Tuesday, August 21, 2007 Now I know why I study public health…

p.s. This wins the record for the longest blog entry so far. Read on if you dare…

I woke up around 10:30, went for a short run, showered, and started working on my paper that I thought was due Monday but was actually due Wednesday. Of course, it was going very slowly and I once again realized that writing, in any language, is not necessarily my forte. I almuerzo-ed with Olga around 1:30 while she told me a story that made her cry. It was very emotional and I was pretty drained after talking with her. After eating I worked until about 3:30 desperately trying to finish the essay because Christian and I had planned to meet up at La Católica around 4. I only got about half way done, but I figured out a decent outline and I figured I would only need about one more hour to finish up.

Anyway, Christian and I met up on campus to hang out before the huge concert that night. This whole week is Semana Universitaria (University Week) and they have tons of awesome events. On Tuesday night there was a huge concert, Wednesday a bunch of organized sporting events, and Thursday a HUGE Paseo a la Playa (Trip to the Beach), where apparently everyone goes and hangs out at the beach all day! Plus, the professors aren’t supposed to give tests or quizzes all week (apparently my Education teacher doesn’t care…) and a lot of professors cancel class on Thursday. Anyway, we bought tickets to go to the beach on Thursday, then he helped edit my paper, and while he charged his cell phone in a public cell phone charger stand (interesting huh?), walked to the liquor store to buy beer for the concert, and we talked about all kinds of things. Christian reminds me a lot of my Tulane friend Eric Couper, for those of you lucky enough to know him. (If you are reading this Eric: you two would get along great!)

At 6 we met up with his older brother Emilio, his girlfriend, and the most outgoing Chilean I’ve ever met, Luna. Now for some seemingly useless details that will be more significant later in the story: We transfer the beer from my bag to Emilio’s backpack and Christian and I walked to his truck to drop of our stuff. I left my bag in the truck. For the next hour and a half we walked around, met their friends, etc. The concert started at 7:30 with a pretty crappy college group called Perritos Perdidos (Lost Dogs) that was a Pearl Jam tribute band. Luckily they didn’t play too long and when the MCs asked if the audience wanted them to play another song, everyone booed and they left the stage. After that came a good group called Tronic and next my new favorite Chilean band, Sinergia. They are an alternative, funk band and were so much fun and absolutely hilarious. The audience ate it up and everyone seemed to be having a great time. We were standing towards the back where it wasn’t so crowded, but it was still pretty wild. The best part: during the solos, the bassist played the Mario Nintendo song when Mario goes underground, with the star music, sound effects, and even the fireworks at the end. Totally brought me back to my childhood! At some point during the first few bands, I ran into a guy in my Biblia class and asked him if he had finished the essay yet because I was still pretty stressed that I hadn’t done it. He laughed and asked why I was worried because its not due till Monday! Apparently I missed that comment by the Professor (along with many others during that class). That lifted my mood immensely.

Sinergia finished around 11:00 and a lot of people headed home (remember, it’s a Tuesday night). The final band was called Chancho en Piedras (Pig on the Rocks) and from the way the crowd reacted, I could tell they are a pretty big deal. Men were walking around selling 2 foot tall, yellow, plastic, Porky the Pig looking dolls and I was surprised to see that a ton of people were buying them and holding them over their hands while the band played. I wasn’t really into this band; more metal then I prefer, but I wanted to go more towards the front to feel the crowd. Christian didn’t really want to go, but went because I wanted to. We were standing towards the back of the front (understand?) and everything was fine except that I was getting really tired and ready to go. Everyone in the crowd was in various stages of drunkenness, except for Christian, who was driving, and I had only had one drink about an hour before.
Emilio (Christian’s brother) came to stand with us in the back of the front when suddenly, I turned around and saw Emilio very aggressively push an extremely drunk kid. I didn’t understand why Emilio had done that, but after a bit of yelling and an exchange of words everything seemed tranquila (calm). Then out of no where three guys (apparently friends of the drunk kid), ran up to Emilio and started pounding him. Emilio was definitely holding his own, but of course mob mentality kicked in and the crowd surrounded them. A bunch of people were trying to break up the fight and Christian went in to help his brother. Things quickly got out of hand and the next think I know, Emilio et. all are lost in the crowd beating the crap out of each other and I see Christian on the ground with two or three guys punching and kicking him. I was absolutely terrified but knew I couldn’t do anything but thankfully a couple guys went and pulled the other guys off Christian. I ran to help now bleeding Christian off the ground and Emilio fought is why out. I grabbed both of them and all I could do was drag them up the hill while I yelled, “¡VAMOS, AHORA!” (Let’s go, NOW!). Of course Emilio wanted to go back and fight, but when he saw Christian bleeding then realized he himself was bleeding, I was able to convince him to just leave. As we were walking out, another friend of theirs Felipe saw us and came to help. He had seen the fight, but had no idea it was Christian and Emilio.

We started walking back to the car when we ran into a friend of theirs who was on staff for the event and she made them go to the nurse to get check out. We walked to the Ambulance and a paramedic bandaged Christian’s bleeding cut on his head and sent us off. At this point I think we were all in shock and just wanted to get out of there. The boys decided to stop in the bathroom before we went to the car to wash their hands and get Christian some water. As we were walking there Christian asked me what had happened and I explained how the fight broke out, thinking he just hadn’t realized. He told me he didn’t remember and I figured he met it was all so chaotic he didn’t know what was going on.

