DALEME UN PESO . . .

Here in Nicaragua it is common, no expected that you keep your front door open when guests are over. This is even more important when you (a female) are being visited by a male. Who knows what could be going on behind shut doors? So, as a foreign woman in Nicaragua I usually abide by this social rule. When my few male friends do come to visit, mainly David, I keep my windows open and I keep my doors that way too.

But, with front doors open comes any number of lovely experiences. First off there are heartbreaking starving street dogs that come in search of food. They are skin and bones with inflamed sagging nipples (you just never know how many litters they’ve had). Second, small children usually end up sitting on your door step. They usually need a bath, have tangles in their hair and have a sack full of corn or beans in one hand, “daleme un peso.” Give me a peso they say.

Give me a peso? What will you do with that peso? Where do you live? Where is your mother?

Give me a peso? NO.

I know a peso is not much. In fact it is about 5 cents U.S.A. The thing is, I don’t really have the money to give every kid that comes to my house a peso. And, I know where some of them live, their mothers and their grandmothers.

Tell me this, how many of my pesos do you buy street fireworks with?



Daleme un peso.

Nope.