Liliana

Liliana is my teaching partner at the Cuna. She has been with me since my second week in the Cuna and is a wonderful asset to the program. I honestly don't think that I would have been able to run the Cuna daily without her. It has been 2 months of seeing each other 4 times a week, however I have realized lately that we don't know very much about each others lives. Back when we started the Cuna, I asked her if one of the kids belonged to her. She told me that she only had a 8 year old son, but he lives with her parents. I never really asked to many more questions about her life, 1 because we are always acting a ringmasters in the craziest 3 ring circus of all time and 2 if I were in jail, I think I would be a little embarrassed to talk about why I was there. I kind of let that conversation be in her court, if she wanted to share I would listen, but I would not push the subject.

Well that was my plan at lest until today. Knowing that this weekend was Mother's Day, I asked Liliana if her son was going to visit her. She told me that her son didn't know that she was in prison. Saying. "if he knew he would be really sad. He thinks that I am working in the countryside as a teacher. I co

uldn't find a teaching job in the city 2 years ago, so I went to the country to teach. While I was out there I went to visit my uncle's house for the weekend. While I was there the cops came and busted his house for having drugs. I didn't know anything about him being involved in the drug business." She continued to tell me that she has been in jail for a year now, and has to wait for another 5 months until she gets her 1st hearing.

I am not a judge nor have an extensive background in criminal law or profiling. However, the look of sincerity that was in Liliana's eyes as she was telling me her story made me believe that she might have just spent the last year of her life in jail for no reason. I could not imagine being an innocent person in a law system that believes that everyone is guilty until proven innocent!