Gentle

She called out twice, no answer and
suddenly annoyed at the lack of consideration
wondered what
the gardener was up to as she
stomped over to the window,
which framed a sight
seen every year around this time...

the top of his silver streaked head
below her on the back step,
his tired back bent over
pots of purple pansies
delicate pink violets
and hearty geraniums
whispering, encouraging
them to grow lasting and lovely
so she'd not complain.

His little friends glanced up, seeing her
and perked up
for him.

Dreaming of a lawn tractor

Finally! After waiting five months, someone wants to buy my house! ¡Por fin! A couple wants to move in to my house RIGHT AWAY!

So we went house-shopping during this very warm weekend. The houses we wanted to see were all in a development that I just had to live in because one of my siblings lives there and I really want to live near family. The realtor showed us several homes, and after he gave us a little background on some of them, I felt bad. You could tell some folks left in a hurry. But after all that, none of these houses suited us. They were either too big, too little, and most only had yards the size of a postage stamp. You need a little land to feel at one with nature now and then, you know? You could say we were just a bit frustrated. (And hot and thirsty! Did I mention how warm it was?)

During my Internet house-dreaming, I had seen one other property, not in the development, but just across the highway, still just a minute from my bro. It called to me; I thought it was exactly the kind of place I could see my pequeña familia in. But when I showed it to el jefe, he was not too keen on it, as it sits on two and a half acres, and all he could think of was how long it would take to cortar el pasto! He didn't even want to look at it. But after looking at several casas and not seeing anything, I asked the realtor to take us just across the highway anyway, just in case - no se pierde nada. There was nothing to lose.

Now el jefe is a quiet kind of guy, kind of serious, a pessimist, and reserved. As we drove up to this house, we saw the viejito, a little old man doing some yard work. He let us in, and ¡Qué cosa mas linda! We walked around the house, and the surrounding property. ¡Es todo un parque! I looked over at el jefe and he was wearing one of his very subtle, private smiles. I knew this place would grab him.

El niño liked everything about the house, especially the idea of being so close to his cousins. I loved the meticulous care the viejito had taken in the upkeep of the house, and I loved the kitchen. And what did el jefe like the best? Folks, he loved the land. All two and a half acres of it.

So, we cautiously made an offer. My very guarded jefe says "Don't get your hopes up, just in case." This latina optimista is already thinking "Where will we put the Christmas tree?"

Cross your fingers, enciendan las velitas. I wouldn't mind seeing el jefe smile like that again.

If the flip-flop fits

A few weeks ago, before school was over, I was assessing the state of my summer footwear. I figured I would probably need a pair or two of new sandals, for work and for going out. I also thought I’d need a new pair of flip-flops for hanging out around the house and for quick excursions and running errands. I like to make sure I have a couple of comfortable options that will go with everything, especially for those hot and humid days when the thought of wearing anything on my feet makes me cringe.

Since we live in a small house, we keep our clothes stored in the attic in huge plastic bins and switch them from season to season. The same goes for our shoes. When I went to the attic to pull a blue Rubbermaid bin marked “Summer Shoes”, it felt heavy as I lugged it in to the bedroom to get a better look. I removed the lid and was assaulted by the stale smell of plastic and rubber. I immediately recognized two pairs of flip-flops belonging to my husband, one with leather straps, and the other with a canvas/mesh strap and college logo. Next to these were my son’s flip-flops – one pair was the cheap, dollar-store rubber kind, the other pair was a nicer natural jute-strapped pair.

Underneath the guy’s stuff were my summer shoes. I felt pleased as I took out three different pairs of black sandals in varying heights, one light-brown pair, a pair of red flats, and two pairs of white, mule-style, slip-on sneakers. They all looked pretty good for another season and I decided there was no hurry to buy new stuff. I could certainly make these all work with my summer outfits.

There was more in the bin. I retrieved:

1 pair of green and black top-sole, black cord strap flip-flops
1 pair of all-black, micro-suede top-sole, sporty flip-flops
1 pair of black, straw top-sole, with Svarovski-like beaded strap flip-flops
1 pair of black and white flowered canvas strap flip-flops
1 pair of red strap, sporty flip-flops
1 pair of suede top-sole, silver and gold braided strap flip-flops
1 pair of straw top-sole, denim-style strap flip-flops
1 pair of blue and white strap, mesh top-sole, sporty flip-flops
1 pair of blue and white flowers with see-through strap rubber flip-flops
1 pair of standard, dollar-store, purple rubber flip-flops
1 black and pink rubber flip-flop, missing its mate

I think I have a flip-flop addiction. My husband says I’m just cheap.

Cuando vuelvas, tenemos que hablar...

Me haces falta y no sé cómo
decírtelo cara a cara porque
cada vez que me acerco
tu piensas que es para otra cosa
cuando solo quisiera hablar

ahora me arrepiento no haberme acercado
más, aunque hubieras sido medio
torpe al escucharme
eres un hombre

esta mañana no hubo quién
me haga café
no hubo ese aroma
a recién duchado
no huelo tu colonia
cuando me acuesto, no puedo dormir en tu lado
dejo que el gato se acomode ahí
en tu almohada
agarro una camiseta que dejaste tirada
y la tengo cerca, para asegurarme en la noche

este tu viajecito anual me gusta por poder
hacer lo que me de la gana
este tu viajecito anual me incomoda por traer
una dósis de lo que sería vivir sin tí

no podrás leer esto
en tantos años juntos, todavía te cuesta mi idioma
pero cuando regreses,
me entenderás muy bien.

Doing it all - Mi marido lo hace todo

I've won the lottery.

He spends the day doing laundry
several loads of his son’s jeans and t-shirts
and his own work clothes
littering the laundry room floor
in between loads he opens up the pool
filling it with more water
checking the chemicals
skimming out fallen leaves
he also manages to pack a suitcase for himself and the boy
for a trip they’ve planned down south
selecting just enough pairs of underwear and shorts to get them through
he’ll do a load of wash down there if he has to
(he’s bought an extra bottle of detergent)
humming U2 and Johnny Cash as he walks
up and down the stairs
inside and outside
inside again to make a pot of coffee
washing, drying, folding
he fills baskets with fresh clothes
showers and makes love to his wife
then prepares a man’s dinner
of grilled burgers, sausage, macaroni and cheese
green beans and stewed tomatoes
(an attempt to get the boy to eat vegetables)
She cleans up, does the dishes
while he inspects the fridge for things he’ll need to pick up
at the grocery store
where he’ll go at night
after the boy goes to bed
after his woman writes him a list.

While he's away, she'll think about how damn lucky she is.