have wheels, will travel...

My close friends and anyone unfortunate enough to be around when I mount my soapbox know that I have certain opinions about how driving a car is a milestone in your life. I have always said that being capable of providing your own transportation provides a necessary sense of autonomy in the life of a teenager. Looking back on my life, I can remember the thrill of my first solo driving trip (to Wal-Mart), the first time I could successfully drive standard in Suki, the Saab that my family had for the summer (which reminds me about my buying Swedish cars soapbox that’s a must-hear for anyone contemplating a Saab vs. a Honda… In the words of Fr. Dave Pivonka, “shoudaboughtahonda”.) Anyways, the list of the thrills of having transportation one’s own transportation and the adventures that ensue goes on and on. And now there’s another one for the list, although one which I hardly thought I’d be adding in my advanced years. Yes, us four San Pedro girls were given bicycles to get around town last week.
Our house is in a fabulous location—for those of you familiar with the area we’re near the airstrip, on the Tropic Air side. We’re not on the “main drag” so we don’t have to listen to amateur attempts at Bob Marley that blare from the acoustic bands playing in the bars that line the beach (unfortunately the Church isn’t so lucky. Fr. Jim joked that he wanted to trade living arrangements with us so he could have some peace!), but our location is still in a nice, well lit part of town that’s one row of houses away from the beach. Now, although a fifteen minute walk to work that takes you right next to the Caribbean ocean is hardly going to get much sympathy, the trips back and forth to our house were adding up. Announcements were made at mass and parishioners (and a random tourist) donated bicycles for us which cut our trips back and forth to under five minutes.
The donations hold some touching stories actually. Two bikes were donated. A third was provided by a tourist who handed one of the lay ministers $200. When Ali went to the hardware store with Claudio to buy the bike, the owners of the store (Mr. And Mrs. Castillo who, coincidentally, live in the apartment above us) asked if we received all the donations necessary. When Ali and Claudio said that they were short one bicycle, the Castillos said they would donate a fourth bike when Ann Benage arrived. Well, the night that Ann arrived (whoo-hoo by the way. Our four person dream team is assembled) another parishioner, Visitacion, who is a sweet older man who is always at mass, prayer meetings and speaks almost no English, came to our house. We didn’t understand what he was saying to us, but we got that it was about a fourth bike. We thought he was delivering the fourth one from Castillos, that he would bring it to Church the next day. Well, on Sunday he arrived at Church with a brand new bike for Ann. We then had someone around to help us understand what he was saying, and they explained that he had went out and purchased the bike for us and that he was making payments on it. There are no words for someone who has just given so much, the generosity of the San Pedronos is a truly incredible thing to experience and this act of Visitacion was so touching… So, when we went to Castillos they donated four bike baskets and a bulletin board for our parish hall (the cost of which is actually equivalent to a new bike). Thanks to the generosity of the people of San Pedro we are now cruising around in bikes and able to tote it in the basket which is good since we havn’t mastered the local talent of carrying everything—whether it’s a five gallon jug of water, your groceries for the day or your infant child—in one hand while you steer with the other. Riding around, the four of us look like the opening scenes from the old Babysitter’s Club movies or maybe a Limited Too commercial. Pretty darn cute.
We’re now able to ride around to all the schools and maneuver the traffic which consists of lots of bikes, golf carts, tractors full of Belikin and bottled water and the occasional car. It sounds easier than it is! More updates to come, I have to get to the Primary school in about twenty minutes so I’d better run (or ride…).