Fairy Godmother
I’m a parent! Sort of. I spent a couple of days in Lima after the mothership left because I promised some kids I’d teach them to swim. I failed miserably at that but I did become a Godmother in the meantime.
My new Godchild, or ahijada as they say here, is Flavia, the kid I met for the first time at the theatre festival in June. Normally Godparents are chosen based on who the parents are friends with but her mother informed me she wanted me because of how well myself and the kid get on. So I guess I have a 3 year old buddy. It all started a month or so back when to save money Flavia ended up on my lap on a bus. Like any good toddler she started examing the foreigner who had just grabbed her. When she got to my mouth she was amazed to discover I had a filling. She got extremely excited and showed me her mouth. The kid is anxiously awaiting her new teeth I’d say. I tried to explain that my teeth weren’t actually rotten, that I’d put the filling there on purpose. But out of that previous sentence there, the only word I know in Spanish is ‘teeth’ so she didn’t quite get what I was talking about. She had already decided that we were teeth buddies and started showing all our fellow passengers all my ‘rotten teeth’. For a three year old she seems to know some things about dental health because she said
“So you like chocolate too?”
and also told me I should cut back on the Coke.
In preparation for the Christening, which is actually a pre-Christening, guess I should explain that. See, in Peru the kids don’t get Christened until they’re 9 or 10. So they have a pre-Christening to tie them over in the meantime. I’m what is known as the first Godmother. At the main event in a few years time she’ll get her second, and life time Godparents.
So back to the ‘In preparation bit’.
In preparation for the ceremony I had to get a present for my new ahijada. In my experience bestowing gifts is one of the main duties of a Godparent. The kid seems to have a lot of teddies and dolls so I decided to go the educational route and be a sensible G-parent. For her upcoming English lessons I got her ‘Lee en Ingles’; Read in English. I thought I would get this thrown straight back in my face, and even thought I should get a soft cover book so I don’t get hurt. But turns out she’s quite the little intellectual and got very attached to her book. She even woke up in a panic one morning thinking someone had taken it. Her mother tells me she likes to show people the book and announces quite frequently that she has a foreign Godmother.
The ceremony itself was very cool but I spent most of it very confused. I’m learning Spanish person by person. First I could understand Kelly, then her mother, then her sister. But for the Christening I was mostly talking to Flavia’s parents who I haven’t even started to understand yet. I thought the plan was to head to the church, I also thought I would have time to change out of my tracksuit. But I think I heard something like “No, there’s too many people in the church” and so it was decided the ceremony would be in Kelly’s house. Denise, my new comadre (mother or Godchild) went and fetched some holy water while Kelly helped me think of something good to say. When we all met again I was handed the holy water, all eyes turned to me and my confusion only spiraled.
“So, we’re waiting for the priest, right?”
“No Claire you’re the priest”.
“Oh, so this is like a practise”.
“No, this is the real thing, now bless the child!”
So with that I had to think of something holy and inspiration to say, and in Spanish. I think it was something along the lines of
“I hereby name you……Flavia”.
They said my main duty was to say the Our Father and bless her by dipping a flower in the water and sprinking the kid. Wasn’t too difficult. We had an offical ‘book handing over thing’ where we took lots of photos of me giving the child her English book. And dammit, in the photos she doesn’t look all that excited about it. She was though, I swear! After that myself and Flavia were forever joined in holy Godparentness. 
Well, by forever I mean one day. The day after the ceremony was my D-day so to speak. The day I finally get on a bus and do this solo travelling thing I’ve been saying I’m going on for months.
But before I left I promised to be the best absent Godparent ever!
Tags: 2 - Peru, Peru
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