After several minutes of that loud, annoying, incessant beeping that is the security alarm for our building, I ventured out into the veranda to see what I could see. I came upon a perplexed appearing member of the security staff here at the resort who proceeded to question me about…well, I’m not quite sure what the questions were about. He was one of those Latinos whose words come at you at the rate the dollars zoom by on the screen in Times Square showing the progress of the national debt. Did I mention his words were all in Spanish? Of course, I wouldn’t even be capable of comprehending speech at this rate of speed even had it been in English. But Espanol at 200 miles per hour….no comprendo!!!
So, as I was explaining to him in my elementary level Spanish that I was not totally understanding his efforts to question me, a soon to be nine-year-old child sitting on a nearby sofa there in the veranda volunteered her assistance. Having apparently been drawn out of her condo by the same curiosity as my own, she was merely looking around in hopes of seeing something worthy of note. However, when she observed my rather feeble attempts to understand Senor Security and my lack of success in getting him to understand me, little Maria approached me enthusiastically with eyes as big as saucers and as dark as strong coffee saying, “You can talk to me, then I can talk to him, and maybe we can get this figured out!”
Her exuberance and intense desire to be of assistance by utilizing her bilingual skills in a near state of possible emergency was striking. Her excitement was almost palpable and was only exceeded by her incredible, natural beauty. She spoke through an expansive smile that never slackened even when her lips were at rest. Her caramel colored skin was as smooth and unblemished as a perfect peach. And her long silky hair flowed like she was filming a shampoo and conditioner commercial. So much beauty in such a little package.
Just about the time I was instructing Maria to ask the security guy where the alarm control box was located the senseless beeping suddenly stopped for reasons as mysterious as those that caused it to start. The three of us then looked back and forth at each other and successfully communicated our mutual befuddlement with the universally understood shrugging of the shoulders accompanied by upturned palms as we went our separate ways.
Later, I bumped into Maria out by the pool and thanked her (in my anemic Spanish) for her offer of assistance and complimented her on her complete fluency in both Spanish and English. She just giggled and reflexively batted her long black eyelashes. I didn’t tell her I might have just fallen in love.
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