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So as we are riding home on Tuesday evening from the Artisan’s Market, we describe all of the events of the day to Rita and Odwar. They are amazed at all we have accomplished in just a few hours. As we were discussing the events at the embassy, our cell phone rang. By the numbers on the caller ID I knew the call was from the States. On the other end was my mother in an excited tone speaking so fast I had to slow her down.
“It’s Done, It’s Done, It’s Done!” she shouted with enthusiasm. All day she had been monitoring our email for us as we awaited word from the embassy. “The email says you can pick up the Pink slip in the morning!!”
Barely able to comprehend the moment, I looked at Kristina who already was picking her jaw up off of the floor.
“We get our pink slip tomorrow!” I said to kind of punctuate the moment. Mia looked on and squealed with glee not knowing what she was happy about but simply knowing something was great.
Early the next morning, we again rode into the city with our friends, we ate breakfast, and then we headed over to the embassy. Once there, we decided not to go in altogether. With the stroller it was too much of a hassle.
“This is mine” Kristina said as she looked through the gates and up the steps to the door of the embassy. I’ve been waiting 14 months for this day and it’s here. The anticipation on her face made my heart leap. In a moment, she was passing through security and on her way up the steps. With a quick wave back, she entered through the doors and was gone.
A man from Guatemala City approached me and asked if he could speak with me for a moment. Mia was waking from a short nap in the stroller so I accepted his offer for conversation. He smiled at Mia and looked at me.
“I’m very proud for you” he said with broken English. “To have a love in your heart for a child from another people is very special.” With tears in his eyes he hesitated and looked toward the embassy door and looked back at me. “You can never know the pain it takes to give your child up for in hopes they will have a better life.” We talked together a few more minutes and I noticed eventually that the people beside him must be his family. In our discussion he told me that his daughter is gifted academically and he was sending her to live with family in Los Angeles. Today was the day the paperwork was coming through and she would leave in the morning. His emotions were so deep and so visible.
Suddenly the door of the embassy opened and Kristina appeared. Into the air she thrust her arm as she rushed down the stairs and toward the exit gate. The smile on her face was visible to all as she approached. The space between us was quickly consumed and she was in my arms. Her smile turned to tears and she collapsed into sobs as the realization came over her that she was going home. Our new friend approached and embraced us both. As Kristina composed herself, our friend blessed us and then broke down himself as his daughter approached with her paperwork. It was an emotional roller coaster for sure.
As we said our good-byes and left, we met a few friends that we had come to know on the Guatemala Adoption Forum Our hearts sang as we walked up the road toward the Los Proceres Shopping Center near the Westin. For three blocks we had an exuberant silence that I can not explain except to say we were almost running up the road with excitement.
Finally I stopped and said “Pictures Pictures Pictures! Let’s get pictures with the Pink Slip” as though it was some kind of rock star. We rolled the stroller over to the side and set the camera on top. We wound up taking about 15 pictures in the back alley we were standing in.
Our plans were to be at the Embassy early in the morning for our interview. We had to rush over to the doctor’s for Mia’s physical (The doctor is located at the Los Proceres Center). The doctor was so kind and good with Mia. He told Kristina she had done a wonderful job of raising Mia and keeping her doctor records for the past year. In just minutes we were through and headed out the door. As we were leaving, we went to get Mia’s Visa photo taken. For some reason, Kristina remembered that though they already had these taken, she didn’t think our lawyer submitted them.
Kristina, Mia and I walked around the mall and up and down the area. We had an early afternoon meal at Frida’s. We enjoyed our meal together like we hadn’t done in a long long time. Kristina said that though she was filled with hope and anticipation, she was still nervous about the meeting with the official at the embassy in the morning. I could understand how after 14 months of “knowing” something was to happen the next day and then it did not until weeks or months later why she felt that way. However, I was thrilled.
That evening, Kristina, Mia and I packed all of our stuff. We cleaned her room and got everything ready to go. It was such an adventure for Mia as she had no clue what was going on. This was different and she sensed joy in her Mommy and Daddy so she was being so silly. As we packed, I called the airlines and arranged for Kristina’s stand-by pass that she had to be for Friday April 1st on the same flight I was booked. It was surreal to talk with the agent about lap fares for Mia. Kristina’s smile was etched on as she heard me making arrangements. When I finished, we decided that we would spend our last night in Guatemala at the Hotel Biltmore Express (right by the Westin).
Our hosts came in and said that the futbol game between the Americans and the Guatemalans was finally on. It was evident quickly that the Americans had the upper hand. There were no celebratory fireworks in the streets that night as Guatemala lost 0-2 to the US. However, the celebration was large in that house because of the joy they felt for us. People from all over stopped by to give their love and congratulations and to say good-bye to Kristina, Mia, and I. Needless to say, it was hard to lay down and sleep that night. We would be eating North Carolina Barbeque from Hursey’s in 72 hours!
The Mummau Series
1. Choosing To Adopt
2. Why International? Why Guatemala?
3. The Call From Guatemala
4. The Process Begins
5. A Prelude To Mia
6. How Can You “Choose” A Child – Leaving Others Behind?
7. Peer Into The Heart – Journal Entries
8. Meeting Maria – Finding Mia
9. Leaving Our Daughter…is that…no way!
10. Rivers of Waiting
11. Mistakes, Intentions, and Naivety – How Hope Began To Die
12. Alone in Guatemala and Waiting
13. Time Marches On – Goodbye Mia for Now
14. Joyful Gringos in Quetzaltenango
15. Mia Mia
16. Abuela Comes To The Rescue
17. Doctors, Couriers, and Delays
18. Even So, You Won’t Believe This
19. The Summer of Frustration Ends
20. Fall Approaches with Broken Hearts…Teeth
21. 1600 Miles from Tecpan (pt.1)
22. 1600 Miles from Tecpan (pt.2)
23. Kristina Comes Home
24. Mia’s First Steps
25. December’s Momentum
26. An Angel In The Embassy? I
27. An Angel in the Embassy? II
28. A Christmas to Remember…and Forget
29. Daddy’s 2nd Visit
30. Clash at The Embassy
31. We’re In The PGN! OK Let Us Out!
32. Accomodations
33. The Pencil – Never Give Up
34. Exiting the PGN…sort of
35. Exiting the PGN…yet again
36. Daddy Has Enough
37. The Countdown Begins
38. Easter Brings Hope
39. Sit With Me in San Cristobal
40. T-Minus a few things and counting
41. My New Favorite Color
42. Hope Becomes Reality-The Embassy Interview
43. Mia Mummau Goes Home
More blogs about Guatemala Adoption.
