It's been ten years since I first and last saw Marta. This October I plan to return to Machu Picchu--for a third time. It would be one of the highlights of my trip if I were to see her again. Maybe she will be in the marketplace in Ollantaytambo--the last train stop before Machu Picchu--where we first met. Below is an excerpt from my travel journal:
12:05 pm Marketplace in Ollantaytambo, Peru October 2004
As I left the arched stone gate of the ruins, I was met by a group of men and women selling an assortment of goods. I waded through the crowd--waving them off with several, "no gracias, no gracias" jesters. I went to the first stand and there was a young man sitting there. I saw the book that Van had recommended. I asked him how much it was and he said, "Fifty soles", or about $12. When I gave him a quizzical look he said, " I have to pay 45 soles. I only make 5 soles for each book" (about $1.25). I told him, "gracias" and turned around to leave. He said, "You're not going to buy one from me are you?". I said, "If I don't, I'll send someone over to buy a book from you". As I walked away, I saw him tuck the book under a deformed and shortened arm--only reaching to where his elbow would have been. I didn't notice his arm when we were talking.
I walked around for a few minutes, then I noticed several people from the stalls running toward the arched stone gate. A group of tourists were coming down from the ruins. I saw an Indian woman there at the gate ready to meet the tourists. She had a baby on her back and a basket of goods to sell. As the other men and women ran from the marketplace to the gate, one by one they nudged this woman out of the way. Within a few moments she was at the back of the group. She tried to make her way back to the front, but to no avail. She couldn't squeeze through with her bulky load. Her baby was now crying. She gave up, turned and left and went and sat down on a curb. She took her baby out of the wrap and began to feed her baby. I could tell the woman was crying. Because she kept wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. I watched the spectacle of people over at the gate frantically trying to sell their wares to a handful of tourists. I looked back over at the mother with her baby. I decided to go talk to her. I went and sat down beside her. She didn't seem to mind or maybe she didn't notice. In Spanish I said," Is it like this always?" She responded, "Todos los dias", or "Every single day". They always pushed her aside. Having the baby on her back made her less mobile and easier for the others to get around here. None of the other people had babies to carry. She had no one to leave her baby with. She said if her baby started to cry, that she needed to stop and feed him.
I saw that she had the book in her basket that I was looking for. I said, " I've been looking for a copy of that book". Her face lit up, "Really?" I said, "Yes. In fact, I probably have a few of my friends that might want this book too". I asked her how many books she normally sold in a day. She said that she averages about one book a day. The most she ever sold, was two. And that was when she would stay extra long hours after the others had left--in hopes of getting any late visitors to the ruins. In 8-10 hours she would make about $3, if all went well--or about $100 a month. I looked over at the gate and noticed some people from our group. I told her to follow me. I went up to someone I recognized from our group and whispered in English, "Are you going to buy one of those books" When they told me they were, I told them that I had someone that I wanted them to buy it from. I told them to say, "No gracias" to the vendors and follow me. They did and followed me over to the woman. As the other vendors saw this, they all converged around us and again, butted the woman with the baby out of the way with cries in broken English, "We first.You buy us.You buy us. We first". I really startled the entire group when I said in Spanish, in a very firm tone. "If all of you don't turn around and leave right now, I will tell all 75 people in my group how rude you have been to this woman by knocking her out of the way. !Que verguenza! You should be embarrassed!" Not a one of them said anything, nor would look me in the eye as they turned around and left. She said, "gracias" and had now equaled her best sale's day. A couple minutes later, we made another sale. That makes three. That's more than she has ever sold in a day.
While we were waiting for some more people to come down of the mountain, I asked her, "What is your name?" She responded , "Marta". "And what's your baby's name? "Freddy" I said, "Freddy?" "Si, Freddy Choque Haunca". "How old is he?" "Six months" Normally I wouldn't ask someone that I just met her age, but I asked Marta, "How old are you?" She said, "I'm twenty-three". (She looked older, she's had obviously led a rough life-- mostly outdoors in the a very harsh Andean sun). We sat there waiting for some more people. She was quiet for a minute then she looked up at me and said, "Will you be Freddy's padrino?" I said, "Padrino?" "You want me to be Freddy's godfather?" She said, "si". I didn't answer her. I changed the subject and said, "Let's go sell some more books. We sold four, then five and then six. Then she asked me again, "Will you be Freddy's padrino?" Agodfather is a mentor, a role-model, someone special, a close friend of the family. I had only known Marta a few minutes ago! I told her that I barely knew her. I asked her why she wanted wanted me to be Freddy's godfather. She said, "In my life, no one has ever been this nice to me".
Robert came over and I introduced him to Marta. I filled him in on the "game plan" to help Marta sell books. As we were talking, some of the women who had been so rude to Marta, came over. They then asked me, "Senor, why are you being so nice to Marta? I said, "I saw the way you treated her" In unison they all said, "But Marta's our friend too. We have to sell things to make a living too. We have families. Won't you help us?" They then asked, "What is your name,
Señor?" I answered, "Hermano Quilla" I then followed that by "Hermano Luna". They said, "Quilla?" I said, "Yes,Moon". "Are you a brother?" I said, "Si, de la iglesia mormona". There were nods of approval. I asked, "How do you say 'brother' in Quechua?" (They were all Quechua women). One of the women responded with "wayqi, Wyqi Quilla". She was immediately scolded by an older woman who said, "You can't call him 'wayqi' !" She then pointed to Robert and said, "He can call him Wayqi Quilla, but we need to call him 'Turai Quilla' " (a form of "brother" showing greater respect).
The remainder of our group was now arriving. Our bus is supposed to leave in a few minutes. I asked Robert to hurry and help me sell some more books for Marta and her three friends. As we were doing so, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the young man that I talked to originally, the one with the withered arm. I took one of the people from our group over to his stand and they bought a book from him. I asked the young man, "Are we good?" He smiled, and said, "Si".
Each one of Marta's friends also had a book bought from them--along with a few dolls. They were all very happy. The men usually dominate the selling. Our buses arrived and everyone started boarding. We quickly made sales number seven, eight and nine for Marta. I took a picture of Marta and Freddy. She asked to have a picture of the three of us. I had Robert take our picture. She asked for my address. I told her I had a business card in the bus. She reached in her basket and handed me a doll that she had made. "I want to give this to you for your kindness". I knew that the doll sold for 15 soles and that it would be rude not to take it. I said, "Marta, I know the customs here and I will gladly accept this doll. However, I will pay you for the doll. God has blessed me, besides, we worked very hard to sell those nine dolls. It would be like we only sold six if you gave me this doll. She nodded in agreement. She then said, "I want to give you something" I said, "Here is what you can do for me. Next time you see the Mormon missionaries will you talk to them?" She said, "yes" and handed me a little pin that she made. We said our "goodbyes" and I gave her an "abrazo" a hug. As I was about to leave, she said, " I need to know whether I can tell Freddy that you will be his padrino". I smiled and said, "si". I got on the bus and then quickly remembered that Marta wanted my card. I ran to the back of the bus as it was pulling away. I opened the window and was looking for Marta. One of her friends was right below my window. She said, "Are you looking for Marta?" I said, "Yes, I have a card for her". She said, "I'll give it to her!" I handed the card to her as she was running alongside the bus. I looked back to see if I could see Marta, but I couldn't--the dust was being kicked up from the rear of the bus and quickly obscured any view-- so I took my seat on the back row.
