Olthuis 1

Cece Olthuis

Mrs. McGinn

English

19 May 2017

The Work For Coffee

Time: 1840

Culture: Costa Rica

I wake up. I remind myself that I have to start my first day of work in the coffee farm. I am

excited to work but I feel nervous right now too. I change into my old shirt and long skirt and

Im ready. Normally children my age dont start farming for another two years but my family is

becoming sick so I have to take the responsibility. I pick up my basket and start walking to the

small field at the back of my house. Rustle Rustle I turn around and see just a lizard. There are

lizards everywhere where I live although they dont do a whole lot.

Hello there Sakura, wheres your parents? Diego asks me.

Theyre sick so I have to be out here today by myself I tell to Diego.

Diego is my best friend and he has been for the past 5 years. I met him when I was 8 and

I was out in the jungle near our house. He was out there at the same time as me and we bumped

into each other. Hes 3 years older than me, but that doesnt bother me. This is his second year

out in the field. He does live very close though and our families share part of the land that we

work in.
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I start walking a bit past where he is working and start farming all of the coffee trees. I

start to grow tired after the first half of a basket. Its much harder than when my family would

take me out for training. When they took me out it wasnt so hot and it was always raining and

humid. I drink some of my water out of my canister but it doesnt refresh me. I look over and see

that Im not the only one dying of heat, Diego also looks like hes dying of heat too. We soon

have a small break in the afternoon. I start eating my rice. Ive seen workers in other fields that

bring a lot rice to work. After our small break we go back to working in the fields. By the end of

the day Ive filled up my basket all the way to the rim with coffee beans. Once Im done I start to

go to sell them at the market. I then walk home once I finish selling them. I open the door and

see that my family is way worse. I can see how hot they are in the face from here. I feed them the

rest of the rice I didnt eat today at work and hope that they become better soon. I go into my

small room in the corner of the house and climb into my bed. I have a hard time sleeping,

wondering about what might happen if my parents dont become better and they die from the

fever. I finally fall asleep because I know I have to have enough energy for the next day if I want

to keep making money. Luckily the coffee has been selling really well lately so we earn a decent

amount of money each basket.

When I wake up in the morning I see my family is looking better even though theyre still

asleep. I leave them with some rice and head out the door. I start running out towards the coffee

field ready for another day. I dont see Diego anywhere and wonder if hes just slept in. I start

picking beans and putting them into my basket although Im still waiting to see Diego today. Its

coming close to break time and I still havent seen him today. I decide that once all my work is
 Olthuis 3

done Ill stop by his house to see if he is there. People are now starting to leave so I know that

its the end of the day.

I stop by Diegos house and see no one there. In fact I dont even see that much stuff in

his house. I see him start to head over

Hello, Sakura. he speaks to me.

Where have you been? I ask. I thought I told you that we had to move away for a better job in

coffee plantation

He exclaims.

I didnt know about that at all. I reply disappointedly.

Oh sorry about that. he looks down at his feet.

I have to go. I reply.

I run to my house. I go into my room and close the door. Im sad that hes leaving on such short

notice. He was my only friend and now I have no friends to accompany me when Im out in the

fields. I try to sleep but again Im restless and cant seem to sleep at all tonight and now Im still

thinking about what life will be like until Ill fall asleep.

I wake up and change into another skirt and old shirt. Throughout the whole day Im

emotionless and Im not talking to a single person. I will find a way to make myself feel better

but for now I dont feel well and Im starting to become nauseous and I have to go home before I

become too sick. I lie down in bed and fall asleep. Today was an unproductive day but I feel

dead inside so I dont care if today I did not make any money. When I wake up I go to the living

room to find that my parents are almost dying from their fever. Mother! Father! Pamela! I run

over and check their forehead. Theyre burning hot from their fever.
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Sakura you must go buy some medicine please. My father answers.

I rush out the door and go to the market. I see a stand thats selling all sorts of medicine.

Do you have any medicine for fevers?

I ask abruptly. They hand me a small bottle with some liquid in it. I pay them and head back to

my small house.

Drink this please. I tell each family member.

They all take a sip and then I make them go to sleep. I go out in the fields for the rest of the day

and I pick half a basket to sell. It wasnt that great but Im fine with it because its enough money

to keep my family lasting for more time. When I go back home all of them look better except for

my father. He looks even worse than he did before I gave him the medicine. I wake up my

mother and sister and tell them that they look better and might be able to help father soon. My

mother lays in bed for a bit longer until she knows that shes strong enough to stand up and make

something for my father to make him feel better. Its starting to become dark out so I go check if

Diego has left yet. When I make it there I see him sitting down at his old house looking out onto

the coffee field. He has a sad look on his face. I felt bad for leaving him the other day so I sit

next to him and stare off into the field.

Im sorry I left you the other day. I mention disappointed in myself.

No its my fault that I forgot to tell you that I was leaving the other. Im sorry. He replies to

me and then we both fall silent and just watch as the sun sets.

Will you ever come back to visit at all? I mention curiously hoping that he someday will.

I hope that my parents will allow me to once Im old enough to travel on my own. He

responds to me
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Well my mother and sister have become better so maybe I can visit you sometime. All the

sudden I remember I just left them at home when my father still wasnt feeling well

Im sorry but I have to go home to my father. I look back and he waves and I wave back.

I open the front door and see my mother and sister in tears. I look at my father to see him

looking dead on the ground. He mustve died when I was out with Diego. It looks like itll just

be me and my family from now on. We will have to go on working each day having to pay off

for everything and well have to pay for a funeral. I hope everything will become better but they

might never get any better than how they are right now.

Stansifer, Charles L., and Thomas L. Karnes. "Costa Rica." Encyclopdia Britannica.

Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 10 Apr. 2017. Web. 18 May 2017.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Costa-Rica/Independence

The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. "Valle Central." Encyclopdia Britannica.

Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.

<https://www.britannica.com/place/Valle-Central>.

"Costa Rican Names - Top 100 First Names in Costa Rica & Statistics." Students of the World. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 23 May 2017. <http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/penpals/stats.php3?Pays=CRI>.