Honduras Love Story Part 2

For weeks I had been planning yesterday and distracting Rina from thinking anything was up. I have been telling her for months that I have no money and that it would be better if I bought her a ring box of promise and she carry it to work with her until I fly back to the states to work. We would laugh every time. Three days before her birthday, we went to the river with the church and were baptized together. Her one place she wants to go in the world is Venice, so I had bought her a rose gold necklace with a blown-glass piece from Moreno, Venice. It is beautiful. I gave it to her three days before, saying it was for her baptism and for her birthday. She was ecstatic! I told her that I didn’t have anything to do on her birthday, so she should wear her necklace and we would go eat baleadas (tortillas and beans). We laughed again. I bought her a new skirt and then said I was jealous at how good she would look and I bought a new shirt, all the while playing it up like it was a joke. Yesterday, after writing all of you, I put on my new shirt, freshly ironed and a put a few drops of a new perfume I bought called, Animal… GRRROUW! and I was off! Joel and I went to the internet café first because Rina would not be off of work until 12. Joel had a date with Elda’s dad to ask if he could go out with her. I waited patiently until 12 by pacing up and down the aisle of computers, and drumming on the counter. Rina called, she was gonna leave! But not at 12, at 12:30…. I paced faster! I stood at the café window staring blankly at the Bank waiting for the door to open. I was calm. I only dialed her cell number 7 or 8 times to see where she was. I told Joel goodbye a good 15 minutes before I actually left. I paced on the street corner, and then… She came out looking amazing! I caught my breath and grabbed her hand. We ran up to the bus to San Pedro and she felt good to finally know where we were going. I was hoping our one-oclock reservation would not go passed and that we would arrive before the restaurant closed.

All the way in the bus ride, I rambled about Joel and his conversation, using it to distract her. We arrived at the bus stop and jumped out. She knew the restaurant I was taking her, but had never seen inside. She gasped. The waiter was waiting at the door for us and led us to a table for two by the window with fresh flowers displayed on it. She freaked out about the price, but I told her as I ordered Sangria for us that she was worth more than any food I could buy her and that she should ask for what she wanted. I picked the restaurant for its atmosphere, and for its lasagna, Rina’s favorite food. After 20 minutes of getting to tell her what each food was, she decided on the lasagna.

We ate really well and as we were enjoying lasagna and spinach with risotto ravioli, I asked her what she thought of me when we first met. Maybe it was the wine, but she started to tell me more than I had ever heard before or knew about how she felt and thought about me. I asked her what she thought of me at her birthday, when I would eat dinner at her house, when we kissed on the bus. We were both smiling at these memories, when I asked her if she remembered when I asked permission to date her. She said of course. It was the happiest day of her life. I asked her if she remembered the promises I made to her and her uncle and she did. Then I told her I had one more gift for her, but only if she accepted it. She was shocked that I had another gift. The restaurant was enough… I pulled out the ring box and held it between us. She looked confused. She then laughed half heartedly and said “funny a ring box.” She thought it was empty until I got on my knee and said softly “Rina Iveth Melgar will you be my wife?” She immediately said no! but was smiling and I said, “will you marry me?” “No,” she said again before finishing her sentence. “No, not here, I don’t want to cry!” Relieved I said “well? Yes or no?” and will tears welling and her face blushing red, she smiled and said, “Yes Of Course!” I am not sure why, but trembling with excitement, I opened the box and took out the ring. She offered me the correct finger as I was looking at the wrong one, and I put it on. We laughed together and kissed.

After lunch we walked through the garden of the restaurant and talked and promised each other ourselves. We took some fun photos, and then she wanted to get back to see everyone and tell them about the ring! We went out to the boulevard and she began to call everyone she knew on my cell to tell them the news. Her sister Cruz, was the best call because above the traffic I could hear her in the phone screaming with delight! It was after all the calls when the bus still hadn’t come that Rina asked me if the ring was a real diamond, something rare in Honduras. I assured her it was. She was about to squeal and then hid her hand and said, “Oh my gosh, I cannot believe I am standing on the Street in San Pedro with a real diamond.” She whispered into the phone on her next conversation and then told me, “If anyone robs me today, I am tracking them down and getting my ring back.” I laughed so hard at the seriousness in which she told me.

