“This case has made its mark on all of us. Everyone here at IBCF and Gerard’s team are watching his progress with amazement. There have always been questions about his history and now he is sharing more of his story with you and with us today. This is a good sign. He feels safe now. He is a totally different boy now than when we first met him. Please send pictures and keep us updated.”
~ final remarks from Gerard’s case worker at our Exit Interview on Wednesday (which, incidentally, took place back in the same ‘scary’ building where we met him and took custody)
Greetings from La Mesa,
Two-and-a-half hours post the most hair-raising, death-defying van ride of our lives (where double yellow lines mean nothing and motorbikes on all sides inches from you is commonplace), we arrived in Eden. No, en serio (seriously), the villa where we are staying is on a plateau in the Andes mountains and is absolutely beautiful. The contrast with Bogota is significant. We have a large hacienda and the entire property to ourselves, including a pool, a jacuzzi, 4 rescued dogs, 4 rescued horses, a rooster 😳, a variety of fruit trees (mandarin, lime, banana, mango), and several bedrooms and bathrooms. Gerard’s room has a single bed with a ladder leading to a loft room with a second single bed. It’s really very cool. He has never had a bedroom to himself so this is quite a treat. We are swimming each day, enjoying the dogs who roam in and out of our casa all day, taking exploratory hikes, having dance parties~playing LOTS of Shakira, and eating homecooked meals together as a family. I have had the added bonus of feeding Torchulla ( a stud of a horse), carrots each day, with the promise of a ride on him on Tuesday. There is a lovely couple here who clean for us and take care of the animals and property. The owner/host is not on site but she rents her estate to adoptive families specifically~ with the intent of it being a retreat. This has been a place of healing for all of us.
As you may have deduced from the quote above~ the Exit Interview was intense and emotional. Gerard has been remembering violence he witnessed and names of people never before mentioned. All of which took place when he was five and younger. As a family we all have been ‘pushed physically, emotionally and mentally’~ as Judah told me one morning. He is right. And… there have been so many very sweet moments like when Gerard was swimming in the pool while I sat on the edge and he stared at me and said “Te Amo” (I love you). One of my highlights for sure. Each of our hard moments with him has been followed by an even sweeter connection. He is learning how to handle his thoughts and feelings in appropriate ways. We still have a long road ahead with that. He has been averse to the schooling I am offering him, which has been challenging. He is resourceful and intelligent and his team concurred that the testing scores in his file are not reflective of what he can do. With a stable home and the right resources (and accomodations) we all think he can achieve well. Only time will tell! A few more things we know about him……He LOVES music and a musician/filmmaker named Kane Pixels, he hates the mosquitos here, likes his eggs ‘gooey’ and will sneak as much sweets as he can get (kind of a Colombian thing we are learning). He has a fear of bees and flys and a startle reflex at loud sounds. He LOVES dinosaurs and Lil Nas X (who we are actively trying to eliminate from his preferred listening!) He is small for his age and has delicate hands and feet. He has a dimple on his right cheek and a raspy voice. His biological mother had long blue hair. He likes to make videos with my phone and says ‘lights, camera, action!'
By: Caty Rinehart
