Yesterday, I wandered downtown Melaque's streets until I located the the coffee spot that Dijie and Bob had introduced me to my second day here. I wanted to re-experience the espresso largo that I had enjoyed the first time. As the dusty cobble-stoned main street became a rather more secondary street, I found the coffee bar on the right, just up the street from a juice bar where many white and blue uniformed secondary students were enjoying their lunch break.
I was the only client there, apart from 2 musicians and their new friend. Aurelio and Alan were playing the guitar and the tam-tam and singing La Bamba. Theo, from France, was interested in being an event manager, and so giving them suggestions about extending the scope of songs by singing some lyrics in French. We all practiced theses lyrics together: ne suis pas un marin, suis un capitain.
We contined to sing together in Spanish and French. What fun!
As the cafe was soon to close, Aurelia and Alan left for a few minutes to organize their next step and Theo and I spoke in French about his career and his impressions of Mexico. He loved the 'conviviality' of and openness of the people he was meeting.
Despite my chagrin at my seeming amnesia for Spanish, I could not have experienced this moment without my ability to understand it.
The espresso was delicious, but the encounter was much more than a great coffee.
Translation
I would like you to be happy even though you are not with me. (song lyrics)
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