Christian and Emilio where in the bathroom cleaning up while Felipe and I waited outside. Suddenly Christian ran out of the bathroom towards us screaming something I didn’t understand. Felipe’s face dropped as we saw Emilio sprint out, closely followed by the very same guys they had just finished fighting. I grabbed Christian and ran to the side while Fight Part 2 broke out. Felipe went to help Emilio and luckily after an intense 45 seconds or so, everyone walked away screaming at each other. This time I wasn’t as scared as I was just pissed off. I grabbed Emilio and Christian and again yelled “¡VAMOS, AHORA!”. (Its interesting to see that such few words are necessary to get the point across.)

Again, we started walking to the car and Christian innocently asked me where my bag was. I told him it was in the car. He then asked me what had happened. I looked at him and asked if he was serious. He told me he really didn’t remember and asked me to explain. After I told him, he innocently asked me where my bag was. Realizing everything was so crazy, I reminded him I had left it in the car. Then he asked me what had happened. At this point, I realized something was wrong. I thought he was just messing with me but after questioning him further, I saw that he really had no idea. Emilio told him to tranquilo (calm down) and said that we were just going to go back to the house and that he was going to go to bed. As soon as Emilio said that, I realized that if Christian really couldn’t remember the fight or that my bag was in the car, he probably had a concussion and the worst thing he could do would be go to bed. I told Emilio we needed to bring him to the hospital, but neither Emilio or Felipe that it was that serious. Within the next two minutes talking to Christian, they both knew that something was wrong.

By the time we got to the car, out of the parking lot, and on the way to the hospital, Christian had asked, “Kayla, where is your bag?”, “what happened?”, “why am I bleeding?”, “Why did I get in a fight? I don’t like to fight” over and over. Then it turned to, “Don’t leave Kayla alone!”, “When did we go to the beach?”, “What day is it?”, “And what year?”, “What do I study?”, “In what year am I?” (in University). Over and over and over. Emilio, Felipe and I answered his questions but tried to keep him from asking. I was really concerned and by the looks on Emilio and Felipe’s faces, they were as scared as I was.

First we went to La Católica’s hospital. Felipe talked to the receptionist, Emilio parked the car, and I sat with Christian. We waited for a little while I explained to Christian that we were in the hospital because he hurt his head. He seemed really scared and I knew that he knew enough to know that something was wrong with him. I told him that I wanted to pray but at the moment I couldn’t pray in Spanish. He said not to worry, but God would understand. So we sat in the silent waiting room while I prayed for Christian, the doctors, and everyone involved. Felipe came back and with a look of fury on his face told us to get up because we were leaving. Apparently they told him that it would be a 3 hour wait and there was nothing he could do.

We got back in the truck and drove down the street to the public hospital. We all resumed our places, but this time the waiting room was not nearly as clean or pretty, people were sitting on the floor, and I was getting more and more concerned. Felipe was speaking with the receptionist when Emilio came in and I could hear her say that she was sorry, but there had been people wait there since 4 in the afternoon. Emilio went into protective big brother mode and firmly got the point across that Christian was not ok and a head injury like his could not wait. The woman begrudgingly filled out the paper work and pointed us in the direction of the next waiting room.

We got to the door and a man told us that only the patient and one other person could go in. I had been holding onto Christian, but looked to Emilio to go with him. For some reason, Christian told Emilio no and grabbed my hand as he walked through the door.

So talk about terrifying: I sitting in a waiting room with my new friend trying to keep him from asking me the same questions over and over with a young man with gauze and tape over both his eyes on one side and a woman on a gurney on the other. I asked Christian what his favorite book was and he immediately told me something about the history of the revolutions of America by so and so, then followed it by saying, “I think its because I like history”. He then started talking about his grandfather, “who I think died, but I’m not sure”.

A man called Christian’s name and we walked into a tiny room with a large woman sitting behind a little desk. Christian sat down and as she started taking his blood pressure, as him to explain what had happened. He of course had no idea, so she then turns to me. In my terrified, exhausted broken Spanish, I tried to explain while she took notes. She then asked him if he had allergies and he said “No, I don’t think so.” At that point, I realized that I needed Emilio, the family member and Spanish speaker. Luckily those were they only questions she had for him. She handed Christian the piece of paper and told him to go down the hall to the orange door #8 on the right (like he would remember!). As soon as we walked out, I dragged Christian back to the door of the waiting room and yelled at Emilio to come. I told him I absolutely could not do this and that he needed to take care of his brother. Emilio took Christian down the hall to the orange door #8 on the right and I went and collapsed next to Felipe.

For the next two hours we waited and talked about the catastrophe that is Chile’s public health care system. If this blog wasn’t already 3 pages single spaced, I would go into it, but lets just say it’s a mess. The healthcare is free, but people wait two months to get CAT scans. You think Canada is slow. Christian’s mom and dad arrived and they rotated waiting with Christian and sitting out with us. Both Christian’s parents gave me a huge hug and seemed very concerned about me. I kept telling them I was fine and that I wasn’t hurt or anything. I know they felt really bad and hated that I had to be there for all of this. Finally at 3 am Christian’s dad asked me if I had called my (Chilean) mom to tell her where I was. Felipe and I realized that there was nothing more we could do and they could be waiting all night, so Christian’s dad dropped Felipe off at the bus stop and drove me home.

Olga was awake when I got home. I told her everything was fine and that I would explain it to her in the morning. I climbed in bed and around 4 am finally fell asleep.