Dias de Fiesta (navidades)

A few nights ago, I went out to buy plastic cups. I stopped and talked to Blas (who you met in the post about the farm) for a while. I tried to buy plastic cups from his mother, who runs Abaceria Sen, close to the house. She didn’t have any but pointed me to another store, close to a green car. She meant the store with the kittens inside but I went past it to the green car and peaked inside. There were dresses. I went to return to the store with the kittens but the two women outside engaged me in conversation. They asked what I was looking for and I told them, plastic cups but I thought I had been directed to the store next door. They asked where I was from and we started talking. One woman owns the store, Candi and one woman, Juanita, owns a bar nearby. They offered me a beer so I sat and talked to them a while. After about an hour, and a few more beers, Juanita says, “come with me, you have something to buy?” I said “ yes, plastic cups.” And she said. “ok come with me, I will show you my house.” So I did. We first dropped off candles with her relatives – the power was out. Then we went to the store next to the grocery store. It was closed, but she caused a scene with a man outside who was insisting that it was closed but was not affiliated with the store. The men inside recognized her and opened the doors. She asked if they had plastic cups, I asked how much they were and bought them. Before we returned to the steps outside of Candi’s clothing store, we stopped at the supermarket so I could buy beer. When I told her it was for them she said, no no I’ll take you somewhere cheaper. We stopped at her bar, where I promised to take my students when they arrive, and she said to drink whatever I wanted, she would pay. I took the same cheap beer we had been drinking outside of Candi’s clothing store. She disappeared for a long time and finally came to collect me. She took me to some new construction where she had a long argument with one of the workers. She, and the construction supervisor, wanted him to stop and continue the next morning in the light. He did not want to work the next day (Christmas eve). I’m not sure why she brought me in for that conversation – maybe I was her exit strategy. Just before we left, she said I have to take this girl home (but in Spanish she said niña, which is like little girl, or daughter). She said I have hair like her mulatto daughter. We returned to Candi and her clothing store with the candles lighting it. Candi’s husband bought the next round but I had to bow out and Juanita walked me home. At the house we met the electrician who I have promised to pay for the air conditioners tomorrow. She told my watchman (who only speaks French) in Spanish to take good care of me. Then I baked chicken.