A few of my friends…

I would like to introduce to you some of my friends in Cusco.

Hugo. (“Oo-go”). Hugo is Autistic and partially blind. He helps me organize the toothbrushes, the toothpaste, and the towels in the morning for the other patients. He has to hold each item up to his face to be able to see what it is. Then, he separates the toothbrushes by color. I have learned that organization is often linked with autism. If the toothpaste is face down, he will turn it face up. He doesn´t speak a word but he understands everything I tell him. He is smart as a whip. Give him a puzzle and he can finish it in seconds. I do not know how old Hugo is. And neither do the patients. Most do not know when their birthday is. Hugo is also an amazing artist. He selects different colors to draw with. Oranges and yellows one day and blues and reds another. It is good to keep Hugo busy because when he is not, he resorts back to his foam mattress where he likes to rock back and forth. Hugo is my favorite. I would like to adopt him and give him a gluten-free diet. I truly believe he would be able to speak if given the proper diet, as it has been proven to work in the States. I also believe, if given the opportunity, he could be a wonderful employee. He enjoys challenging tasks. He is consistent and reliable. (In this photo, Hugo is smiling. He never smiles. Funny how he naturally smiles for the camera. He enjoyed getting his picture taken.)

Martha. (“Mar-ta”). I like to call her “Martita”. She calls me “Senorita”. Martha is epileptic. Martha recently had a seizure and cut her face badly. Happily, It is healing well. I have been told that Martha has enduced Schizophrenia from the seizures but I have yet to witness it. I really enjoy Martha. She is a smiling face of joy. We hug often.

Iban. (“Ee-Bahn”). What is the first impression you get from looking at this photo? To me, I see a handsome man, in his early 60´s, with very piercing, deep eyes. But, in this photo you can also see he is behind bars… he killed his wife along with the police officer who arrived on site to help.

I have spent some time talking to Iban. He is polite, likes to tell jokes, very good at keeping his room and himself clean, organized, and always smiling. I shook hands with him through the bars as he described the killing in detail while he squeezed my hand for 2 minutes. It was chilling. His appearance and behavior is deceiving. I have been told he is Schizophrenic, aggressive, and has many delusions about women, the devil, and animals. I don´t talk to him often. The Clinic does not like anyone near his room.

Iban will most likely never leave the Clinic. He has been sentenced to an additional 25 years for his crime. He is also not allowed to leave his cell except for 30 minutes a day. No sunlight shines inside his cell. And I wonder whether this limitation of contact is making his mental state worse.

Isabella. She believes she is from Italy, although she was born in Cusco. She says “Ciao Bella” every opportunity she gets. I am learning the art of patience with her. She will run me down in the hallways just to shake my hand and say Ciao Bella. “Madam. Madam. Ciao Bella!” Funny how she annoys me more than others. Isabella is a deep-seeded romantic. She loves to write stories about all of her lovers. And when she saw I had a camera she asked me to take her photo many times so that she can mail the photo to her men.