After Kid’s English Class is over, Janina approaches me and drops her voice to a whisper. Of course she only speaks Spanish, but she says, “Madeline, I need to tell you something important– the old owner of this house died yesterday.”
“I know,” I answer. “Sad, isn’t it? I heard already.” I hadn’t known him, but I still felt bad.
“Sure it’s sad, but I needed to tell you what happens now– I mean, you have to be safe, right?– and I didn’t think you knew– but you have to just–”
Catching only bits and pieces of her rapid speech, I slowed her down. “He died. That’s sad. What else?”
She takes a quick breath and again launches into her explanation. “He died. And he owned this house— that’s the point, see? Now since he died, and you live in his old house, you could also get sick. Very, very sick.”
I shake my head. “We’re fine, seriously, we’re not gonna get sick.”
“No, no, no!” she exclaims. “That’s how it works! When someone dies, the people who live in their house get sick. I don’t know– with malaria or dengue or something.”
Realizing this as a superstition, I answer, “But we’re fine, really, it’s okay!”
She firmly presses her lips together, then opens them with the serious message: “Madeline. You could die. Elijah could die, or anybody in your family could. Please, just listen to me, okay?”
I nod. Tears are starting to prick my eyes, seeing her dedication to this. But I know Janina, and there’s no explaining anything to her until she’s finished.
“Okay, okay, listen.” she repeats. “You have to go to the priest– I’ll help you find him. We’ll take him some water, oh, one or two gallons, and we’ll get him to bless it.”
“Bless? The water?”
“Yes, now listen: I can help you, but we use the water and get it all over the house– the walls and stuff– and that will keep you from getting sick.”
“Janina?” I say.
“Yes? You understand, right?”
“Look, I know you’re worried, okay?”
“I am worried!” She shrieks.
I offer her a weak smile. She furrows her eyebrows are nearly launches back into how I could die.
“It doesn’t say anywhere in Bible to do that water-stuff, so we’re safe.” I explain.
“Where in there does it say we don’t have to?” grabbing the Book out of my hands.
“Nowhere. It doesn’t say it at all, see?” I flip through the pages. “You know something? God’s taking care of me and my family. He protects us. Am I saying that right?” I ask.
“Yeah, He protects you.” She says, slightly correcting my pronunciation.
“So everything’s good.” I conclude.
“Madeline… does He protect you guys because you take care of us children?”
“He takes care of us because… well, we believe in Him, and love Him.” I tell her.
“Right, I knew all that.”
“And He loves us, Janina, all of us,” I remind her.
“Okay,” she nods.
“So don’t worry.” I add.
“I won’t.”
Janina. Worried about us. Trying to warn us and protect us. Trying to help us.
This little jungle girl doesn’t know the truth. I can only pray that when she sees that we’re not sick, that the owner’s death has not affected our health, that she will come that much closer to be willing to believe. As we share the Truth- So All May Know.
-Madeline Studebaker