Thursday, "Take it Easy!"

On Thursday, I felt rested from the snorkeling and chicken drop the night before. We had breakfast on the pier again. I wore my goldfish necklace I bought from Harrison, and got 3 boys to tutor together in reading. They were 11, 12, and 13. The 11- and 12-year-olds were actually pretty fluent readers, but Jonathan, the oldest, was having a lot more trouble. I tried to test them on analysis and reading comprehension, hoping to interest Jonathan, but he was disinterested in that, too. Worse, when he mispronounced a word, the other would blurt it out and tease Jonathan.

Through lunch, I felt pretty low about Jonathan. I tried to paint a little and work in the library, but I was restless as well as sad. Finally, I decided to persevere and tutor again. They brought me Rodel, a little Hispanic boy, and Chris, a little black boy, probably about 8 years old.

I walked them through one whole page of a story. It was HARD for them! I taught them about short and long vowel sounds and about breaking words into syllables to sound them out. It worked but it was such slow going that I began to lose their interest. I had an idea: we took a break to play Red Light, Green Light. I promised we’d play again when we got through the last paragraph, and with that tactic we at last completed a page. [When he saw us playing a second time,] Roger laughed and said I was tutoring recess, but I was so happy because I had gotten somewhere with these boys where I couldn’t do so with Jonathan.

That day, Mr. Cruz at the school noticed our hard work and was inspired to join us that night for our devotional hour. Happy, Tanisha and I walked back to The Tides, stopping to hang out with a group of kids playing in the rafters of an oceanside pavilion. They were so giggly and joyful. Belize is so incredible.

That night, we were feeling local. After eating out so much, funds were low. Mike and Walt came with us, and Mike suggested Mamita’s for a small, cheap place [with good food]. It was nice to spend time with Tanisha, Mike, and Walt as a small group, and so close to home. We were feeling the camaraderie so well that after dinner, Tanisha and Walt and I sat at the end of the long pier and just talked; and pet a stray dog we nicknamed Muffin. We [told stories and] laughed and stayed out late—it was peaceful, until the night guard [who was making Tanisha nervous all night] snuck up so close on us and almost scared the pants off Tanisha! [That was a riot!]

We were paranoid when we crept back into the suite. I was alone in the room when I heard a man’s voice, as clear as day, say “Take it Easy.” Tanisha walked in and I asked if she heard a voice. “A man’s voice?” “Yeah,” I asked, “why aren’t you scared?” At that point, [we were really scared, and] we started laughing hysterically even though we were so scared we started checking the fridge and under the bed for ghosts. Tanisha is scared of ghosts! [And you can bet I had fun with that one!]