Alder

As I sit by this iron stove listening in peace to crackle of the flame, I am overwhelmed. This last 24 hours has been well... awful.

Late last night a bang thundered through the house. Seconds later, screams followed. My host dad has fallen down the stairs and my host mom was screaming for me to come. I jumped out of bed to see what had happened. I see the staircase, and there, his body. Sprawled facedown at the bottom of the stairs. "What do we do" was the only thought my host mom and I had.

We called the ambulance, my host aunt, and the police immediately. I was trying so desperately to turn him over, to see some source of life. My host mom as well. The silence of her cries flooded the house "don't leave me! Stay here for our daughter! for Tania"

The medics arrived within minutes but with their help we still couldn't move him. At almost 300lbs, it took 6 of us to get him to the Ambulance. They tried to revive him but to no avail. He had suffered a heart attack. I just stood there, praying.

We brought him to the hospital but we all new he was already gone. They pronounced my host dad dead at 3:45 a.m November 8th.

A day full of trying to support my host family and stay strong as left me utterly lost. This family accepted me so graciously into their home and now the man of the house is gone. My sister got in from Santiago at 4 this afternoon and we have spent the whole day at the Wake in the house. Here, they spend 2 days in the house with the body and then go to the funeral and burial. This town has united to support our family and that is something beautiful to see. The future is completely unwritten from here.

Last night I was preparing to head off to my 90km bike race through Patagonia. Now, I am thinking of the man who spent countless meals with me, taught me Truco (a latin card game), talked philosophy with me, and was constantly teaching me patience.

Alder Milla Vasquez, gracias para el tiempo que tuve contigo... y para todo que me enseñaste.

When I first arrived and my room's heating was broken, he sat next to this stove late into the evening feeding the flame so I wouldn't be cold... Alder, now its my turn. God bless.

Please pray for all the Andrade and Milla family.