The Bracelet Lady

Number of Ticks Removed: 68
Days Tick Free: 2

I thought about writing earlier in the week, but it would just have been more complaints about mosquitoes, spiders, eye infections, my aching neck and back, and my pre-dawn wake-up call. So I decided to wait until I had something more interesting, or at least more positive, to write about.

A while back I got this idea to make bracelets out in the forest to keep myself occupied while the monkeys were sleeping. Initially I thought I might sell them, then I thought I would bring them home to give to friends/family, but finally I decided that I would give this batch to the women who work in the kitchen here at the hostel. The other day one of the cooks was crying about a boy (it turns out that the Dunlap Love Story is universal), so I decided it was time to break out the bracelets in hopes of raising everybody’s spirits. The result was a resounding success. I have never encountered a more bracelet-loving people than the Nicaraguans. Forgotten were the tears over this problematic muchacho (who I'm sure is a jerk anyway) as everyone became fixated on the bracelets. Over the next few days, I doled out bracelets to the cooks working the different shifts, trying to make sure that I gave one to everybody. The bracelets were such a hit that a few days later, three of the cooks came and found me after dinner to ask if I had any more. They pretty much cleaned me out, but I was happy to give all these bracelets away because it was such a small thing that made them so happy. As more people surfaced, intrigued by my rapidly dwindling supply of bracelets, I kept telling them I could make more, just to tell me what colors they wanted. The resounding response was always that the color and even the design did not matter. “Lo que quieres, Meli,” or “Lo que tengas.” In other words, whatever you think is best, Melissa, or, whatever you have on hand.



Yesterday, as I was on my way home from a brief foray into the forest, a small child came running out of his house to meet me on the street and ask me if I had any more bracelets. I guess my reputation as the Bracelet Lady now precedes me. Unfortunately, I am fresh out of bracelets. I asked the little boy what colors he wanted, and he just shrugged, saying whatever I had would be fine. I have the feeling that giving a bracelet to this one little boy will open the floodgates, and every single child on the island will want one. With less than two weeks left now (!) I’m not sure that I’ll have enough time (or enough materials) to supply that many bracelets. I’m going to do my best though. So I guess I’d better get going; I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Thanks for reading.