Peruvians Who Inspire Me

As much as I tend to contrast Peru and America, there are many things in common.  Things in common across all cultures – the human condition.

Dani is a ten year-old girl who works with her mother at the corner of Don Bosco and San Pedro (by my old apartment).  Her mother is a chocolatera – a street vendor of candy, snacks, drinks, and cigarettes.  Dani usually goes straight from school to work with her mother until 9 or 10pm.  She also spends her weekends on that corner working.  She’s growing up much different than I did.

Despite the bad hand dealt to her, she has a great spirit and killer personality.  She doesn’t look anything like her mother, who decades of poverty has taken its toll on (overweight, brown and wrinkly, missing teeth, dirty clothes).  Dani is almost fair-skinned, her clothes are always clean, and her hair is fine, neat, and always combed.  She is so cute.

After she started to recognize me walking past her snack cart every night, she started to wave and say “¡Hola, amigo!“  Every time I walk by, she excitedly waves and says, “¡Hola, amigo!“  It didn’t take more than a few weeks before I was sold.  I reply, “¡Hola, amiga!“  The sweet little girl is good for the family business.  I’ve often gone out of my way to buy something  from them, or even bought something when I didn’t want anything just to talk to Dani.

I wish I was rich so I could send her to college.  Like in the movies or fairy tales when the rich guy is charmed by the poor kid and bankrolls their education.  If I were rich, I would do that for Dani.  For now, I have to settle for what I can afford.  One night I saw her flipping through a Disney book with pictures of dolls and princesses.  I asked her if she likes to read and she said she did.  A few nights later, I gave her my copy of La Cabaña de Tio Tom (Uncle Tom’s Cabin).  It’s a condensed, for-kids version (I don’t read Spanish well so I have to start with these kinds of books).  I’ll also give her, after I’ve finished them, Conde de Monte Cristo (Count of Monte Cristo) and Las Mil Y Una Noches (Arabian Nights).

The Shoelaces Guy is a delight as well.  This old man, about 5′ / 90 lbs, absolutely covers his body and arms with hanging shoelaces to sell downtown.  Despite this obviously dismal career, he brings a joy to his work not common in most of mankind.  As people walk by, he loudly grunts “¡Cordones!“  Or when he sees my big, white gringo-ness, “Shoelaces!”  I laughed out loud the first time he did it.  But, months later when I needed new shoelaces, I prowled the downtown streets looking for this guy instead of going to a store.

Honorable Mention: my barber.  On a side street behind the old apartment, this old man charges three soles ($1) per cut.  And although I must be his only gringo and the only person who asks for a head shaved bald, he always asks me how I want it cut.  After starting, he asks me what part of the States I’m from.  After I tell him, as all Peruvians do, he asks where St. Louis is.

Then he goes into a deep discussion about American history.  The Revolutionary War, the Louisiana Purchase, the Great Experiment, blah blah blah.  And he always finishes our discussion by mentioning that America’s independence served as a great example for the world, especially the Spanish colonies that were South America.

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