The kindness of strangers

Roberto, my would-be chauffeur, continues to be so kind to me - despite my not hiring him! When I pull into the road leading into the park, he blowing a exaggerated kisses with his hands as he dances across the driveway, and I return his enthusiastic greeting as I park my truck.

Once again, he asks me if I came in from the coast. And once again, he ushers me into the park.

I jog around the entire park - very slowly - but still jogging! Then I return to my truck to cook my 'breakfast'. I need to cook a pumpkin and some sweet potatoes so I throw rice into the pot and soon add lentils as I'm chopping up the pumpkin and sweet potatoes.

I add a couple of limes - which I'm trying to eat every day - along with a healthy dose of cinnamon, cayenne, garlic, and a dab of oil. When everything is cooked, I stir in miso and pour into a cup. It's yummy!

I study in between chopping and while I'm eating. When the soup and my meal are done, I take my books and flash cards outside and Roberto waves me on to a picnic table. I ask him in Spanish if, when I finish studying, he thinks I can fill up my water tank with a hose.

He says sure. I study for a couple of hours and as I return to the gate and my truck, Roberto is there with a hose, directly me to pull up so I can fill my tanks.

We fill the tanks, him at the spigot ready to shut it off when I give the word, me in the truck watching the water level approach full.

I leave, we wave good-bye and I hope Roberto knows how grateful I am, not just for his help, but especially for the kindness he has so generously heaped on me.

I will probably never see him again but I will never forget him either. Or any of the other strangers who have gone out of their way to care for me.

I'm off to get some new veggie oil. I have decided that I better add some of the pure stuff to my tank to offset (I hope) the other oil I added yesterday.