The Untold Truth.

Life seemed great! I was becoming accustomed to my surroundings. The heat, the humidity, the thrill of learning the culture. Knowing that everyday would be completely different from the last. Our life here was never dull.

Throughout the months, we became more brave in venturing out to discover more of this country we knew barely anything about. The never ending rice fields and houses built on stilts, filled the lands. The craziness of the traffic flowing at a rapid speed, no street lights or stop signs but horns echoed in the air. The un-owned starving animals that roamed the roads, some of which that did not make it to the next day, lay bloated covered in flies and maggots wherever it may have fallen. It was a shock to see but made myself a more grateful person for what I had.

One day, in the early spring my father was invited to one of his employees villages located deep in the rain forest. My parents had agreed that this would be an amazing experience for my brother and I. Next thing I knew we had all been loaded up on a small 8 passenger plane and we were flying above the jungle which to me looked like pieces of broccoli as far as the eye could see. Once the excessive turbulent ride was over, we found ourselves 2 hours later at a pier. Apparently the only way into this village was 4 hours by speedboat. This is how they would also get all of their supplies.

The ride in was beautiful even though I did not see much because I got so seasick. I began to get worried when the river channel started to get narrower and narrower as the jungle seemed like it swallowed us up the further we went in. The smell dampened and the humidity heightened as the sunlight was blackened by the canopy of trees. The exotic sounds of wildlife in their natural habitat almost singing of dangers lurking nearby. The water was clear but not blue like you would see at a beach in Hawaii but of red. Almost like the color of Coca-Cola. It was serene.

After was seemed like forever of sitting in this god-forsaken tiny vessel, the passage seemed to open wider and we could see children rowing in their dug out wooden rafts. As we slowed our speed to pass them, these children, who seemed no more than seven years old, waved excitedly and I noticed they all had uniforms on. This must be how they would get to school. We pulled up to a barren river bank and got off the boat. Once there, a man greeted us. It became clear, this was my father's friend who had invited us here. As we followed behind him, he explained that he would take us to our accommodations and then his wife had prepared dinner at his home.

The house we were brought to was an off white in color. It stood very high on stilts and seemed quite old. No shingles, no siding, just painted wood. The windows seemed even older, painted with rain spots and painted open on such a hot day. Once inside, the first thing I noticed was, there was no electricity. This house merely consisted of 3 bedrooms, a kitchen and a talking area as they called it. The outhouse, was out back. No clear path as it seemed it had not been used in awhile. I guess at night, I would not be thinking about using that at all! Each bed had mosquito netting draped around it hooked from the ceiling. The floors were made out of what seemed like cement.

Once we had put down our bags and my mother had covered us again in sunscreen, this man told us to grab our flashlights and we were off on a trek to his house. It was not too far, possibly 10 minutes going further into the jungle. No roads, no vehicles of any kind but somewhat of a make-shift pathway they have probably used many times. Each building was so spread out from one another. Each family had their own privacy as you couldn't see the next no matter how hard you tried. Once the path cleared to a small clearing, I caught a glimpse of the family friends homestead and my mouth dropped. I felt like a queen staying in the one graciously lent to us compared to what I had just seen.

The walls seemed to be made out of dried mud, the roof consisted of palm fronds and twigs. There were no windows in this house but an open door that was carefully whittled by a patient person. A fire was roaring loudly not far from the house with a huge pot of water sitting among it. Once we got closer, 4 children and his wife came running to greet us. Wearing nothing but undergarments, they were very excited and humbled to have such visitors. We were then ushered around the fire to have this dinner his wife so graciously offered us. The family explained how they live off of their land. They grow everything, get water from the river and have a small flock of farm animals on hand for meat. Once a month, supplies come in from the pier however the children do not make it last long. After dinner, they gave us a tour of their house. It consisted of a kitchen and one bedroom. The floors were made of dirt. All 6 of them, shared one bed but they were so happy just to have anything at all. This really made me think about my own life and how I treat my own friends and family.

As the days went by and the more time we spent with this family, I became angry. Not at them but at myself for being so ungrateful to my own parents and the life they had given me. Being 11 years old, I knew that I didn't know much but what I did know is that my parents did everything they could to keep me happy and comfortable. I knew at this point, I had to pay it forward to someone who could not themselves.

The morning we had to make our trek back to civilization, I went through my belongings. I picked out one outfit for myself to wear that day and gathered up the rest into my bag. This amazing family waited patiently to say goodbyes on the barren river bank. Once we arrived to board the boat, I quietly whispered in my mom's ear. Her nodding of approval was all I needed. We all gave each other a hug and I silently gave the bag of goodies to the man. Watching the children open the bag, tearing through the clothing and putting them on brought smiles and tears to our faces. It was the least that I could do. After all, they allowed us into their lives.

The ride back was a solemn one. Tears stained our eyes. I had enjoyed my time there and had such amazing conversations and grew such great friendships. I got to know everyone on a much deeper level than you would with all our normal distractions. I wanted to do more for them but I didn't know if I would have the chance.