A Terrible Story

Today Esther who is 3 started jabbering in spanish-I did not understand and asked her what she meant but she did not know how to translate- she is completely bilingual and will lapse into spanish when angry. Her and I talk "Spanglish" alot of the time and I have learnt to make myself understood since living here. There is an enormous Hispanic Subculture here in Los Angeles. Our beloved Aricelly - Esthers Nanny is from Guatamala and gathers regulaly with the other nannies and domestics at La Cienega Park where they all hang out. They are the hardest working people I have ever come across and they really earn their place in America. Every one knows the Californian economy would fall to pieces without the Latino population for cheap labour etc. They will go to any lenghts to get here , most common is SWIMMMING ! What they leave behind is a tough life in Central America.
Aricellies best friend Anna looks after Lilly who is Esthers best friend. Anna is about 42 years old she has 3 grand children and a son. Yesterda y a distraught Aricelly came in to say that Annas only son had been shot dead in El Salvador over money. He was 26 years old and had been ordered to give $15000 to the "delinguants". He could not deliver - they stabbed him and he went into Hospital ..they waited until he came out and shot him that day. Anna has been warned not to return to El Salvador for the funeral as she will be in danger. She is devastated. She could not tell her boss, she has little English , so I ended up telling the boss myself today and offering whatever help we could. I realised that we are only 3 hrs from where all this begins - life is cheap there and these people have known true hardship.