Two days ago, I went to the market in Palenque. The guys from our group started to play hackey-sack with another boy around the age of 10. I was sitting on the steps watching and praying. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little boy around the age of 7, looking at the guys, wanting to join in. He laughed every time the sack fell with that adorable little kid laugh that makes you laugh. I thought, hmmm…how can I have him join in since he looks so young. I was praying about it and I felt I should go get a hackey sack. I had no idea what to do with it once I got it, (co-ordination is not exactly a talent of mine)but I felt strongly to go purchase one.
So, I started walking around the market looking for one. It took me a while till I actually found one, got it and went back to the steps. However, my little guy was gone. I sat down thinking, well, now what do I do? It only took a few minutes till another little boy walked up to the group and kind of squatted down and watched the big guys play. My team mates later told me that his mom kept telling him, not to touch the ball, but you could see he really wanted to play. The only thing was he was really a little kid.
He was probably about 2-3 and had cute little jean shorts on and a little red baseball cap with goofy on it and big brown eyes. I thought, okay, I can play with him. So, I walked up slowly, got down on my hands and knees and just kind of rolled the ball over to him. At first he was really bashfull and just kind of looked at it and then looked at me. I nodded and smiled and he went over and picked it up. We spent the next 20 minutes playing catch. He loved to throw it in the air as high as he could. He would just stand and giggle, put his hand over his mouth and then pick it up and throw it to me. I wanted to talk to him, but was thinking I´d really confuse the little guy with my broken Spanish. So, I just continued to play catch and laugh with him.
My team mates soon wrapped up their game and started to head off. They asked if I was ready and then came the shock. The little guy goes, you go bye-bye? AGHHHH!!! All this time I could have been talking to him in English and I ignored it because I thought he would never understand. Why do I do that and not just go out on a limb?
So, he looked at me and then looked at the hackey-sack that he was holding and said, mine? And said, yep, yours and smiled and walked away. I would have loved to have known him more, but I held back. I could have a least asked for his name, but I didn´t. Sometimes it´s the little mistakes that you learn the most from. So, even though I don´t know his name, the little guy has taken a place in my heart and will forever be my little friend.
