Everyday on my way home, there is a group of kids ranging from the ages of 3 or 4 to about 13ish, hanging out together outside a house about 300 feet from my driveway. It usually is the same kids, and there is always at least 6 of them there. They seem to be there everyday on my way home between 4 and 6 o’clock, as well as anytime on the weekend.
About three weeks ago, a few of them started saying hello to me every time I walked passed them. And about a week later, one of the kids asked in English what my name was. I could tell the only English he knows are simple greetings, so I talked clearly and slowly. I told him my name and asked for his. He told me his name was Victor, and we told each other good-bye.
A couple days later, one of the girls stopped me to ask me my name. We told each other our names, and I continued home. She was the last kid of that group to ask me my name.
Somewhere in the last week, all the kids have learned my name. Now, every time I pass them, they say, “el-LOH Meg-GEE”. And they never seem to say it all at once. They each have to individually say hello to me. Unfortunately, I don’t know but two of their names, and I don’t think any of them know more than a couple words in English. But I say hello back in response to each of them with a smile and they all blush. The kids just think they are laughing at the American, but it’s a nice little ritual that I have come to appreciate since it gives me a smile at the end of any day. It can make my long and strenuous day feel a little lighter.
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