I begin attempting to weave my way through the crowd, thinking that this is the perfect atmosphere for a pickpocket. For that reason, my money and passport are in a small, zippered pouch attached to my ankle. “Con permiso, con permiso,” I say as I try to maneuver my way through the throng.
I have arrived in Antigua, a small town in the mountains of Guatemala. I now have the task of finding the doctor’s home where I will be staying with his family. It is here that I will hone my language skills with a tutor; I never pass up the opportunity to improve my Spanish, no matter how fluent I am. Though I am here undercover with Cash, I will still utilize my study time and the tutor I’ll have access to.
“Rubia, Rubia,” a little boy yells. It means ‘blondie’ so I assume he’s talking to me. I just nod. I know from experience that the family I’ll be staying with will hear about my arrival long before I find their home. It is the way things work here. It’s a lot like the inner city or a small town. People know more about you than you know about yourself. I am just as grateful for my knowledge of Spanish customs as I am my knowledge of the language. Where many people would suffer from culture shock, I won’t because I spent some time growing up in Puerto Rico. I wonder if that was one of the reasons Cash chose me as the only female on the team. I am looking forward to meeting the rest of the guys. I’m sure Cash is waiting to see how I fare on this first job.
I spot the tienda, the Spanish word for store, up ahead. This is where Cash told me to make myself known in a roundabout way. By the end of the day, every resident of this small town will know about the American staying at the local doctor’s home. Even though I haven’t really done anything of importance concerning the mission yet, I am glad things are going as planned up until this point. Tiendas are watering holes of sorts in small communities like this. Any chisme (gossip) always filters through the neighborhood store. I am certain this is the reason Cash told me to make an appearance here first.
I approach the women fanning themselves behind the small counter. They eye me curiously. “¿Dónde está la casa del doctor?” (Where is the doctor’s house?) “¿Dónde está la casa del doctor?” the older woman repeats back to me.
I still haven’t figured out why they repeat everything back but it’s a common practice in Spanish culture. I learned a long time ago not to get frustrated and not to worry if my Spanish was incorrect when they did it. It’s just another custumbre, a custom that goes with the Latin American culture.
“Ahí está, para abajo del calle.” (There it is, down the street.) I look and see the muchacha (young girl). Every house has one—a young girl who helps the wife with all the household chores.
“Muchas gracias y mucho gusto,” I answer the ladies who are still fanning themselves, trying to combat the heat and humidity. I make sure to be pleasant. Things like please and thank you will go a long way here in this place where I am considered the outsider. I will need to gain these people’s trust in order to be successful on this mission.
People here aren’t in a hurry to do anything and I have no doubt I am going to need these ladies in the future in order to stay abreast of current events. It is very important not only for my success, but for my survival as well.
The muchacha greets me with a broad smile as if she already knows me when I make my way to the gated home.
“Hola, Juanita. Mi nombre es Marisol.” (Hello, Juanita. My name is Marisol.) Cash decided using my real name would be okay since the translation from Johnnie to Spanish is Juanita.
I smile at the young girl standing before me. I can tell right away that I’m going to like her. This is a good thing because I’m going to be spending most of my time here with her. I find myself hoping they’ve given me a bedroom of my own. Being forced to share one with her will severely limit my communication with Cash and I’m missing him already. It figures… I’m missing a man who stalked and abducted me. At least I can justify it and say that he did it for all the right reasons. Marisol’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
“Vamonos, necesitas a encontrarse a la familia.” (Let’s go, you need to meet the family.)
Marisol leads the way down the hallway to meet La Jefa, the female boss of the family. The Mother, in the Latin culture, is indispensable. She runs all things when it comes to the household. She is honored for her ability to bear children and is held in high esteem for the part she plays in the grand scheme of things.
“Señora Esther, quiero presentarte Juanita.” (Mrs. Esther, I want to introduce Juanita.)