I was up to 2AM Last night talking to Manuel. He told me all about the accident. It happened Dec 24. They have Christmas on the 24. He was playing football (soccer) with his friends (Rigal, Jose and another). They had been setting off fireworks. He had stuck one in his pocket. I'm unclear as to why or what he was doing with it. He mad e action that loked like he was whittling it. HIs pants caught on fire, he was screaming and smacking it withhis hands. HIs friends were too scared to help. His Mo one else was around. Finally his brother, Digno(28), foundhim and took him to his house. His wife put salve on his leg. (We think she is 38 yrs old). The took him to a hospital in a close town. The hospital turned them away. They went to a second hospital. He was there a month.

I learned thathe had two older brothers that died  before he was morn. (He's 13, Hid oldest living sibling is 28). His sister Carolina lives in a house on his proprety with her husband. Theyhave 2 kids. 3 yrs and 7 months. HIs sister Lourdes (19) lives in a bedroom at the end of their house with her usband. She is very pregnant. Carolina's first daughter died. She was throwing up a lot. She was a baby. I wonder if she just died of dehydration. Digno's wife wasmarried before. We think she is at least 10 yrs older than he is. Her oldest child is 23 and Digno is 28.

In his yard he has lots  of banana trees, 3 mango trees, 2 coconut trees, a lemon tree, an orange tree, a guava tree, a nance tree and apple trees. The apple tree(s) doesn't have fruit on it. They have a chili peper bush, too. They have no flowers because the chickens eat them. The chickens sleep in the trees at night. Ther have 2 pigs that get tied to a tree.

 Manuels works on Saturdays cutting sugar cane. He has school for 10 months and on the other two months he works 6 days a week cutting sugar cane. He makes 500 Limpiras a week. 19Limpiras is $1 American. When he is working all week, he has to buy his own clothes and stuff. But if he doesn't have enough work to to buy his won needs,his parents take care of it. He rides a big truck that holds 60 people. All standing and crammed.

This week is Semana Santo (Semana being week) I guess it is a holy week. No school and not many people go to work. His dad still works cutting the sugar cane and will get paid double. The rest of his family will go tot he river to swim and play.

His brother LooLoo (sp?) lives in San Pedro and is 23. He's not married.

I heard about how Beti (8 or 9) broke her arm. His dad was in a car wreck (drunk driverhithim) and his dad's car rolled and he was inthe hospital for awhile.  He said his dad had a bad heart and passed out and they smashed onions for him to smell and he woke up. Not sure if it was really  his heart if he was fine without a doctor. He said he broke his shoulder playing soccer. He described it and whatthey did. I think it was pulled out the socket, not broke. He didn't need to see a doctor.

On September 10 the schools have a big festival with a pinata and everything. I guess it kicks the school year off? Beti goes to a school that is 10 minutes walking distance. Manuel's school is 30 mins by foot, 15 by bike. Schools there only go  up to 6th grade.