New Hope Next Door

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

Catch Ya Later Cooties

Look Auntie, no lice!

Nithin sporting his new louse-free buzz cut!

Nits.

Before I came to India I was warned of the well-known issue of head lice and ordered to 'wear your babushka!' and tie my hair back. Only now am I realizing just how bad it actually is. What I thought in the beginning were large chunks of dandruff standing out from the dark strands of the children's hair, I have come to find out have been nits. It is not unusual to see crouching children picking through each others hair pulling out 'things' (that you are really hoping aren't what you know they are) like little monkeys looking for a snack.

We had purchased several rounds of lice shampoo at the town chemist and were waiting for an opportune time to sterilize our girls (and Nithin.) When yesterday little Nishmitha pulled a tiny black bug from her head and handed it to me, I thought we have no time to waste! Luckily today was a school holiday and a perfect opportunity. You'd think the kids would be bummed to hear, 'No school! Now lets spend the day stripping you of lice!' but they were actually excited. I guess when you live everyday with bugs in your hair, the chance to get rid of them is a celebration. So while I bathed and lathered them with anti-lice treatment in the bathroom, Nina sat outside with a bucket and comb picking out lice and nits one by one. Fortunately for us, most of the girls have short hair as a bad bout of lice a few months ago warranted a head shaving all around. Angel on the other hand has longer hair and is completely infested. We soon realized that it's going to take a few rounds of this. On the bright side, since lice is just a part of life around here, the kids don't really get embarrassed when they are on display getting the once over (or twice, or three times) with a fine toothed comb.

Needless to say, I have been paranoid about my own long locks being contaminated by these nasty little creatures. Though I have had Nina check my head repeatedly and she assures me I am clean, I still have the phantom itch. We have instituted the 'no children in our room' policy and will probably treat ourselves with the parasite poison just to be on the safe side.

Bucket-O-Lice