Book Club - Los Planes de Renderos kicked off its first meeting at Maria's comedor with sunset, not the best for quiet or lighting purposes, but perfect for high spirits and empty stomachs. Not long after however, we were searching for light, holding our books at odd angles to catch reflections of the fresh glowing street lamps, to remedy our squinted eyes; which Antonio eventually redeemed as he usually does upon nights first darkness. Maria attached our new hope of a lantern in its place above the stove, although waiting to switch it on until every spare scrap of sun was licked up from her kitchen walls by seven o'clock and fifteen.
Meanwhile Carlos and I reasoned over how we should begin. I motioned that we alternate paragraphs, to which he responded with something I couldn't understand. I should mention this is a bilingual book club, of which, both and only members do not speak two languages. It made for a few hurdles, and several conceptual roadblocks; Puget Sound for example; not to mention the task of following in Spanish what someone is reading aloud in English.
We were only introduced to Buck, before I conceded to Carlos' request to wait until tomorrow, when he didn't have to hold the pages three inches from his forehead in effort to squeeze some light through my voluminous shadow. A rough start indeed, but spirits remain high and stomachs full, although I'm quite confident the oil from the fried yucca (cassava) and pasteles is now leaking through my fingernails.
No comments:
Post a Comment