La Vida en Mexico

Okay what were the exact instructions again? Go outside to the right of the house and turn the switch on. I faintly recall my Swiss house-mate saying something about, “it looks like this,” while pointing to the electrical switch, “turn it on and off, it make a large sound.” I should’ve paid attention. I walk over to some grey pipes, there are two white switches. I take a chance and turn them both on. There’s a loud motor sound that comes out when I turn the second one on, sending a vibration through the concrete underneath my feet. Was that it? And then it abruptly stops! I run back into the house, turn the kitchen tap on – and there’s water! I run up the red tiled stairs and check the bathroom, sink – no, no water. Ah darn! What I would do to have the water back on right now. I never thought I would be pining for that cold drizzle that is erroneously called a shower. I go back down and out the door and try again, run back upstairs to check and, no -- still no agua.

After running outside several times, I look back only to realize that I closed the door fully this time quietly locking myself out of the house. I quickly evaluate my options. All the emergency numbers are inside, so is my purse. I can sit here and wait outside on the street for my housemate to return or I could walk over to the school and see if anyone is still there in the evening. I choose the latter. Luckily Jose the school Director is still there. I interrupt his meeting and make no attempt to speak Spanish (like we’re supposed to at all times). He immediately asks what’s wrong. I explain, “the water is out and I locked myself out of the house, do you happen to have an extra pair of keys.” He hands over some keys and explains the switch trick several times. “Turn the switch on for ten minutes…it should make a loud sound” I explain that there’s no longer a sound and he promises to come by and take a look at the water situation. Feeling grateful that he’s still here, I walk back tired but hopeful at least I can get in the house now.

A couple hours later, my roommate comes home ready for a shower, so does Jose with his dog Frodo skipping along (who I’m more than happy to see outside of school). He takes a look around and decides that he will need to have the maintenance repair guy come in to fix it. “Great when do you think he’ll be here?” “Maybe tonight? Maybe tomorrow.” He texts him but found out “esta en Cancun”. He’s gone to Cancun. Ahhhh I see.

I noticed that outside of a feeble attempt to question the situation when my housemate responds to Jose with a, “porque?,” neither of us give much weight to the situation. “La vida en Mexico” (that’s life in Mexico) we proclaim and move on with our day. More time for meditation and writing for me, shower will have to wait. As I go back to my room and sit down to write, almost as if on cue I hear the neighbors playing Bob Marley’s, “Everything is gonna be alllll right. Every little thing is gonna be all right” And everything IS all right.

(I’ve been in Playa Del Carmen for the past four days learning Spanish. It’s a beautiful place with beautiful people. And I’m not at all minding the warm 75-80 degree weather and being able to take a walk on the beach almost every day. Time seems to have expanded throughout each day. There is plenty of time for everything.) :-)