Free to a good home

I went for a walk this morning with a Canadian local and a local Khmer. They showed me around one of the poorest parts of our city. The rains have started so the paths were wet and slippery. I watched my step, especially as we walked through the area with houses built on the rubbish dump.

It was good to invest a couple of hours just walking around and talking with people. But it was hard too. I was offered three children under the age of two in less than an hour. Two girls. One boy. Different degrees of chubbiness. Free to a good home.

I didn't really know what to say so I just replied: I'm sorry, I can't take them. I was thinking: Yes, they're cute. Yes, I understand that you feel like you can't take care of them the way you would like to. But no, no, no... I can't take your kids.

Later as I washed and changed clothes before my midday meeting I wished or wondered or prayed (I'm not sure which one) that maybe sometime these parents will have enough resources to tell me straight up: "OK Pip, here's the deal- You can take a photo of my gorgeous baby... maybe hold her for a bit until she pees on you... but a photo is all you're taking luv, coz this precious baby is mine. Got that?!"