Something's happening here

Friday the 13th is nothing special in Spain. It's Tuesday the 13th that is bad luck here. It must have been one of those opposite day kind of things. Remember those from when you were a kid? Because Friday the 13th was a magic day for me.

I got up, turned the TV on, and sat down on the worn out couch in my stripey pajamas with my coffee to watch the news. Up until now, that's what I did, just pretty much watched and heard noise. But on Friday, I heard words. I sat transfixed. I heard words coming out of the mouth of the weather woman. I heard rain and sun, and I laughed realizing that she was speaking absolute drivel. Why was I assuming that just because I couldn't understand her that she was witty? The sports guy came on and I heard more words. I hollered to the rest of the family. "Something’s happening in here! I CAN HEAR WORDS!"

This must have happened to everyone else earlier, and maybe they aren't as excitable as I am. (Claro.) Apparently they have been hearing words, sentences, ideas for some time now. But for me, it's just starting to happen. (Other than, of course, the predictable or ridiculously simple, repetitious, boring conversations we've been having since we got here.)

I don't hear complete sentences. But just hearing separate words spoken at breakneck Madrileño speed is a joy.

Tia keeps telling me I'm on a predictable path. It's just that I haven't been seeing many of the landmarks. But perhaps they are out there after all. When I look at myself, it's like watching the kids learn to walk. But painfully slowly.

The kids are having noticeable breakthroughs too. Anna is in a watch-and-absorb mode, still not sure how to push all the jumble in her head out of her mouth. But you can see it simmering. You can see the light flickering in her eyes as she develops confidence. She delights in joking with school mates and being the one to interpret for me when scheduling an appointment with the plumber.

And Alex. Well it's difficult to shut that kid up. He pretty much assumes the lead all the time, whether we want him to or not. The conversations are simple, but fluid. He rattles off conversations with bartenders, Jack's compañerios de trabajo, the Chinese students in his class, the regulars down in the Dia Zone. Heck, if you know that boy, you know he talks to everyone. And a limited vocabulary is not going to slow him down; he just works around it.

Jack's been our fearless leader since we arrived. Out in front solving problems. Lacking self consciousness and able to get things done in a way that constantly surprises me. I simply don’t know how he does it.

I've been the one in the rear on this linguistic journey. But, I'm starting to enjoy the ride. Not always. I still have daily Spanish flashes (embarrassment-induced hot flashes). But, I have a smile on my face a little more often.

Today Anna's teachers told me how great she was doing. I walked home with that feeling you get after it rains in Nevada. The air is filled with the smell of desert sage that you breathe deeply. It gives you the sense that everything will be alright.

Está bien. Si, todo está bien.