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The hot sun soaks my skin; I can already feel it burning. The sun is so bright; it’s hard to look at. Sweat drips down my forehead, but none of this matters. I am bruised and sore, from a long week of work. The air is dry, I can taste it. I’m thirsty, but that’s the least of my worries. The ground is hard and grass is trying so hard to grow. The hot sun and lack of rain makes it difficult for the grass.

Laughter is circling me and is precious to my ears. I look around and I see sadness, sadness that is being cured for these prized few hours. I see tents, where far too many children pile into, to protect them from the dangers of night. I see a fence, to keep the kids in and strangers out. I feel a hand on mine; so tiny and calloused. She is speaking to me, in a language I don’t understand, but her words are beautiful. A cool breeze blows by, and we look at each other and smile. When I look around this time, I see smiling faces, these smiles make everything okay, and they make my sadness go away, if only for a moment.

We are in the hut now. Everyone is sitting down, patiently waiting for what is coming next. I have coloring sheets in my hands; they feel familiar, from when I was a child. I hand them out, to each and every one of the excited children, anxiously waiting to start coloring. Laughter turns into silence as the children concentrate on coloring inside the lines. The only thing I can hear is the constant sound of crayons on paper, scribbling back and forth. It is hot in the hut, hotter than being underneath the burning sun. The tarp, which is used as a roof attracts the heat and makes the air almost unbearable.

I can taste the sweat dripping down my face, I am constantly wiping the sweat a way, and it has almost become a routine. The children, aren’t bothered by the heat, they have become immune to it. They have finished coloring, and want to show me their master pieces. I admire their work. I see inside them, the joy I found in coloring, when I was a child. I forget about their circumstances, and see myself inside their big brown eyes.