assimilation. One day it was an explanation of pan mexicano, Mexican bread. He told Place about two types of Mexican bread, one called calzones, that was shaped like underpants, and another called besos or kisses. Then he recounted the joke about the woman who goes into the panadería and asks first for the underpants and then for the baker to remove them and give her two kisses. On another day, it was a song: “Mis caballos y mis perros están tristes porque ayer me vieron llorar, yo sé bien que los hombres no lloran, pero yo no me pude aguantar.” With this song, Salvador taught Place that animals know how their owners feel. They know when their owners are sad or mad or happy. “¿Y cómo saben, Plácido?” he asked Place and without waiting for his response, answered convicingly and with mysterious awe, “Sí, saben. ¡Es una cosa muy extraña!”
At the end of the week, Mitch and Place invited Salvador over for dinner. He ate ravenously and commented on the satisfying meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, cooked carrots, and warm dinner rolls. He had never had such a tasty meal. Place reminded him that perhaps he had never had such a gabacho meal, and Salvador agreed.
After dinner, the three of them went out to the deck and sat at an old picnic table where they ate fruit and cheese and talked. Mitch talked, Place listened, and Salvador stared. When a convenient break occurred in the conversation, Place interpreted in stalling and stammering Spanish the more important points and caught Salvador up to the discussion.
“Jacqueline and Mickey will be here early tomorrow. They’re only staying the weekend, but she said there’s a lot of stuff they want to get done while they’re here.”
Place interpreted, and Salvador commented that the ranch certainly looked better than it had just a week ago. Jacqueline and Mickey would appreciate the quick improvement. He added that he would stay out of the way, as he sensed that Jacqueline and Mickey did not like him. Place interpreted back to Mitch.
“Tell him I’m going to suggest to Jacqueline and Mickey that they keep him on for awhile. I’m going to tell her that he had a lot to do with the improvement of the place this week. He’s just too valuable to cut loose right away. They should realize that.”
Place interpreted, and Salvador was grateful.
That night, as Mitch and Place settled into bed, they heard the Kittles’ pickup slowly drive onto the property.
“It’s them!” Mitch said in a spooky voice.
“Hurry, get under the covers!” Place whispered. “You’re always safe under the covers.” They laughed and tickled each other and squiggled under the covers like kids at a slumber party. Then they listened for sounds that would provide clues to what Jacqueline and Mickey might be up to.
Place fell asleep quickly. As she entered the subconscious fringes of her own sleep, Mitch could hear the faint bawling of calves in the distance. Sleepily she figured that some young ones at Sweet Milk Dairy had lost their mothers.
At eight the next morning, Jacqueline Kittle strode from the antiquated milk barn up to the ranch house. She knocked loudly on the back door, setting off an alarmed ranch dog in the form of Rosa. Mitch answered the door, and Jacqueline apologized for her abruptness.
“Hi. I didn’t think you’d be up yet,” she explained. “But we gotta get going early around here.”
“Oh, no problem, Jacqueline,” Mitch answered as she walked out to the deck. “We’ve been up since five. Place starts working at six. We figured you’d be up here sooner.”
“Well, I would’ve been,” she began, and she did not offer the expected reason, cutting her statement down to an unexplained clause. “So how did it go this week? Do you two think you’ll be able to handle it?”
“Oh, I think so,” Mitch answered. “This has been an interesting week. We’ve really learned a lot about what needs to be done around here. Salvador was
At the end of the week, Mitch and Place invited Salvador over for dinner. He ate ravenously and commented on the satisfying meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, cooked carrots, and warm dinner rolls. He had never had such a tasty meal. Place reminded him that perhaps he had never had such a gabacho meal, and Salvador agreed.
After dinner, the three of them went out to the deck and sat at an old picnic table where they ate fruit and cheese and talked. Mitch talked, Place listened, and Salvador stared. When a convenient break occurred in the conversation, Place interpreted in stalling and stammering Spanish the more important points and caught Salvador up to the discussion.
“Jacqueline and Mickey will be here early tomorrow. They’re only staying the weekend, but she said there’s a lot of stuff they want to get done while they’re here.”
Place interpreted, and Salvador commented that the ranch certainly looked better than it had just a week ago. Jacqueline and Mickey would appreciate the quick improvement. He added that he would stay out of the way, as he sensed that Jacqueline and Mickey did not like him. Place interpreted back to Mitch.
“Tell him I’m going to suggest to Jacqueline and Mickey that they keep him on for awhile. I’m going to tell her that he had a lot to do with the improvement of the place this week. He’s just too valuable to cut loose right away. They should realize that.”
Place interpreted, and Salvador was grateful.
That night, as Mitch and Place settled into bed, they heard the Kittles’ pickup slowly drive onto the property.
“It’s them!” Mitch said in a spooky voice.
“Hurry, get under the covers!” Place whispered. “You’re always safe under the covers.” They laughed and tickled each other and squiggled under the covers like kids at a slumber party. Then they listened for sounds that would provide clues to what Jacqueline and Mickey might be up to.
Place fell asleep quickly. As she entered the subconscious fringes of her own sleep, Mitch could hear the faint bawling of calves in the distance. Sleepily she figured that some young ones at Sweet Milk Dairy had lost their mothers.
At eight the next morning, Jacqueline Kittle strode from the antiquated milk barn up to the ranch house. She knocked loudly on the back door, setting off an alarmed ranch dog in the form of Rosa. Mitch answered the door, and Jacqueline apologized for her abruptness.
“Hi. I didn’t think you’d be up yet,” she explained. “But we gotta get going early around here.”
“Oh, no problem, Jacqueline,” Mitch answered as she walked out to the deck. “We’ve been up since five. Place starts working at six. We figured you’d be up here sooner.”
“Well, I would’ve been,” she began, and she did not offer the expected reason, cutting her statement down to an unexplained clause. “So how did it go this week? Do you two think you’ll be able to handle it?”
“Oh, I think so,” Mitch answered. “This has been an interesting week. We’ve really learned a lot about what needs to be done around here. Salvador was
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