October 14, 2012
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Day 29: Marcone
Day 29: When I started working with Living Stones in 2008, I met a family with 5 kids: Mercia, Marcone, Taciana, Eduardo, and Roberto. They were very poor, and “lived with” their aunt, basically taking care of themselves. Marcone was deaf. He has never been to school, and spends his days begging in the streets and grunting or putting up his middle finger to get attention.
I kept in contact with this family, and continue to visit them even when Living Stones ended in Paudalho the end of 2010. I got all of their birthdays—except for Marcone: no one knows when his birthday is. I don’t think he is even registered—and if there ever was a birth certificate, it is long gone, just like their mother.
So this year, Mercia (the older sister who takes care of everyone) and I decided to make up his birthday, to make sure it got celebrated. And we chose Children’s day (October 12). This week I was stumped: what do you get for a (I think) 16 year old deaf boy? I finally got him Uno, because we always played it at Living Stones. When I got off the bus today to get to his house, I realized: how was I going to find him if he wasn’t at home—and if he was, how was I going to explain to him it was his birthday? I got a little worried.
But he was home, and it wasn’t a problem. He had watched (normally from a distance) as I’d come to celebrate his brothers and sisters’ birthdays. And his sister had mimed for him I was coming. As soon as I came close, he came running, grunting a greeting. I took the birthday glasses out of my bag and he got a big smile on his face: he knew it was his day!
With his family sitting on the porch, I got out the cake and we all sang Happy Birthday to him, and clapped. He couldn’t hear—but he clapped along. He loved his present, and he grabbed it and ran off to examine it closer. Then he came back shyly for a piece of cake. Then off again, and back. He wasn’t sure what to do with himself. When it was time to go, I motioned to him that I wanted a hug. He has grown so much taller than me! But he reached down and hugged my tight. Marcone’s first birthday. Happy 16th(I think).