The rest of the day we spent recounting the story to everyone we know and eating two more birthday cakes she also did not know were coming. In the end, I was up all night unable to sleep, and just feeling good about how everything went. I sent her a text message telling her how much I loved her and she did not respond. She was long asleep and told me this morning that she dreamed about planning her wedding…. It was a good day. I am so fortunate to have such a woman as her. She makes me smile and is the object of my pride. I feel so blessed to be with her. Thanks to all of you who wrote me notes wishing me luck or sharing kind words. I am so fortunate to have all of you as friends also, and cannot wait until you all can meet her. I will respond to you all individually as I get time. I miss you all and am so glad to finally hear from many of you. Have wonderful weeks and say hi if you get another chance.

A Honduran Love Story

I haven’t talked to you all in a while and I apologize for going missing off the map. I had a quick trip to San Diego and Baker City this last month, with an opportunity to present the documentary and the project in both places. It was a really good time to see God work and see some friends. After my trip, I came back to Honduras and we started the second phase of construction. We are building three more classrooms and the bathrooms! Thank you to all of you who have supported the project, these are the results. There is a whole community excited about the next classrooms being finished, and a line to enroll. I promise to write more about the project and its progress, and send photos even, but yesterday I bought a new cotton blend button-down, long sleeve. green like a pine needle forest, shirt. I bought it because a year and a half ago, after moving down to Honduras, I met Rina.

I was at the church to take photos of a Quincenera when Karen, my good friend who helped me find my apartment in her neighborhood, introduced me to her sister. We said hi and we talked about dancing. It really wasn’t much of a conversation but it was the first time I talked to her. As months progressed, I was hanging out at Karen’s house almost every night. It was more fun to eat dinner with her family than to eat dinner alone on my electric stove. Rina would be in the house with her boyfriend Rodolfo, who never wanted to do anything but watch TV. It wasn’t until her birthday last year that we connected. We had a big celebration with the family, with cake and presents and everyone happy. Rodolfo pouted outside the door for some reason, and so Rina and I hung out. We kept everyone entertained until the last crumb of cake had been eaten.

Two months later Rina had broken up with Rodolfo and had started a new job at a bank. She had to do training in San Pedro, which meant taking a bus there every day and returning at night. I overheard that she was going to go to the fair with her friends after work one night and I invited myself along. I really wanted to talk with her more and I wanted to see the fair. I made sure that I left in plenty of time to find the bank she was working without getting lost.

I jumped on a crowded bus and stood the whole way to San Pedro. When I got off it was raining. I had no idea where the bank was and tried asking everyone running past me, who was smarter than me because they had an umbrella that I wish I had at that moment, where I could find Banco Bamer. After a few wrong directions, typical for when you need to find some place in Honduras, I arrived on the steps of the enormous building soaking wet.

Rina, was late. I should have known from that day on that she would always be late leaving the bank. But this was the first time to be outside her work, so I happily waited. After an hour of the guard eying me suspiciously and asking me several times who I was waiting for, She finally came out with a new friend. Because of the rain, we could no longer go to the fair, so we settled for the next best thing, Wendy’s. We entered the chilling, air-conditioned restaurant with wet clothes and ordered Rina’s favorite hamburger, the Jr. double. Knowing I needed to be a gentleman, I invited Rina’s friend to dinner with the rest of the money I had and Rina paid for herself.

We had a good conversation, despite the fact that I was dying to just talk to Rina alone, and in the end I got my wish. Her friend lived in San Pedro! She would not be going on the bus with us back to Puerto Cortes. With quick goodbyes, we caught the last bus and grabbed the last seat available in the back. Because of the rain and cold, Rina snuggled up to my arm. Her head rested on my shoulder. She smelled sooo good.

My heart was pounding so hard I thought I would bump her head off of my shoulder with one big bang! We started talking. I promise the ladies reading this that I was concentrating on the conversation, I just remember what was said because I was also thinking of how I wanted to kiss her more than anything in that moment. Rina cannot be mad at me, because in that moment, as she was talking that night, she was only thinking of how she wanted to kiss me too. We both had thought it would be wrong because we were just friends. But as the conversation continued, I found her perfect lips a bit closer, and a bit closer, and a bit closer, to mine. And as we touched, the lights went out in the bus for the long stretch of highway leading to the port. I kissed her like I have never kissed anyone in my life!

Rina told me that she was sorry, she never meant to kiss me on the bus. She thought we should just be friends. I told her that was better. I couldn’t really date Karen’s sister could I? Besides, Rina’s family was the family that took me in, that showed me how to live in Honduras, that helped me. They had been so nice to me that I could not go out with her! Something could happen and I would ruin everything I had here in Honduras… I only kissed her three more times that week.

