Edi
Edi – one of the children from the club in Ferentari broke his leg a week ago. Not the first one but I do hope is the last one .He loves basketball and dance and he is a very kind child. He lives in one of the worse if not the worst apartment building in the ghetto in Livezilor. He is 12.
He broke his leg in the park – a silly accident- caught his leg under him. I took him to the emergency room. After he got his leg put in a cast the taxi drivers refused to take him and his parents back to the ghetto, it took a while till we manage to persuade one driver to do it. My car was full with the other children from the ghetto that were in the park.
Yesterday we went for a check-up radiography. His bone is broken but for now it looks as good as it could after one week spent with the cast and immobilized in bed at home. The doctor was very kind and helpful. She certainly couldn’t care less about his ethnicity.
Edi needed crutches. We posted an add on the Bucharest mum’s list asking if anybody has some and could lend them to us. A fast answer came from somebody named Linda.
This morning I went to pick up the crutches. Just when I parked I realized that the address was the residence of the British Ambassador. The guards there started questioning me. I was dressed in sweat pants and a T-shirt. Not shaved. I helped carry some furniture earlier for one of our clubs at school number 2 so not particularly clean. I didn’t look very trustworthy I guess. When the very sharply dressed Ambassador came out with the crutches the guard asked me to stay away. The ambassador came towards me, shake my hand chatted a bit about the club he knows well and left. His wife Linda seemed very please to be able to help.
They made my day. I went to Edi gave him the crutches. Gave him also Harry Potter to read. I told him that the Ambassador will be very happy if he knew he will read the book. I read the first chapter with him and when I left he was completely absorbed in reading.Much needed considering the view one can see from the only window in his tiny one room flat.
Small gestures can change lots. It is not the first time the couple living in the British Residence helped us and each time they did it in a way that felt right and natural. I wish that when I help I do it the same way and that I will see many others doing it the same way.
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