nose of movement on cardboard, something of reasonable size. A cat? A very large bug??? Where on earth is the light!? I quickly got out of the room (barely escaping alive) and retrieved my headlamp. There was a box on the floor, but inside was ...? Baby chicks.

Since that night, I´ve seen little peeping boxes everywhere. On the bus, at people´s houses, being carried down the street. Everyone here keeps chickens for meat and some for eggs. I´ll help my family slaughter theirs in November.