One of the privileges of working on the Habitat construction team is watching our partner families form relationships as they earn their sweat equity hours. The friendship between two of our partner families, Jose and Mauro, perfectly demonstrates how Habitat inspires homeowners to build community with each other.
My first few interactions with Jose last November were a bit awkward. I had just started speaking Spanish and he spoke very little English himself. Unable to discuss our personal lives or oftentimes even the task at hand, we stumbled through framing with my limited Spanish vocabulary and a lot of patience. Since Jose works in asphalt, he had lots of time off during the winter and started coming almost every day to complete his 250 hours of sweat equity. For those not lucky enough to know Jose, he is a jokester to his core and has the unique ability to poke well-intentioned fun at any situation (or person). Desperate to communicate and joke around even though he couldn’t find the words, he compensated with hand gestures, silly faces and sounds that would make the whole team giggle.
As my Spanish improved throughout the winter, I began to develop a more personal relationship with Jose. Each new word I learned brought new meaning and depth to his character. A father of two daughters and nervously anticipating the birth of his first son in May, Jose was feeling the pressure to get both his and his pregnant wife Sandra’s hours done. He met Sandra in his Mexican hometown of Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua and left everything he knew to join her and her family in the states. The commitment Jose has to his family is palpable, and when Mauro started coming regularly in February, I knew they would be fast friends.
Both are loving fathers of young children, disarmingly funny and quick learners with an incredible work ethic. Using his four months of framing experience, Jose taught Mauro everything he knew. They gravitated towards each other when we broke off into groups at the beginning of each day and often took lunch breaks together. They discovered they had both once worked for the same boss and bonded over their mutual dislike. After work, it became common to find them walking through their houses inspecting the new construction or talking by their cars as the crew went home.
One afternoon in April as my team left the site, we saw Mauro and Jose sitting side by side on a bunk of 2x4s, talking and smoking cigarettes. I could almost imagine them as young boys, kicking their feet and telling stories after a long day of playing outside. In a matter of months now, their children will have the opportunity to do the same as neighbors and friends.
Lydia has been hard at work on the Stratton Flats jobsite for 10-1/2 months. Her AmeriCorps service term ends in July. Everyone will miss her enthusiasm, work ethic and relationship building!
