purple and red

Sunday I was walking to the locutorio and thinking to myself that the older woman walking up ahead of me looked ridiculous in her high, purple stiletto heels. A moment later, almost as if she'd felt me staring at her, this woman (who wasn't as old as I'd originally thought) turned and asked me if I am from Nebraska. I said no, Kansas, how did you know? She replied that she lives with two girls from Ohio in the house (pointing) above the pepsi cola machine and that they know a girl from Nebraska etc. etc. We had a short conversation in which she told me I speak Spanish perfectly and invited me to come to "her house" (she said this part in English) any time I wanted to talk. I said ok and walked away, not knowing her name or where she lived (there weren't any pepsi machines where she pointed, just two coke machines and a water bottle machine).

Monday on my way to the library I saw this woman again, in almost the exact same place on the sidewalk, and we exchanged holas. Then, on the way back, a dog barked at me from a second story balcony where a woman was hanging laundry -- her again! I learned her name is Marie Carmen and she works in the Bazar below her ''house,'' and that I am welcome to visit her there any time. I probably will go do that soon, as I can use all the extra Spanish practice I can get, and she seems like a potentially very interesting character, though I have a slight suspicion that she's maybe been watching me or something, since she seemed to know me on Sunday and lives and works on a street I walk on at least a couple times a day....

Last night I was on the way back from the library listening to my ipod. As I passed Pan y Mas (the 24 hour bread store) I heard a man's voice trying to get my attention from behind and thought I'd somehow dropped something. I turned around, took out my earphones and looked for my dropped item in the man's hands but saw nothing. He was mid-30's maybe, fairly overweight by Spanish standards, in a red tracksuit and in need of floss, and he asked me if I usually go out a lot in Toledo on the weekends. I said no, not really. He explained that he and his friend, the other 30-something standing beside me, know two really cool chicas and the four of them go out a lot and they are looking for more people to go out with, to have a bigger group of friends. I was having a hard time understanding them, and asking for a lot of repititions, and finally explained that I'm from the US and don't understand everything when you speak really quickly. Neither of them slowed down, but I was able to get the gist of what they were saying -- the girl friends are foreign too, one English, one Polish, the English girl is an English teacher here, maybe the Polish girl too, something about phone numbers, something about going out together. I got out my little black book of Spanish words and helpful websites and other necessary information and wrote down Ruben's number, telling him that if someday I'm in the mood to go out I'd give him a call, and thinking that would be a nice ending to our convo. But then, of course, he asked for my number. I gave it to him, not having the heart to tell him that I'm nearly positive I won't be joining his group of friends because this is all a bit too weird.

I walked home wondering ''why me?'' Maybe they only approach foreigners, and, as Isa frequently reminds me, my Americanness is visible a kilometer away. Seemed a likely scenario, given their other two alleged friends' nationalities. Or maybe I just look reaally nice, and that's why people in Madrid and Rome always asked me for money and Laura for pictures. Back home, I began telling Belen about my run-in but she interrupted me early on.
"What was his name?"
"Ruben, why?"
"I know him too."
Last year she'd put up posters offering to tutor kids. Ruben called asking her to be part of his group of friends. She'd said no, but he kept calling every week for quite some time. She said she knows other people who have had similar experiences, apparently he dedicates himself to this search for people to go out with on the weekends. So I guess I have a lot of phone calls from Ruben to look forward to. I think I'll stick with Marie Carmen.