"I need a one-way ticket to Madrid for November 1st. What times do you have? Ok, I want 1:00. I'll pay with a card, thanks."
Been thinking of how far my Spanish has progressed. Don't get me wrong, I still need to learn - LOTS. But its a far cry from grabbing the security guard to tell me what the phone was saying. I'm thinking this with a smile as I walk towards the exit of the station but a lady stops me from leaving. "Do you know how to work this machine?"
"Yes" I reply. "Where are you going? Is it one-way or return trip?". And just like that, I help out a fellow Spaniard get a train ticket from an automated machine.
Ok, so not too surprised that dirty old men need goodbyes too. It's what I've been thinking the last few days when I received an email with an attached photo from one of them. He wants to continue practicing Spanish/English via online. I'm deathly afraid of opening the picture because I'm not quite ready to see a pair of 70 year old Spanish balls.
Walking to the cafe one morning I encounter a familiar face. The guy who fills the cigarette machine is setting up outside tables at another cafe. He stops me to say "Going to write? You really like it, huh." I respond with a smile and a quick "Yep. I like it a lot." He starts to grab my face. Uh, I know this game - quickly move it to the side so I can get the standard two air kiss greeting. Bonus points for him smelling like booze on an early Sunday morning.
Just a roll through the goodbye tour. The weather has shifted and it's been cold and rainy. My delicate Key West temperament is shocked and I've been sticking close to home these days. That's ok, cause there's still more to learn there too.
Kept hearing this word being said by everyone in the family all the time but had no clue what it was. Finally during dinner one night I asked Tio: "What is this word? Cono?". He tells me it's a saying and goes to search for it in the dictionary. When he finds it he motions for me to come over and take a look. I do and before he can pronounce it in his broken English accent, my eyes grow wide and my hand goes to cover my mouth.
Cono or C*nt.
He sees my expression and starts to laugh. I hit him on the arm and say in a whisper "but you say it a lot. the family says it a lot!" Delighted in my horror, he tells me that it's not the literal meaning like we found in the dictionary. It's a saying kinda like "Aye Carumba!"
My mind immediately goes to an image of Bart Simpson saying "C*nt!"
Last night while watching the news, Tio starts getting angry at the image of a man on TV. As usual, it's a good time to ask why he doesn't like something. In this case, someone. He comes to me after the news is over. Very formal with hands crossed in front of him like a professor beginning to speech. "You asked me why I do not like this snake of a man. Here is why".
Apparently it was a guy who during the Spanish Civil War ordered to have many soldiers killed and then denied it afterwards. Tio does not like him as he winds up into very punctuated statements and finally is looking for a word to describe his mortal enemy. "Uh, uh. He is... uh."
"Cono!" I say with gusto, excited to use a new word.
Tio and Consuelo laugh and he shakes his finger at me. Yes, yes. but you know that means something like Aye Carumba.
Sure...
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