The Beautiful Children

Yesterday I received a new assignment that both thrilled me and made me more nervous than anything else I have experienced since my arrival in India. This assignment is outside the college and will probably take up an hour or so of my time two to three days a week – more than that if I fall in love with it, which I’m sure I will.

The assignment involves teaching a remedial English class to children in the dalit colony that is just across the road from Chacko Homes. There is a YWCA in the midst of this colony, where women from the community put together programs for the people that live there. One program is this remedial English class, which has been going on for several years. Jill, the YAGM who was in my position 2003-2004 was highly involved, and it was one of her best experiences. I have a feeling it will be one of mine too.

But the first day was nerve-racking. I had no idea what to expect as I walked into this dalit colony. It was very interesting to note that it really looked no different from any other side road in this town. And the people look no different either. You can't just look at someone and say, "Oh, that's a dalit."

But you can look at these little children and say, "Wow, are you ever beautiful." I've spent only 45 minutes with these children - some of them barely more than babies - and, already, they have touched me deeply. I wish you all could have seen their big, dark eyes grow wide as they walked in to the tiny room and saw an extraordinarily tall (by Indian standards) white woman. As they sat down close together on the benches, they began to speak to me, trying out the few English phrases they know: "Hi, how are you?" and "What is your name?" along with "Mother?" and "Father?" asking their names. I answered these few questions over and over as each one tried out their English on me. It was so beautiful - and they were all so beautiful - that I just wanted to cry.

I didn't, though, because I knew they wouldn't understand my tears. And anyway, if things go on like this, I suppose I'll need to have tears on reserve.