motherland

allina clinic, downtown minneapolis, 9:35 a.m.

jovial, old, russian man: are you my translator?
me: no, i'm waiting for an appointment.
he: oh, you look like you speak other languages.
me: actually, i do - i speak spanish.
he: ah! yo habla españa un poco. de donde es usted?
me: soy de aquí, pero estudié en españa por un año y ahora soy traductora.
he: i was in the russian army and the kgb taught me a little spanish on my way to cuba...
me: wow, really?
he: are you married?
me: no, soy soltera.
he: eres demasiada bonita para es soltera.

he went on in pigeon english/spanish to tell me about his family and how they all left him and moved here, so he had to follow "or else, who would watch the babies?" he never wanted to leave his motherland.

also, a wealth of knowledge on cuba in the 50s.

he thinks i am too pretty and too old to not be married with children. the kgb is now conspiring with my mother?