A free woman

Liz, Rocia, Julie and Damariz

Rocia had been in the U.S. for nearly 14 years, but she barely spoke English. That's probably because she was from Mexico, where the man in the family is king. He makes all the decisions and says what the wife can do and can't do, and the kids honor and respect him..and I guess the wife does too....for the most part anyway..after all he is the daddy and husband. So her husband was the boss. She never went anywhere without him. She didn't know how to drive a car, and she was not on his bank account and didn't have a purse. What should she? She didn't have any money or drivers license. When I wrote the check when she cleaned our house, I had to make the check to her husband. One day I gave her a tip in cash, and she was very excited because told me (her son, 13, had to interpret in English what she said) she was glad so now she can buy makeup and things for herself. She never had any money to do that.
I encouraged her to learn English, and she did, she began learning because Julie and I made her speak in English so she had to learn!
Since then she has become very bi-lingual! And also she has become more independent. She seems more free. She learned to drive a car, got her license and told her husband she wanted her own car. She now has a car to drive. He still has his truck. Also I told her she needed to have her husband put her on his bank account. So that night she told him what I said. And she insisted. She said, "Miss Lois said you need to put me on your bank account!" Ooops. wonder what he thought about me!!! But he did the next day, and I write the checks out to her now!!!
We have taken her out to movies and to eat. She said that's the first time she ever went anywhere ..she doesn't have any friends.... without Pablo..except to church. She is Jehovah Witness and he is not. He doesn't go to church anywhere.
She seems so happy in this life of freedom.
She and Pablo are both from Mexico. They want to become citizens. But the government makes it very hard for that to happen. They have to study a long time, and memorize American history and law. But the main thing is it cost a lot of money. Over $1,000 for each one. So they are saving their money to get their citizenship. They love America and are hopeful they can soon be citizens of the USA.
Rocia and Pablo have become our friends and helpers. He keeps our lawn looking good, fixes things around the house for us, builds shelves in the garage, plants shrubs and trees for us and puts up our Christmas lights in December. They watch over our house when we are out of town, even though they live in the country about 5 miles w. of Floresville. Rocia is the best house cleaner I have ever seen. Cleaning the blinds or windows or ceiling fans when they need it. I don't even have to ask her. Now she has been helping Julie when Liz can't come, and spends a lot of time at our house. When she is here to help Julie, she always asks me if I have anything for her to do, and offers to wash my clothes and change the linens on the bed...wash them. She makes homemade corn tortillas for us and said she loves to help Julie. She always thanks me, "Thank you for giving a job!". Hugs and kisses us when she leaves.
What more can we ask. It is all God. Tomorrow she is coming to help Julie get ready for church and then come with us to church and out to eat after wards. She took Julie last week. I don't think our church is anything like Jehovah Witness church! Maybe if we take her with us enough, she will fall in the river of God.
This morning I asked her about her mom in Mexico and what her life was like down there. She told me a story that would blow your mind. I told her I was going to write about it..but change the names..Her grandmother married at 13, because her daddy told her to, because this man wanted her for his wife. And her mother married at 14...And the story even gets more interesting!
More about that story another time.