Falling Slowly

The fall was a 10-meter, slow-motion, backwards spiral into oncoming traffic. At last, when the inebriated man could no longer support himself, he fell like a sack of potatoes right in front of our slowing car.

We had had a nice day. This was our first journey outside of Sofia together as a family since our almost three months in Bulgaria. A friend had invited us to her place for the day. She lives in a beautiful little town that sits on the edge of the Rhodope Mountains. We enjoyed the fall colors and snow-peaked mountains as we drove the short hour-and-a-half distance. 

Once we reached our friend’s apartment, we were greeted with a feast for lunch. She had prepared a variety of traditional Bulgarian foods which we began devouring with great speed. By the time the main dish appeared, our appetites had waned. This was only a minor obstacle, however, and did not put a damper on our ability to consume the Moussaka before us. 

After lunch, our hostess suggested we drive a short distance to the island where the Maritsa river surrounds a bit of land joined by a separate branch of the river. This pleased the kids greatly because a zoo is the central attraction. They even found cotton candy and Sophie got her first taste of fluffy sugar! 

Once each cage was investigated and we were sure we had not missed any animal, we set off for the mountain where Julija knew of the ideal place to sit and have coffee. The drive did not disappoint. Winding roads gave way to brilliant hills laden with reds, oranges, yellows, and greens that together created a breathtaking view. We found the restaurant and all sat down outside to enjoy coffee in the chill of the late sunny afternoon.

The setting sun told us that it was time to hit the road for Sofia. We set off for the town to leave our friend and say our good-byes. As we approached town, we glimpsed something questionable in the distance. A man was leaving the sidewalk, backwards. We then noticed that his gait was not normal. Well, I guess walking backwards into traffic is not normal either, but this gave us greater insight into the man’s frame of mind . . . or lack thereof. John began to slow his speed and the man continued to weave backwards, trying hopelessly to catch his balance. His efforts were in vain because just as he approached the path of our oncoming car, he dropped like a rag doll, hitting his head with great force.

Our path impeded, a helpless fellow lying before us, John did the only thing he could. He put on his flashers and exited our car. When he approached the man, his eyes opened and John put his hand out to help him up. He gave the man a good jerk and he came to his feet. The two walked across the road together, John leading the way, and John left him sitting safely on the sidewalk. 

I have dwelt much in my thoughts about this man and the nuisance he was to our otherwise peaceful day. His fall was rather disturbing to my emotional capacity. Then I was reminded that I had had a brilliant day. In fact, most of my days are good. This poor man had not enjoyed a peaceful day. I wonder how long it had been since he’d had a good day. I was then driven to appreciate his situation. Perhaps he had once been a man of hope, a man of great education or even notoriety among his sphere of influence. Now, he is a nobody, a drunk. What happened? Of course I will never know the reality of his situation but thinking about it helps me as I encounter people in the course of my day. So many around us - wherever we are in the world - need education, hope, love, a place to go, etc. This is our commandment. It is not a nuisance.

Dirty Smiles

I have had the joy in recent weeks to work with Roma kids at a literacy program in Sofia. My friend, Terry, started the program three years ago and it is proving to have great success. The Roma peoples make up 8-10% of Bulgaria’s population and are a suffering minority. Few Roma children attend school regularly. Their parents remain uneducated and do not motivate them to learn. The reasons for this are many but I will not dwell here for this is not my reason for writing today.

One of the girls who attends literacy each week is fifteen years old. She asked me yesterday, “Mrs., what is five minus five?” I was aghast by her lack of skill in problem-solving. Gina was working on a color by numbers page that required her to calculate certain problems to discern the answer and thus the appropriate color for that part of the picture. I showed her what five minus five is by using pencils as a visual example. She seemed to grasp the concept and quickly shaded in the correct color. To my surprise, three minutes later she asked, “What’s six minus zero?” Again, I was taken aback by the utter lack of understanding and education provided this young, beautiful girl. 

I cannot say Gina knows nothing. This is untrue. She has probably seen more life than I will ever see. She sometimes attends lessons with a 2-year-old child/relative in tow to whom she shows great skill in the care she gives. Hygiene and basic trust have been lost on this developing young lady, but she knows how to survive in a world with no education, no attention, and few of life’s luxuries. When I say luxuries, I do not mean getting to eat at McDonald’s or hopping in a car to go see a movie with a friend. The luxuries I am talking about are having running water, a toothbrush, a fresh change of clothes and of course, an education.

The words in my heart are difficult to share beyond this point. The need is so great that meeting it seems unattainable. If we speak honestly, we know that it is. But that does not negate the beautiful smiles through rotting teeth and dirty clothes that I see when I teach and play with them. Bringing joy to the “least of these” is never unattainable. 

Laura