The son

When I reach the end of the road, that indeed does end at yet another restaurant, I see there are small parking areas with rental signs.

Unfortunately all the spaces are too small for my truck and too crowded with coconut palms – that might deliver their treasures right through my solar panels!

And they are charging for parking here. I’m looking for free parking.

I head back and my gardener approaches me with hopeful eyes. No I tell him, I need something bigger, more sun – to his surprise – less palm trees. But he understands and nods and tells me I should feel free to park anywhere.

I continue walking, determined to try to find someone close to my parking space to ask permission. When I come to the spot, I see there is an occupied house across the street. As I yell ‘buenas dias’ because I have not yet mastered the art of whistling to get people’s attention, a young man comes riding up to me on a bicycle and asks me if he can help me.

In english. Grinning and apologizing for his english, as I grin and apologize for my Spanish. He tells me he has learned english from the tourists that come here – he has never studied. I tell him I study all the time.

Javier wants me to come park by his house. I tell him I just returned from that direction and didn’t see anything appropriate. He insists there is a good space and tells me I should park by friends so I won’t get molested.

As we walk back – actually I walk, he rides his bike – I tell him about the old womon with pink eye. He says she is a neighbor, homeless, that his mom has asked her to stay with them. He tells me she is not right in the head.

I ask how old she is and he tells me around 84. I talk with him about her pink eye and he says his mom tries to get her to go to the doctors but she refuses to go.

But she does accept food from his mom.

When we get to his place I see it is exactly opposite where the old woman is sitting and the old man is sleeping. The old man turns out to be not so old, maybe in his 60’s, and Javier’s father.

Javier wants me to park in between palm trees. I think the sand is too soft and there is not enough sun but Javier promises me other cars have driven in here and I agree to try it.