It’s November, we are right in middle of coffee season. We picked 4 rounds now, they were all small rounds, it seems to be a small crop year. A friend called from Canada today, just like he said, sometimes it had nothing to do with how you worked on the farm,  it’s the climate or mother nature doing her thing, to decide what this year’s crop going to be.

We used our new pulping equipment, it works very well, we are very happy with it.

Last month two French girls stayed with us, picked coffee for us in exchange for their accommodation. They’re both 20 years old, working along as they travel. I was amazed how good workers they are , independent, organize, hard working young girls.

First day picking, they picked as much as Terry and I, picked as long time as we did. Next morning, when I was cleaning up kitchen after breakfast around 7am, they were already out in the field picking coffee. At the end of the day, I cooked supper, they washed dishes after the dinner, wouldn’t let me do it.

It was a new experience for us, we have a pretty private life, very seldom we have guests stay with us for a month, especially people we never meet.  Terry was worry about, how could I handle it, how would I like it. They are such wonderful and interesting young girls, it was my first time meet somebody like them, I enjoyed their time with us. But Sonny was the one who enjoyed their time the most, he is always excited when we have guests; if the guest stay with us, he is in heaven.

Second night Sonny moved into their room. Next morning I found out that Lauri slept on coffee deck. Jo and Sonny were reading, talking and playing games on Jo’s I Pad, Lauri was playing ukulele on the deck; later, when she went to bed, found the two took the whole bed, she found some blankets and slept on the deck. I asked them again, did they mind Sonny sleep in their room, he doesn’t always get his way. They didn’t mind, so I put mattress on the floor in their room, made a small bed for him, he was a happy camper.

One night, before I went to bed, I went to their room to check, saw Jo and Sonny lie in the bed, Sonny was reading his book and Jo was  using her I Pad. Just like what we usually do at our bed time, quiet and content, happy to be together.

Because of Lauri and Jo, Sonny wanted to hang around with them, he actually picked coffee next to them. He is a chat box, he talked a lot at beginning, hours went by, he ran out of story, he started singing. I was picking a little away from them, but I could hear his made up military song, it was so funny. I couldn’t help to laugh out loud, and happy that he found a way to amuse himself. I heard Jo and Laurie laughed out loud too, and pretty sure they were laughing at him; he kept going on, didn’t even notice, just be himself.

I told him that he had to pick at least one basket, about 20lb; then he would understand how we have to work, to have the life we are live in. First time he picked one basket, I wasn’t quite believe it; I asked Lauri when she was alone, did he cheat, took some coffee from her basket ( he always does that when he picks next to me ). She told me, he did pick the coffee himself, she only gave him 3,4 beans a few times to award him when he was being good.

Second time, he wanted to hang around with them, didn’t want to do the job. I told him, if he picked one basket before lunch, he could stay home watch TV instead come back picking coffee after lunch. He complained a lot, but kept picking, I saved low branches with loaded ripe cherry for him, so he could fill up the basket faster. From 8am to 12 o’clock, it was a long hours job for a 8 years old boy; I was glad he filled up his basket, so I wouldn’t be in the position, that I had to play as a bad harsh mom, or a soft mom couldn’t keep her own words.

It was a very special month for him, they were like two big sisters in the house. When he practiced piano, he wanted them watching him, or he wanted play for them; with his fast speed, not even close to be beautiful music. Sometimes, when he was doing his homework, Jo liked to help him. He even proudly told us, he could belly fart on both of them and they could belly fart on him, which is our family game. Except when he got into his war stories or war pictures, they didn’t have interest and bore them for sure, they seems enjoyed some of his companion time too.

One month was too short, they wanted coming back in the future. Now they are in Australia, one year adventure there. They are having a such different youth, interesting, exciting and colorful, compare it with mine. Not only the passport they hold give them easy access to foreign countries, but also their courage and attitude is the key opens any door in front of them on the path. They are like fish back into ocean, a world they belong to, a world made for them. They said they are young girls with freedom, no marriage or child tie them down, they can almost go wherever they want to. To me, they are on the top of the world, their youth are priceless; they are lucky, because not every young people in this world have the same opportunity like they do.

This is the life, I never imagined when I was twenty; I’m glad to meet them, get to know their different life to be young, have a great time and wonderful experience in their young life.