India - My Life within and without

So here how it goes. I went to Cri-Help's No Ho center (oh it has memories) and I waited...wel yeah most of the time....for those peeps to use me as volunteer and I guess either they don't need free help or they have no idea what is it means to be volunteer.


Conversation between from desk and moi:

Moi - Hey, my name is blah blah and I'm interested in volunteering with your group.

Front desk - huh? What do you want?

Moi - I want to volunteer (super slow) with your group.

Front Desk - Oh I see...ok ok. One sec...

(he does nothing, just sit and stare at me...may be he was thinking)

Front Desk - Ok, can you please wait over there (points towards couch) and I will let her (points towards a lady behind him) speak with you.

Moi - Thank you.

(I walked towards couch and sat over there. Mean while many strange faces, weird looking people walked by me...some even wished me hello and some just stared at me.)

10 minutes.....

Front Desk - Madam.... (I guess he called moi)

Moi - Yes...

(I got up and walked to the front desk)

Front Desk - Mr. Rick is going to speak with you in a while, please wait...

(OKAY....Funny....)

Moi - Thank you

(I went back to couch and started reading LA Weekly. Again, people, smiles, stares, expressions and I was lost in to that evening when I first entered inside that building...with HIM, for HIM....what a night that was, full of tears and full of hopes.)

10 minutes later...

Front Desk - Madam....

(this time I refused to get up and replied to front desk guy from couch)

Moi - Yes...

Front Desk - Mr. Rick is not around for some reason, but he is around (huh?) I mean he is not gone for the day. Do you want to wait or may be you want to leave.....?

(I went up to him and he repeated his words again.)

Moi - Here is my name and phone number, I live around the corner, please have him call me or you call me and let me know if you want me to come and meet.

(now he is confused - I guess he wasn't taught this part of expression in his training)

Front Desk - Hmmmmm

Moi - oh well, do you want me to wait?

(his face is all smiled up)

Front Desk - Yes please, I mean if you can?

Moi - How much time will it take?

Front Desk - May be 5 or 10 minutes....

Moi - Okay, I guess I can wait that long.

(I went back to couch and started writing this post. 5 minutes later a guy came by and started talking to others standing close to the couch I was sitting at. Suddenly he looked at me and in between his talks with others he introduced himself)

5 Minutes...

Man - Hi, my name is Rick.

Moi - Hi Rick, my name is blah blah...

Rick - So how can I help you?

Moi - Well, I am blah blah blah and I want to volunteer with your group. I am really interested in working with adults in recovery from substance abuse.

Rick - Oh that is nice but we have internship program but don't have any program for free volunteers....you can join the course 'substance abuse counseling' and I will help you get into our internship...

Moi - Blah blah blah...thank you!!

I left.

I was confused as their website says "WORK WITH US" but when I went there they needed no help...weird. Saala, log free ki help tak nahin le sakte...blah blah blah....

I reached home and my lovely neighbor who was trying to read something, was sitting outside her room. I asked her how she was doing and she asked the same to moi. I tried my Spanish with her and she tried her English with me. I appreciated her little kitchen garden by kept saying bonita, bonito, gracious...blah blah blah....and suddenly she got up and gave me a lovely plant with pot and pot holder for moi casa (my house) I refused many times but she was kept saying 'for tu casa...tu casa...' And I remembered how I felt when I wanted to give my free services to someone and others refused...so I took it and put it on my dining table...It actually look cute up there.

Now Moi casa is Bonita ;-)