Reflections from Semanta Santa.
I spent Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, Central America with my brother who lives there. I felt like a movie star, maybe one on a spiritual pilgrimage, but a movie star nonetheless. My brother's immersion in the Spanish language is so complete, that we spent the happy week in pantomime and whatchamacallit and our childhood bits of German to travel an interior world of siblings connected by blood and heart. I desperately needed refuge from my world where shared language and address do not repair the gap in understanding.
We cooked and laughed and I set the kitchen on fire. Well, it was just a little fire to quote my Saudi Arabian friend. Anyway, Hermano Geraldo poured the coffee pot out on the mahogany floor and we were good to go. I watched "Bridget Jones" in Spanish and rode a chicken bus to the Mercado. After my day at the market I was afraid the turkey I was asked to cook Sunday would be delivered with feathers. Saturday a car arrives and Salvadore the driver turns over a proud parcel from the local English grocer, a Butterball Brand turkey complete with pop up who-jimmie. Cornbread dressing complete with japalenos was pronounced delisiosa!
Sometimes the heart needs no words. There are understandings that go much deeper.
Take care. Love you see you later bye!
