Separados

In yesterday’s post I wrote that I felt “maybe separated from many of the people and places I remember fondly, but not alone, not apart from them.” I was referring, of course, to my relationships in the United States. But you know that thing they say about God having a sense of humor? Today I experienced a small but significant separation right here in Bolivia.

It is the first day of the new term of the Maryknoll language program. I was anticipating a possible change in the hours of my classes. We have received five new students, including Brother Scott. That makes 13 of us: seven from Korea, four from the United States, and two from Kenya. Because most of the students are at different levels of proficiency, we now have nine class formations. There are only eight teachers. Consequently, two of the Korean students are in a class of their own, taking afternoon classes. I am still on a morning schedule. 

But Señora Kitty, the language program coordinator, had another curve ball to throw. She called together the eight current students for a huddle after the first period. She told us that with the new students having arrived, and in the pedagogical interest of having each of us interact in Spanish with other fellow students, she was switching our class partners. Immediately. Uh-oh. 

Just like that, I was separated from Joshua, my classroom compañero for the last three months. We were both surprised. We took it in good humor, joking about our shotgun divorce. One consolation is that Joshua has been paired with Brother Scott, so he is still in the company of a Capuchin. They began classes together right away. Meanwhile, my new classroom partner was finishing the student orientation with Señora Kitty, which meant I had to go solo for the last three hours. Perfect joy, as the Franciscans like to say with delicious irony. Who wants to hear me stutter and stammer for three hours in pulverized Spanish? Poor Profesoras Liliana and Karla, my mentors for the next three-week segment. Well, we got that over with today while I was awake and with-it. 

Tomorrow I will get to know Grace. Today all I know about her is that she is a nursing student from the United States and, judging by her sweatshirt, she goes to Creighton University. I don’t know any more than that. As for today, as my teachers joked, I was sin gracia. ¡Muy divertido, señoras! 

This is not the change I was looking for. For the sake of my sleeping troubles—it remains very difficult to wake early—I did want to change my class hours. I did not anticipate changing my class partner. Given that Joshua and I have spent four hours in a room together daily for three months, commiserating over or celebrating our immersion struggle, this is a loss. Put positively, I have found a friend in Joshua. Of course, he is still here, near at hand every day at Maryknoll. The real change will come when he and Charles conclude their classes for good at the end of July and begin their mission. Then, I will probably feel the way I did when Fray Jorge departed from the Franciscan fraternity late in April. 

But that is a separation for another day. For now, things begin again at Maryknoll. It will be a different dynamic with Grace, much different, I imagine. Just what it will be like, we will know soon. Surely the change will bring its own advantages, or so I hope. To put it positively, one more time: new wine in new wineskins?