It was after that fourth kiss that we talked again. I told her if we were going to date, there needed to be three rules. One, she had to accept me as I was, I would never change my personality. Two, she had to trust me completely. I was not going to stand for jealousy. If I said I was with her then I was with her and am not with anyone else, nor thinking about someone else. She had to trust my word. And three, she had to communicate with me. Communication is the key to any relationship, just like trust is. I told her that I would follow these rules too, if she accepted.

I thought, she’ll say no and I will be safe from having to tell her we won’t date because she would have decided for herself. I waited for the “your crazy” speech, and instead I got, “Oh, is that it? That’s what you want? I can do that…” I was so taken aback that she accepted, and I could not tell her no to dating after she just promised everything I wanted. So, we started to date.

Unbeknownst to me, dating in Honduras means you have talk to the girl’s father and ask permission, just to date! Otherwise he may show up at your house in the middle of the night with a machete and try to cut your testicles off. Rina’s father had left her when she was two, and she was raised by her aunt and uncle who live two doors behind me. It was they who I needed to ask permission. With nerves rupturing all over my body, I went in to ask Joli if I could date Rina. Rina went along and Karen filmed with her cell phone.

After playing like she couldn’t hear what I was asking three times, Joli smiled politely and told me no. I did not have permission. I thought she was joking until she started to explain why. I thought her reason was stupid, but who am I to argue with her? I panicked. I started thinking of what I could do to convince her that I could date Rina. How could I date Rina and still respect Joli? I would need to ask again in a month or something, after I cleaned her yard, washed her clothes, and maybe changed her baby’s diapers. At the moment that Rina wanted to kill her aunt, but was biting her toungue, and when I was ready to re-group myself for another day, that Joli burst out laughing. “You should see your face! Hahaa! Of course you can date her! We were hoping you would. I was just joking. We think you would be an excellent boyfriend. I just want you to name your kids after me…” I felt a wave pass over me as all my nerves just stopped panicking. Really? That’s great! I asked Uncle Kalin the next night his permission as well, and it went much smoother. We were able to talk man to man. I told him all the reasons why I wanted to date Rina and promised him to take care of her. Rina was brilliant. She looked so beautiful and inspired me as I promised her uncle for her safety. With a hug and a prayer, we parted and I began to “officially” date Rina.

I bought a shirt yesterday because three weeks ago I went over to Joli and Kalin’s house. Rina was in my apartment writing Elda an email on my computer, and I used the opportunity to sneak out. I told her, “Well if you are gonna type for a little bit, I am going to uh… run to the store and buy chicken to cook for dinner...uh, ok? Just wait here…” I ran up to Kalin’s house and asked Josa where his father was. I burst into the partially open bedroom immediately explaining, “Kalin, I don’t have much time, maybe only two or three minutes. Rina does’t know I am here because she thinks I am buying chicken for dinner. But I gotta ask you something.” It was after the explanation that I realized Kalin, who was sitting in the hammock watching TV, was naked, only his whitie tighties to cover him. He casually placed the pillow from the bed on his lap and asked me casually, what I needed. I told him that I wanted to ask Rina to marry me. “Yeah man! He said. We think that would be a great idea. Do you need anything else?” “Umm, no. I think that was it.” “Ok,” he said and started watching TV again. I waited a second and then got up and moved to the door. I turned around and said thanks, “Thanks for this Kalin, and uh, thanks for being naked when I had to ask permission… Bye!” I promised Margery, Kalin’s little girl who was eves-dropping at the door, chocolate if she kept the secret from Rina. Then I ran down to the store and bought the chicken and made it back to the apartment without Rina noticing a thing.

Today, on Rina’s birthday, I have told her we are going out for her birthday. She thinks we are taking the bus to go to the mall or something in San Pedro and just walk around, but I have reserved a table at the nicest Italian restaurant in San Pedro. In two hours, we are going to share an Italian lunch, because her dream is to see Venice one day and her favorite food is Lasagna, and then when she thinks the afternoon is over, I am going to ask her to marry me. I know I only have two hours left, but I cannot keep the secret any longer. So here I am spilling it all. Now you all know, but by the time any info could ever seep back to her, we will be on the bus to San Pedro alone, without cell phones and she will be the least suspecting of the fantastic surprise. I’ll let you know how it goes. But right now I gotta shower and shave. Talk to you more later…