“The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not Friendship divine in this?” –Henry David Thoreau









Friendship has been hard to come upon. I would sometimes find myself laughing by myself at my own jokes or being the last to laugh. Don’t get me wrong I’ve met a lot of people and got along well with most but true friendship the kind that fills you with joy and the need to spend more time with said person had not come my way, until recently. Rony Marlon Andy Vargas is 18 years old and is the 6th child of the 10 children that my host family has. Our friendship didn’t take long to blossom although it wasn’t instant. According to Marlon he did not like me when he saw me moving in with all my stuff. He soon told me he thought I was fat. I believe it was right after that that our relationship took a quick turn to friendship. We both caught on to each others jokes and sarcasm instantly, his constant tickle wars have me on edge not knowing when he will strike. The findings of cacao, uvillas and guavas outside my door make up for all the “wars”. Our late night speed matches and girl troubles take up the evening. Marlon is a fisherman. He loves to fish and does so at night with his canoe. The canoe on which we take rides in up the river, with Frijol, to find a good flat rock to wash laundry. Or to go swimming and then finding a good sunny rock to layout on. What I like most about Marlon is that I know he is my friend because he likes me, not because he thinks I will help him with money or a project. Marlon reminds me a lot of with my brothers and sister back home and that is why I think that he will be what I miss most from Ecuador when I leave.