Sharing Eden

We're back in Mexico and the only people in residence at our six-plex. What a treat to have the place all to ourselves over Christmas and New Year's!

It's a small courtyard area and pool, so quite a luxury to be alone and not worry about encroaching on anyone else's space or quiet. We invested in a couple of really nice loungers and were looking forward to sunning and reading poolside in comfort.

Security concerns and neighbourhood burglary issues led our building manager to have someone on site all day keeping an eye on things. Our teenage maid who, ordinarily we'd see about 2 hours a week, is now here all day. She doesn't speak a word of English, and our Spanish is pretty much zero as well. So we are limited to exchanging uncomfortable smiles and nods. Her name is Elvira, but of course pronounced "El-Beer-Ah" in Spanish.

There's only so much cleaning to done, and the potted plants and garden are getting watered to death (the soil in the pots is a muddy slurry from being watered up to 3 times a day!) so poor "El-beer-ah" pretty much roams from suite to suite, or sits in a shaded corner of the courtyard...uncomprehendingly taking in everything we say and do.

I feel very sorry for her - stuck here all day with so little to do. She may not be literate as she doesn't bring anything to read. I brought her some Mexican gossip magazines yesterday from the supermarket (ones with lots of photos of celebrities and fashion in case she can't read) but couldn't tell what she thought of them.

But I feel even sorrier for us having to share our little Eden with a trapped teenager on security duty. We've sat on our poolside loungers once; I just can't relax with "El-beer-ah" huddled in a corner a few feet away, pretending not to notice us. And I can just imagine what she thinks of us lounging, drinking and eating, and floating in pool. We are probably giving her a very distorted idea of what Canadians are like ("rich and bone lazy" would be the logical conclusion for a Mexican teen).

I don't know how long this arrangement will last - the whole winter? Will El-beer-ah be here even when all 6 units are occupied? It's putting strange damper on our sunny escape. But, what did I expect? It's Mexico...it's always sumpthin'!

Todo bien. (It's all good.)