While I enter the garden of the house we are going to deliver a food parcel to, my shoes sink about 10 cm deep in pure mud. I am trying to keep my balance and not fall down in the mud, while holding the food parcel and making sure that the plastic bag is not tearing apart. Out of the small house comes a small lady, slightly bending over and leaning on a stick. She is curious who we are and why we came. After I explained that we came to see how she is doing and to give her a parcel, she points out with her stick where we should put the food. Alexandra is 83 years old, nearly blind and starting to forget more and more things. When we ask her if she can get for us her passport so we can write down her details on the list, she shacks her head and says: "if only I could remember where I hide my passport. I will need to have a look..." She goes back into her one room house and I follow her. The smell is quite unpleasant and everywhere is dirt. Alexandra starts to dig between the 3 mattresses that are laying on her bed. Different things like icons, socks, insurance papers, medicines etc are found but not her passport....
When I see that she doesn't know where to look anymore, I suggest that she just signs the list and it will be oke. She agrees and slowly we move again towards the front door. There she signs the paper. I ask her: "Do you live by yourself?" She straightens her back and replies: "Me and God live together here! I am never alone."
After we have taken a picture together with Alexandra (cause she likes to take pictures with Americans...;-), we leave her behind and return through the mud to the car. Alexandra remains at home with God near her...May God bless her!
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