The Rest of the Story : The Case of the Well Intentioned Water Line Pickle

Elsa - community leader - and still my friend

As Paul Harvey used to say “And now, page 2 – the rest of the story”:

After the water line incident earlier this week, I felt I really needed to clear the air with Elsa. We have too much good history and friendship to let it end. As I walked the 3 km in from the PanAm to Ipeti, I ran through an assortment of apologies, defenses and lectures in my mind, trying to anticipate what she might say. But, before I got to the main part of the village, I passed Jacquelin and Roberto’s house and she came running out to the road, all excited, with a smile as big as the sun. “Look” she said, pointing down at her very attractive paruma – the bright colored skirts that the Embera women wear. OK, I thought. Nice skirt, but why is she showing me?  “Very pretty” I said “And how is the water connection working?” She rolled her eyes and blurted out “NO, Don Goyo !! This is a gift from Dona Elsa !!”.

Elsa giving me an Embera tribe tattoo

What ??  It took a moment for the full impact of what she had said to register. But, when it did, an enormous wave of joy broke over me and a chill went up my spine. Something wonderful had happened that I didn’t yet fully understand. Jacqui had gone to Elsa and Lisandro, the Water Committee President to thank them for the connection to the aqueduct, as I suggested – quite a brave move on her part. She and Elsa had “a good talk” and Elsa gave her the beautiful paruma as she left. We both knew what a HUGE gesture that was – coming from someone like Elsa and a symbol of being one of the village women. I told her I needed to go see Elsa and just about sprinted into the village.

As an aside, they love the new water supply. “it is very clean and has good taste” was her quote. After using river water, I guess it would be.

Elsa’s response was a bit anti-climactic. She is not the warm, touchy-feely type, in any case. As I walked up to her all grinning and fighting back tears, she simply and flatly said “Goyo, I am sorry I was angry with you. I had so much hate for that man (referring to Jacqui’s dead father Roberto, a drunk and Police Captain who beat Elsa’s brother to a pulp and caused him to lose use of his hand, along with hurting many others in the community). It was not anger for you. We are friends.” That told me all I needed to know. It takes a really big person to admit they are wrong and Elsa showed me her larger than life character in those few words and even more with her gift to Jacqui. She is every bit the beautifully strong woman and community leader I knew her to be. And then it was over.

As I moved in to give her a hug, she sort of deflected me away and asked quite matter-of-factly “So, when will you give the charla about the septic tanks?” Back to business as usual, as if nothing had ever happened. But, something had happened – something wonderful that I didn’t expect. After talking with her mother (who witnessed our earlier altercation) and her husband, I guess she realized that her deep hatred for a dead man, had no place with me or his children. When I finally got back around to telling her what a beautiful thing her gift was, she deflected again, saying “it was nothing”. Well, it wasn’t nothing and she knows it. Her gift of a paruma to Jacqui was a PROFOUND act of grace. Even as I write this now, I am fighting back tears of joy at witnessing such a touching and beautiful gesture.

And so, the little village of Ipeti Embera, Panama has regained its impressive sense of community, Jacqui and her daughter and brother have good, (“very clean”, as she says)  water and will hopefully no longer feel like outcasts, my emotional roller coaster ride is ended and Elsa is, now more than ever, my respected colleague, friend and hero.

Sometimes, the Universe throws a hard breaking curve ball. And sometimes that curve ball gets sent sailing right out of the ballpark. With the bases loaded.