There’s an older man a few houses down with the interesting habit of asking every question in a roundabout manner. The other day he asked me point blank if I’d like to come over and see his flower garden in the back of the house. I didn’t have to wait long at all for the expected follow up …
“And while you are there, do you think you could program our new remote for the television ?“
I notice that people in Colombia spend very little time watching television compared to people up North as they are far too busy with more important things. Like doing nothing, and sitting outside or at the countless corner stores to greet friends and neighbors. Or getting a snack from the vendors at the park as an excuse to get away from the house.
In the house I found his wife and and visiting adult daughter sitting in the TV room with the unopened package containing the remote which fortunately came complete with English language instructions. In no time at all it was programmed and operational and suddenly I had my first view of television in close to a month. Wouldn’t ya know, my first sight of TV and what springs to the screen but Donald Trump with his signature thumb and forefinger pose while a Spanish language broadcaster babbled on . United States citizens have endured the sight of the man on every form of media every single day , 365 days a year for the past nine and one half years and so it was with great difficulty that I stifled a laugh at the elder woman’s question …
“ Who’s that ? “ she asked
“ Not important “ said the man and he immediately scrolled down to their favorite channel and just in time to catch the beginning of a movie. I declined the nice offer of a fresh brewed coffee and escaped back to the street and let them settle in to enjoy a 1940s black and white western that was filmed in Mexico. Never did see the flower garden …
