Shika

This is Shika. Shika has a broken leg but is otherwise healthy. Her bed was in the back corner of the building which didn't bother Shika because she could see everything from her view. She was the little gossip of Prem Dan. I would often go sit with her because the other volunteers didn't give her much attention...probably because she was fairly healthy and didn't need that much assistance because she could feed herself and get up to go to the restroom...
Although Shika knew only a few words and phrases in English we grew quite close and had many conversations. I would sit with Shika on her bed and she would point to different patients and motion to me that they were crazy...some motions are universal! She would point to different Nuns and let me know who the nice ones are and also the not so nice ones. She would tell me an elaborate story all in Bengali, using hand motions and everything and even though I did not understand a word of it I would listen and make comments, which she of course didn't understand either. When she was finished with her story she would look at me and then I would tell her a story, all in English, and she would listen intently. One day we were doing our story time and as Shika was telling me her story she pauses and says "Don't worry, Be happy!" I had no idea what the rest of her story was about but that was all I needed to understand. Shika was happy and she has a beautiful spirit about her that is contagious.

One day I was feeding a patient on the bed next to Shika's and I look over in time to see Shika reach for a plastic bag under her pillow. She reaches inside the plastic bag and pulls out a smaller bag with some sort of white powder in it. I must have had a weird look on my face because she looked at me and said "salt" then motioned to her food and acted like she was gagging. I guess she didn't like the food too much! It was a good reminder for me though that even though the people there don't have much they still have their likes and dislikes. It made me think of the people here, like the homeless people we serve in Sacramento and sometimes we get frustrated when they don't want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but we forget that they are people too and just because they have an unfortunate situation they are still allowed to have a preference of food.
I was nervous to work at Prem Dan because it is difficult to work with adults when you don't speak the same language. They need something and they are trying to communicate it to you and you don't have any idea what they are saying so they get frustrated which is of course frustrating and then they wet themselves (or worse...) and you realize "Ah! She needed to go to the restroom...shoot...too late." With little kids you don't need language too much, you can entertain and take care of little ones using barely any language. Skiha, however, taught me that some adults don't need language either, they just need love and affection. Shika is a beautiful lady who will forever hold a spot in my heart.