The slip I was given for Beata said she was going to 108th and Layton. The truth is she was visiting a friend while her car was being serviced and did not know the address. As we are arriving in the general vicinity she does not recognize any landmarks and is getting a bit apologetic. I have time. Not to worry. We’ll get there. The truth is I drove her to S. Foxwood south of Beloit Road at about 123rd St. over a mile and half further on. I am really glad she knew where her friend actually lives.
On the way we had me practice her last name. It took me three times before she was satisfied.
She’s been seven years in America and recently completed some coursework at MATC that allows her to become an intake nurse at a hospital. A first step toward greater things. She is going to need to work on her English if she expects to be hired for an important position like intake.
When I went to pick her up there were a a few people in the front yard including two younger boys - one of them selling lemonade. I bought 50 cents worth from my window seat and gave him a buck. He’s way down in the suburban weeds in the middle of a hot morning. He’s not going to sell much. There’s no one there and no one driving by. He needs a little encouragement.
Anyway, there’s an older guy with Beata that turns out to be her father. She says he only knows a few phrases and so … I test him a bit. Hi. Hello. How are you? I think he knows more than she says.
In my day-to-day life I don’t get to hear much Polish being spoken. I ask her if she can tell me something; a story, a recipe, or a joke. She relays this to him. He laughs a bit. It’s quiet. He’s thinking. Then he gives her the run up to an old family joke they both know. She laughs and then proceeds to tell me in Polish. She gets to the end and they both laugh. Then I laugh. Then she wants to know if I want to know the joke in English. No, I say, I just wanted to hear you talk. She tells him that and we all crack up.
Laughing with real people; strangers just a few minutes ago. What fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment