Once again, it's been an eventful few days around here. We had been waiting for the go ahead to move with the girls and the girls' warden Sabitha to the little (and I mean really little) house next door. It took a while to renovate, but the final rental payments have been made and yesterday was moving day. Nina and I now currently reside on top of each other practically breathing each others already-breathed air. I'm exaggerating, it isn't that bad, but it sure is hot, and if you want to keep your head on your shoulders, you have to be careful not to sit up too straight on the top bunk or the fan might cause a horrible accident. The middle room will eventually hold all of the girls, but none of the beds have been moved in yet. We have done away with the quarantine (we didn't have a choice) and all the girls along with poor lonely Kishore are sleeping together on mats on the floor. It is already cramped with 10 kids, but the number will come close to doubling when the summer vacation ends and those who have gone to stay with relatives return.
(Above photo: Nina in our new room, sitting precariously under the low whizzing fan.)
A few days ago the lucky ones started filing out to enjoy their vacation with loved ones. The house(s) have quieted down a bit and we will soon have a fraction of the children for a few weeks. Most will return in the beginning of May to prepare for the new school year. Others have just been relaxing, and many have at least had a visitor. Uday and Manisha left yesterday, but will not be returning. Their mother has been 'rehabilitated' and claims she can now care for her children. We hope that she is able to love and care for them in the way they need. I know I should be happy, but after getting to know them down in quarantine, especially caring for Uday after his accident, I got a soft spot for the pair and am really going to miss them!
Some of the girls taking an afternoon nap in the new house
(From left to right: Nishmitha, Nakshathra, Swetha, Monica, Revathi, Sneha, Kishore)
We had another lice infestation incident, the worst I have ever seen (and hopefully will ever see) in my life. We took Monica upstairs to get her head shaved and with the first cut, saw the most appalling farm of lice and eggs that had not only been reproducing at an incredible rate, but were also feasting on her poor little scalp. I feel terrible for Monica, she has been through a lot in the past month and I can only imagine what is going on in her head. At just 6 years old, she and her brothers were dropped off by their mother (her father was MIA), then she came down with the chickenpox, followed by the worst case of lice ever, had her head shaved, and has moved three times in the past few weeks. First she is moved into a home without parents, living with sixty-some other children, then moved down to a small room filled with sick children, then moved back upstairs (crying because she didn't want to go back up after she had come down and lived with us and had some individual attention) and now she's been moved to the building next door to sleep on the floor. Her father stopped by today out of the blue and she refused to go outside and spend time with him, which only makes me wonder what kind of turmoil she experienced before she got here. I can't imagine how overwhelming it must be to be so young and have such an unstable life. I am trying to comfort her as much as I can, and know she must be feeling some major anxiety as she has had 4 bathroom accidents in the past three days. She has a permanent look of worry on her face and it breaks my heart. All she wants is someone to love her and hold her and treat her like the light of their life, the things that a mother should be doing for her. We will do our best, and every smile that lights up her face is a sign that we are doing something right.
I don't know if you can see, but she was teeming with lice
©Nina
Monica with a new 'do, snoozing in the new house
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