My baby likes the street. Whenever he's fussing and I can't get him to settle, I just walk him out front to the highway and he calms right down and falls asleep. I think he must feel lulled by the passing traffic, people hollering, and gas truck jingles.
So I took him out the other day to walk him along the highway, and I decided that, for a change, I'd cut back behind the house and go down to the lake, which is only a matter of feet from our house. As I'm walking there on the back dirt road, some woman, a total stranger, with two kids in tow, yells at me. "Where are you taking that baby?" Well, she said it in Spanish, but I'm translating for you. No one yells at me in English, except occasionally, when they holler "Hello! I love you!" or "Hello! Where are you from?"
So Stranger Lady yells at me. I say I'm just going down to the lake.
Look of horror passes over Stranger Lady's face.
She then explains to me that I am not to take my baby down there, it's very dangerous, no way.
I'm thinking "Dangerous? A mean dog? A bunch of drunk borrachos? Hepatitis A?"
"Don't take your baby down there! No, no, no. The goblins will get him. They'll grab him and make him sick. They'll take his soul. No. Down there - that's where the goblins live."
Ah... Stranger Lady is also very superstitious. Ok, Crazy Stranger Lady, get away from me and my baby.
So I replied "Ah... I see. I didn't know. Thank you for the warning." and then went back to the highway where Crazy Stranger Lady wouldn't bother me anymore.
You know the Spanish word for goblin? Your Spanish must be getting really good! Niko was in a lot of danger from the evil eye (I heard about it from my mother in law). I also heard ways to keep him safe. After you get home, you wipe the baby's face with water in an upwards motion (from chin to forehead) and then dump the water outside the house. This might help with goblins, too--not sure, though.
ReplyDeleteMy mother-in-law was pretty concerned about the evil eye on their last trip here. I am supposed to use the evil eye cure every time I come home with Niko. Also, some people tried to put the evil eye on him a couple of times in the park when they were here. My mother in law came back from the park angry because some lady said that Niko was cute. That, apparently, (can) put the evil eye on him.
ReplyDeleteAlso, when Stoycho was a baby mother-in-law lost her milk because someone put the evil eye on her at a public bath. Luckily, someone could lift the curse and she got her milk back (but never as much). There are so many things to be worried about when you have a baby! Not sure how we all make it to adulthood.