Fran and I met on a street corner near my house as we waited for the arrival of the garbage truck. Actually, I had been standing for 15 minutes looking out my door for the arrival of the truck because I am too deaf to hear the flimsy bell that announces it's arrival on the corner. But seeing Fran walking up the street with her load meant that she had heard the bell!
Fran was carrying bags of trash and garbage from the posada where she worked (and lived) as a "limpiadora" or cleaning woman. It turned out the posada was right across the street from my apartment, so we were neighbors.
I liked her right away. She had a bright smile, lots of energy, and made a real effort to communicate with me in Spanish by speaking clearly and slowly. I don't know what made me do this, but I asked her if she wanted to learn English -- I am certified to teach ESL -- and she eagerly accepted my offer. I told her I would teach her once a week for free.
Thus began our shared journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment