Rachmid's Shack

Jan 21, 2005

Today is a Muslim holiday. People gather at the mosques, pray and share a sacrificed cow among the community. Family and friends gather together and visit one another from house to house as they share bountiful arrays of different foods. Our neighbors invited us to celebrate with them. It's amazing how much conversation can be exchanged with hands, facial expressions, charades and heart.

The people here are so lovely. Everyone smiles greets me with such affection and respect. This area has not been taken by tourism because of political conflicts over the past decade so the people find us novel and intriguing. When I first came, I thought perhaps they would be biased against me for being American, but actually, they hold Americans in high esteem. They know that people from around the world have come to help them and they are hopeful that we will work together them to rebuild their lives.

I went for a walk today, just somewhere, anywhere around the neighborhood. Carefully, trying to identify some key landmarks to retrace my way home, I went exploring for the first time on foot since I arrived. A strolled under the oppressive heat of the sun and admired the neighborhood. The area where I live, about 5 miles from the sea, wasn't affected at all by the tsunami. Beautiful houses line these residential streets. As I wandered about, I was particularly curious about a small shack that was nestled in between grandiose mansions of the obvious more privileged. As I stood before the shack a young woman came out and invited me inside. I thought she was hurt and needed some insistence, but as I approached her, she invited me inside to serve me a dish of food. Once inside, I met her husband and three children and another boy she called "tsunami." His name was Rachmid. We managed to have an entire dialogue using a pen and paper and again the charades with trusty hands and facial expressions. I came to know that she and her husband were very concerned about the welfare of the people hurt by the tsunami. After the wave hit, they went to a local group and asked to adopt a child. Rachmid, 9 years old, had lost his mother and father and siblings. In fact, he had lost all 30 members of his family and was left alone without anyone in his little life. So, these people living in this shack took him as part of their family. Not impressive? Well, the Mr. makes three dollars a day as a driver. They live in a house with one light bulb, one bedroom and a front room, no kitchen, no refrigerator, no bathroom, no nothing, but they did have a radio. We sat in the front room and continued our charades. When I asked them how they could consider taking in another child when they didn’t have enough for themselves with the salary of three dollars a day, they simply said they must help this child who suffered so much. I asked if they had toothbrushes and they showed me three with bristles going horizontally. I asked if they had soap and I was shown a pill sized piece that was shared among them all.

I excused myself and went to the corner shop and bought toothbrushes of every color, toothpaste, peanuts, pens and paper, soap and detergent. Because of the holiday, all other shops were closed so truly speaking Santa couldn't do his thing...yet. But rest assured, these people will be touched by the hand of God. Some people gave me money in Hong Kong before I left on this mission. They asked me to use my judgment. I can't imagine anything higher than to let these people help Rachmid. But it isn't about Rachmid; it's about the poorest of the poor stepping forward and asking to have the opportunity to serve another person in need. Returning to the shack, I asked some neighbors living in fancy houses with cars, shops and gold ornaments, if they also adopted a Rachmid. They said that they didn't have enough money to meet their own needs let alone adopt a tsunami child. I asked them how it was possible that the people in the shack adopted Rachmid and the people in the mansions didn’t have enough to do the same. No one answered my rhetorical question. A shack that would not be inhabitable in the west now houses six people proudly. They will have a fan to squelch the sweltering heat and I will buy them some mattresses and some more household supplies. I will do what I can to honor these people who have so selflessly touched a little boy's life.

Good night