looking back at sundays

Today is Sunday. I spent the morning in bed, dragging myself out at the last minute to greet the day. Coffee, a tasty breakfast bagel, and a quick hot shower later, I stepped out to meet Anthony for the hair trim I was so badly in need of. Of course the phone rang off the hook as people realized that I wouldn’t be in to work today. The hair cut out of the way, I realized that staying clear of work would be impossible, and so stepped in for a few minutes to forward the weekend plan and lay out dialing strategy. I had plans and had already pushed them back, and was in a hurry to get downtown. Do you remember that girl who used to take me salsa dancing every Saturday? Well, yes I had got back in contact with her, and we have plans to spend the afternoon together.

So I head down on the bus and its hot out. I’m wearing jeans, sharp shoes, and a sweatshirt. Plans are to meet in the Plaza de la Democracia, and I have some time. I take a walk around a shoe store and one of the clerks strikes up a little conversation. I lose interest in the shoes. I step out and pull out my hard pack but its empty; its tough to find cigarettes on the street down here. I see a sign for a cigar shop upstairs, hesitate, and go up. It’s an internet café, with a cigar shop in the corner. I ask for a pack of Derby Suave and hand the girl 10000. “Tiene mas menudo?” She asks. I have dollar bills and hand two over forgetting one is an old Canadian one dollar bill. “eso es canadiense, no es moneda aqui” and gives me the change for the ten. I wonder how she knew, and so I asked and it turns out that her father is Canadian. I need to get out more; this has been an interesting day. I have to get to the square to meet my friend. The day is getting hotter and I’m over dressed but the sun feels good and I find a bench. She calls to tell me she lost track of time and is going to be a little late. I wander a bit, there is a musician from Peru playing the pan flutes in the shade, with lovely mothers and there kids listening. I head back to my bench and smoke and watch the kids play. It’s hot, but the sun feels nice on my face. An hour passed, though I hardly notice, before she shows up, just as beautiful as I remembered.

I had never seen her in the day light. I wanted to spin her around and pull her in right then and there. Her family is from Heredia and so we walked to catch a bus to Paseo de los Flores to catch a movie. It was getting cooler by now, with a breeze. I had never been to Paseo de los Flores before, and was starving. I was having fun keeping the conversation going in Spanish, and she made it seem as if I was doing really well.