Brothers (Fer)Nando and (Fran)Cisco
Have you ever had a déjà vu moment, when what you are thinking in your head plays out right in front of you? Some might call it prophetic, some times its just common sense…
I had one of those “common sense” moments this past week.
I was helping Nando with dinner preparations when I noticed an old board with rusty nails protruding from it. It was right in the main path and clearly not suppose to be there. I should move that I thought.
My mind reverted back to my childhood when I watched my brother run barefoot through the summer grass. As he waved to my mom and me on the front porch, he went down with a loud shriek of pain. We had re-roofed the house the previous summer and Matthew’s foot found one of the remaining nails buried in the front lawn. After a few tears, lots of love and a tetanus shot, he was back to normal.
As I looked up from the kitchen, my thoughts became reality. It was like being back on the front porch and watching my brother all over again. Cisco, Nando’s little brother, winced in pain as he pulled his foot up off a nail. It pierced through his flip flop and went an inch into his foot.
My first aid training flooded into my mind and I looked around the scene for anyone to help. No one. Cisco clearly needed some medical attention but I couldn’t bring myself to leave him alone. He needed to be comforted.
I sat down in the sand and put him in my lap. I hugged him as tears streamed down his face. He’s a tough little guy, he barely let out a whimper but his shaking body told me he was in intense pain.
I hollered for my teammate to grab the first aid kit and put my first aid skills to work. Little bit of peroxide, little bit of bacitracin, tape on a big band-aid…that’s about all I could do. Tetanus shot, you ask? Not the standard protocol here.
After the whole event happened, it got me thinking.
These boys don’t have a mom. They don’t have someone to comfort them; they don’t have a lap to sit on or arms to cuddle in. They’re trying to survive alone in a big scary world.
The typical story of a Kedesh boy is this: a parent dies of an illness, the other parent struggles to support the family. The second parent dies and a family relative takes in all the kids. A breaking point happens when the relative doesn’t want the kids anymore, can’t provide for the their needs or passes away. The kids float from house to house in attempt to survive, often taking to the streets. They will beg, borrow and steal just to make it by.
Cisco and Nando’s story is a bit different; not only do they have each other, their mom is still living. She lives in the area but is incredibly young and lacks the resources to provide for her boys. They are able to visit her but even in their youth, they realize what a blessed life they have at Kedesh.
Both boys are incredibly responsible and invested in living here. They have completely different personalities but bring abundant joy to this community.
Nando is a sponge when it comes to learning new things and incredibly witty, even in English. While instructing me on how to make beans for dinner, he pointed to the tomatoes, onions and peppers and said, “Emily, put in pot and stir.” (It should be noted that “put” is pronounced “poot”) When those had cooked, he pointed to the large bowl of soaking beans and said, “Emily, put in pot and stir.” A few minutes later, he pointed to a kitten that had frolicked our way and said, “Emily, put in pot and stir.” When I picked up the kitten and brought it toward the pot, he emphatically pushed it away and through fits of giggles and a large smile said, “No! No! Joking, joking!”
Cisco’s nickname is Guapo meaning “good-looking” because he is constantly strutting his stuff like a little diva. The boy has got some stellar dance moves and hips that don’t lie! He even looks classy when he tends to the goats (see picture below).
Sometimes in their confidence, I forget they’re just kids. They still crave love and attention, comfort, care and even arms to cuddle in.
In a perfect world, Kedesh wouldn’t exist because there would be no need. But it’s not a perfect world and there is a need. These boys have been exposed to a lot in their young lives but they’ve banded together to create a unique community. Through their trials, they exude abundant joy of which I’ve been a blessed recipient.
Cisco showing off his diva side while tending to the goats. He "borrowed" Lauren's peacock headband on this particular day.
