Burning Furnace of Charity

She was tiny and frail. I first met her just over a year and a half ago. When I walked in BT, she was wandering near the front gate, seemingly disoriented and with a bloodied bandage on her forehead. She said a dog had bitten her, but I knew better. We prayed, then she left. I saw Lorena a lot over the next 18 months. She lived behind the crack bar in one of the worst rooms I've ever seen. Her hair was always a rat's nest, her teeth were all gone, she had a horrible cough. Most people were not very kind to her, and it was clear that sometimes she was a punching bag for some. I learned that her father is a prominent businessman here in Reynosa. Though he offered her a home, she chose to stay in BT and feed her addictions. We washed her hair and styled it beautifully last summer. While she waited in our "salon," I discovered that chicken, corn tortillas, and pineapple soda are her favorites. So, she enjoyed those while waiting to have her hair done. Her smile was beautiful, but her eyes seemed distant. Maybe she was dreaming of a heavenly home. I learned on Wednesday that Lorena died recently. She had been dead for three days before Luisa found her. Luisa carried her body out of BT. It's not right that she died alone and wasn't even missed for so long. I'm going to miss Lorena on my visits to BT. Rest in peace, Lorena.