Washing of the day and reliving my trauma!

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

I started to see girls heading to the back room with all the beds. I had just finished my food, and I was in observation mode again. I have always been an observer. There is something about being in the corner of the room and taking in everything that you see. I had watched the girls eat and socialize; enjoying each other’s company. I saw them taking me in, wondering.

The sun had started to go down, and I felt my first cool breeze of the day. As it glazed over my skin, I closed my eyes and once again, took in the beauty of how it felt. Writing this, I think it was when I really learned how to stop and be grateful in my moments. Somehow, I knew I was going to be fine, but how the hell do I come to that conclusion in my current situation?

I opened my eyes and tilted my head up. The rays of the sun were peaking through the holes in the roof….

Oh shit! I thought to myself. I had already noticed the abundance of lizards gathering on the roof. Things were so different here. Then my mind went to my first night here; where was I sleeping?

I felt my anxiety starting to creep, so I figured that this was the time to speak with Andrea again. The girls were starting to clean up, and more were heading to the back. I got up and walked back over to the makeshift kitchen. Andrea was busy cleaning and looked up when she heard me coming.

“Hey Simone,” she said with a warm smile. “How was dinner?”

“Oh my God,” I exclaimed. “It was so good, you have no idea. Ummm! I have a question. What do we do about our dishes?”

“Take them over to the room next to us,” Andrea said, gesturing to her right. “Wash them up quick, and you better hurry up and get in line for the shower. We each have 5 minutes to bathe, and the time goes quickly with this many women in one house. Lights out in about an hour.”

She handed me a washcloth, and some powdered soap. “Do you mind washing these pots out for me as well?”

“Of course,” I replied. I felt grateful to this woman who now I know God sent into my life.

I quickly walked over to the room on the right that Andrea had pointed to. As I rounded the corner, I heard giggling, and then saw a line of girls starting to stretch past the shower room and splitting in the space between the large bedrooms. I heard the shower running, the splashing of water. I was taking in every piece of this experience.

I turned into the room and saw four sinks bolted into the wall. It kind of reminded me of sinks in primary schools. They were so small. I saw that the last one in the back was unoccupied. Other girls were washing their pots and pans, busying themselves in their task. I walked to the sink and placed my plate and the pots on the floor. I had noticed the other girls had done the same thing, so I just followed them.

I finished washing the dishes and headed back to the kitchen. I looked to my right and saw that in the short time I had been washing the dishes the line-up had grown. Andrea was right; things did move very fast.

The kitchen had cleared out, and Andrea was speaking to one of the women in Spanish. She saw me come in and gestured to where I should put the dishes. “Go get in line Simone,” she said to me. “I will get you set up with a bed after you finish.”

I dropped off the dishes and walked to the back. It was time to wash off this day.