"Here's Some Hair and an ORS"

Saturnina gave me my first lesson on child rearing in Belize:
1. Do not throw babies up and down because it will make 'their water drop' i.e. their soft spot sink.
2. Do not tickle their feet they will be rude.
3. Do not kiss their hands or neck...they will have a stutter.
4. If you frighten a child they will get sick.
5. The remedy: get a piece of hair from the offender, burned with the child breathing in the hair smoke. If no hair can be found rinse the shoes of the offender and pour the water over babies head.

All this was explained to my on my back veranda as she held a naked Seaford. Saturnina told me she was ashamed to ask for some of Greg's hair when Sheldon got sick so she rinsed his shoes with water and poured it over his head...he got better. Then she told me Ofelia took some of the hair in the yard from Greg's haircut for Hermin but was afraid to ask for mine (all the kids have been getting sick). I told her that I would gladly give a little piece of my hair. Saturnina, throughout our conversation, kept saying, "it's just what we believe." I felt it was important to validate that you should never be ashamed of what you believe in...while also saying how when babies are dehydrated their eyes and soft spot will sink in too. Saturnina said that the doctor gave them pedialite. They are using a combination of tradition and modern medicine. The fact that Saturnina could tell me these things, and both of us not judging the other it felt really good. I asked for another 'lesson' soon.

The next morning, after hearing Hermin cry all night, I went over to their cocine and handed them an ORS package and a piece of my hair. They were all laughing but, Ofelia looked me in the eye and said, "Tanks Keveen." Hermin was better later that day...go figure:)

Mr. Santiago got sick a few days later...there have been lots of cases of illness in the village. Andres said it is because they haven't cleaned the water tower in a while. The water board is supposed to clean it inside and out every 3 months. I guess I should have been brushing my teeth with the filtered water because when the family gets sick...so do I. Greg told them all that I was sick and to keep an eye on me. This prompted most of them to come stare at me from the door. On one of my trips back from the latrine Ms. Cecilia taught me how to say my stomach hurts in ketchi and 'loose stool.' She laughed so hard when I tried to say my stomach was hurting...so I just said "ra in'chool" (my spirit is not well) and she gave me a smile and went back to washing the walkway. Mr. Santiago came to the door and gave me an ORS (oral re hydration salts) package and said it really helped him when he was sick. I was so excited that he used it, so to show that indeed ORS are the best thing for dehydration I mixed it right there and started drinking it. Sheldon and Margarita quietly played on the floor, Brendon said he doesn't like sick kevina.

When I got back from my medical stay at the hospital Brendon asked if I got an injection (everyone gets an injection for everything). I told him no I got two kinds of pills. He paused, looked confused, then said, "Oh you mean the pink pink? I like that." AKA amoxicillian.