Belize's answer to a yard sale

Yesterday was a truly sad day that carried over to today as we had to say goodbye to our adopted children. Todd and Ashli returned to Utah today. Last night we went over to their house to say goodbye and offer our services as packer/cleaner/movers. Turned out they didn't need help but, as always happens when we get together with Todd and Ashli, we were glad we went for the experience. Important to note: Todd and Ashli's house is about 400 sq ft and has 4 rooms and a storage space. The living room is about 12ft by 12ft.

We arrive at the house and discover Todd and Ash aren't home. But Todd yells at me from down the street to say they will be right back - go on in. In we go and are sad to see the house is in packing mode: piles of things organized here and there, hammock gone, etc. There is a strange, rhythmic tap, tap, tap. I'm trying to figure out what it is when Brynn and Kori look behind the futon. The tap ... tap ... tap... becomes taptaptap. Oh, Ed (the dog) is behind the futon. We say Hi to Ed and Todd and Ashli arrive home. Closely followed by one, no two, no three young boys. Coming to say goodbye. The boys decide they must, right now, play chess. So they pull out a chess board and plop down in the middle of the floor. OK, this is Belize, we go with it. Just as the game is really getting going, three Mayan women and one Mayan man show up at the door. 'Are Todd and Ashli moving?' 'Yes.' 'Can we buy your bed?' 'Sure.' A price is haggled out and set. While this is happening, three kriol women come in. One has a beer in hand and a few more in bloodstream. 'Are you moving?' 'Yes.' 'Can we buy your bed?' 'No, just sold.' 'How about the fan?' 'Sure.' The kriol women start looking around and going through things to see if there is anything else they may want. Meanwhile the bed has been taken apart and is being moved through the chess game and out the door. The chess game ends and Kori takes on the winner. The bed continues to be moved and the kriol women pick up a basket and blow dryer and are in serious negotiations for the cell phone and water dispenser. In walks our church's Branch President and a young man. We now have 3 Mayan women, 1 Mayan man, three kriol women, one Latino man, one Latino boy, 1 Canadian man, 1 Canadian woman, 2 Canadian girls, 3 kriol boys, Todd, Ashli and Ed in the living room. Everyone is talking and haggling and playing chess, moving things and trying not to get stepped on. One half hour later, only the Canadians, the Americans and Ed are left. Gone also are the bed, the futon, the water dispenser, the stove, the gas tank, the cell 'phone, basket, fan and blow dryer, sheets for the bed, mattress for the futon, and numerous games and odds and ends. That's what happens in Belize when you tell the seven - ten year old's in chess club that you are moving. Pretty efficient if totally chaotic. No signage, no long day sitting behind a table in front of a garage. Just an explosion of people and languages and everything is gone.

And so are Todd and Ashli. We miss you guys!