Florida -- sea breeze, salsa music, sunset on sandy white sugar sand and no track of time because every day comes with the same amount of pleasure.
I was living in this second floor apartment. The rent was as low it goes. I was a single mom. I had an inherited station wagon, all jacked up with the wood grain down the side. The kids and I had a good set up. Saturday and Sunday were our days. We hit the beaches, the docks, the parks, and all of those mangrove pathways. Our hair was bleached from the sun with that damp sandy feel to the clumped together humidity curls; our skin was golden from the sun, which we spent any time we could possibly steal playing, relaxing, and loving it. We had a perfect life with our sandy covered deflated beach toys packed into the back of the ghetto wagon along with the lawnchairs that we snagged from people leaving them behind, leaning against the garbage cans, we were a team, the kids and I. We had the world in our hands, our "Free to Be Me" charm hung off of the rear view mirror right above the radio that was always on, and kept in full swing as the windows were always always down. We had a funny style, clog heels with shorts and tube tops. My kids were the same, definitely stood out in a crowd. We were the team that loved our new life. We were free, finally... and we loved it...
Our apartment had these cockroaches. They were of different breeds, some rusty colored and some black colored. I got the run down on their origin, and how to rid the apartment of them not long after my first discovery of them, the first day... I strategically placed everything in plastic. My whole stocked-full kitchen was protected. I bleached as if I were guilty... guilty of cockroach killing is what I wanting it to be. Eventually I got rid of them all. Where they went I will never know... I assume the neighbors, or perhaps one of those prayers actually worked out and my apartment was "healed." I would almost believe it the way my mom prays for me. She is always causing miracles for me with her mom prayers, (happy birthday mom, I love you). There was one place though that I couldnt get rid of them. It was the ghetto wagon. Somehow, someway, they thought that it seemed like a good place to set up shop and for what I dont know; maybe the icecream drips all over the back seat. I place the blame on my husband Ricardo.
Yes, I was a single mom though at this point in time... no confusion. This is when we met, and this is how we met. He lived downstairs with a bunch of guys, all in the same apartment. I would see them coming and going, I couldnt figure out who actually lived there or what the deal was, but they seemed like just a bunch of guys who enjoyed each other's company, always smiling and laughing and planning something as they piled into their cars every once in awhile going I dont know where. He caught my eye. Not once, but a few times, before we really noticed each other, before it was something, just in an agreeance with myself that "man that guy is hot" without any persuance motivation. The parking was assigned to apartment numbers, we all got one spot. My spot just happened to be right smack in front of their door, which is where they all sat smoking their cigarettes, looking up with only their eyes as their heads were down, conversation stopped. My 7 yr old son would turn around, I found out later, and flip them off with a dirty look, as a message to stop watching his mom, my little protector. Julian.... with his hair down his back, freckles, blue eyes, camo gear and camping boot look... my little survivor.... I would come home and there was that car in my spot "one more time, damn it!" So Julian would hop out of the car and run over and knock on their door. Whoever answered would look over at me, usually flipping them off, and give a little wave. I was so unnerved. How many times did I have to park over by the dumpster. That is where it all began you know, with the roach invasion in my ghetto wagon, that dumpster parking spot. That was the only little area along the fence with the tall pine trees surrounding the apartment complex. My tire got the worst of the glass that was broken around the spot when it was completely flat one morning. I called work, I will be late, flat tire... so in my heels and Heart and Soul dress, I walked to the store for a can of fix-a-flat. I came back to Ricardo and his friends fixing 'their' tire too... what luck. Of course I didnt know him then. But his boss,nicknamed Cubano, spoke perfect English, so they helped me out. Ricardo and his buddy Lalo were talking Spanish squatting in front of the tire trying to figure out how to get the hubcap off and it was almost a comedy scene until we figured out that the funny little piece that was in the glovebox matched up somehow, so production moved on. After a long conversation with the English speaking boss about my extensive knowledge of concrete, I thanked them. It was then that I first noticed how sexy he was. I understood how the two friends bounced off him even though I didnt understand what they were saying, his smile was so real.
So time went on, I drove up to PA for a week and back, almost falling asleep at the wheel a few times, I was in a middle-ground stage in my life. In between here and there. Waiting for more experience in my job, the next stage of the game, so that I could take my experience with me in the claims business, when it was time to go back. But the time was not that time. I came back from the 22hour drive and the guys were all outside. They liked to watch me unpack the car, is what I gathered. Then came the night when I was pulled up with groceries. One of the guys came out and spoke perfect English to me said, "nice car," I am thinking ..are..you.. serious?-- but ok, smile..... "hey do you wanna come in for a beer?" First thought--- cute guy has to be in there, or at least there was a possiblity... "ok, I 'll be down." This was our first encounter... so I remember every moment of the anxiety, anticipation... he was sleeping on the floor when I walked in. (OMG!) The friend opened the beers and we sat at the table. We were talking about things just things like past stuff, things you ask when you are being nosey... I figured sleeping beauty was listening so I made sure I didnt say anything stupid. Then he stood up, my heart was skipping a little, you know when you get that dry mouth nervous thing? He sat down, didnt say a word, opened a beer, guzzled it down in like 10 seconds, and then another one..... Meanwhile the conversation was taking a turn because my eyes were looking at Mr sexy man here that hasnt said a word. That is when the discovery - no hablar ingles nada... well, I thought, I dont care, that can be fixed somehow... I thought he was the bomb. More friends came in from their work or wherever and I found out that all of his friends were awesome. We got such a laugh at how they thought I was a super bitch who hated Mexicans... that was something new to me because I never entertained those words in my mind ever, now I know why it was said, but no me, no. I am more prejudice of men than of race. I said no I was just pissed cause you always take my parking, what a roar of laughter that got... I got a promise though and I got my spot back, every day. People came and went, my kids were their watching cable, which we didnt have, so they were happy. We werent having a drinking party, it was just a real up beat wow we are all cool with each other after all kind of thing... till one of the guys noticed "our" connection... "our," meaning Ricardo and I... Oso, his roommate said, "you making him nervous..." I knew it, just as he was me. We could not stop looking at each other and smiling. We were infected with each other right away... The conversation went on, I met the guys, Jorge, Lalo and Hortensia, Gulo, Oso, and a few others that ended up going back to Mexico right in the beginning, on their own, they were homesick. This was not a bad boy crowd. They were not into drugs or excessive drinking, no hard liquor, no pot, they just enjoyed each other's company waiting till they got to go home, keeping each other happy. Ricardo and I had our hands locked, we were in arm wrestling stance... for what? oh I was bragging about how strong I was, (which back then, I was). We were touching our hands together and looking into each other's eyes smiling, knowing, something was starting... an obvious beginning...
