I was outside my house strumming my guitar and singing Margaritaville with Miguel sitting in the other chair and I was singing off key but I didn't care I was feeling good.
I wasn't wearing a shirt and had cutoff shorts and had a deep and turning into a permanent tan on my slender and fairly muscular frame I am 5'8" and weigh 170 lbs and my hair has bleached so it is a real light blonde. blue eyes.
As I was singing the last of the song of Margaritaville Maria came walking up the steps and she was laughing.
She said," Look, at this John has been living here for a short time and he thinks he should be a Mariachi singers you see at the restaurants. So how are you this Monday evening?"
I laughed and said," Miguel, do you think I would do good as a Mariachi singer? Oh never mind forget I asked that."
Maria surprised me she bent down and kissed me and asked." So sweetheart how was your day?"
It took me a couple of minutes to answer.
I said," I got a good haul on the fish and made a fair amount of money ferrying around the tourists and still had a chance a nice lengthy siesta."
She laughed and said," You are adapting just a little too well."
Than Miguel noticed my scar on my shoulder and asked," Hey senor how did you get that scar."
I paused for a minute and said," I have been forgetting about this I got shot in the shoulder during Desert Storm."
Maria said," You didn't tell me? You told me about being in Desert Storm."
I said," If I was shirtless and you saw the scar I would have told you if you saw it. I do forget about it. I was stupid that day one guy and me were behind some sand bags and i happened to look over the sand bags and got shot ."
Maria laughed and said," You can't be serious."
I laughed and said," If I was going to make it up I would have said I got this from charging inside a building. It was a through and through and all it took was quick clot on both sides and I was fighting again."
I explained to her what quick clot was and how it worked.
I asked," So what are you doing here? We aren't supposed to go out til Friday wasn't it?"
She said," You cooked that shrimp on the grill so well and that wine was so delicious. I thought I would cook you up a enchilada."
She went into the house and I followed her in.
I asked," Do you know how to cook on a wood stove?"
She said," Go get some fire wood and get it fired up and go back out on the deck and you will see."
I brought in a load of firewood and put it in the stove and crumpled some papers and than lit it up and it started burning the wood.
She said," Now go back out and I will cook your dinner."
I went back out and Miguel said," Senor she is such a beautiful senorita and she is cooking you supper?"
I said," She says she knows how to cook on a wood stove and if you must know it took me awhile to figure it out adjusting the temperature and such."
He said," Well, you so lucky senor."
We chatted for a couple of hours and she said," Boys, dinner is ready and John I hope you like it. The tortillas I have made myself and got the vegetables at the market."
She brought out the platefuls of enchiladas and I tried mine with the sour cream and it was delicious.
I went back in to make some drinks and 5 minutes later I came out with margaritas on a tray I found.
Juan took a sip and said in Spanish," This is good."
I said," Yeah, I went to the market and bought some Tequila"
Juan asked," What kind senor?"
I said," Jose Cuervo I love that brand."
He said," Good tequila you have .good taste."
Maria said," You make delicious margarita how did you learn to do this?"
I said," I was a bartender at high end Mexican restaurant//bar so I served some margaritas and I did that before going to Iraq."
She laughed and said," Well, are you a man full of surprises."
After dinner Maria and I cleaned up and sat back on the deck.
I said," You know that painting on the wall in the house? Well Juan here painted that."
Maria said," Juan that painting is absolutely beautiful you should have your work in galleries.."
Juan asked," You think my painting is good enough?"
She said," Yes, I am going to take a picture of it and show it to some agencies in New York."
Now it was my turned to be surprised.
She said," You think you are the only one who has dual-citizenship?"
Juan said, " I don't want to sell the picture I gave to Juan."
She said," I will tell them that pic is not for sale."
Juan said," Thank you senorita and I have to go."
We walked down the beach and she grabbed my arm and that surprised me.
She said," Now I have lived back here for 4 years and I couldn't find out who did those beautiful paintings and you were here what 4 months and he gives you one of his."
I said," Sweetheart , he is a commericail fisherman and I met him when he was walking home. We became friends and he gave me that painting as a symbol of our friendship."
We walked a little further and than she looked at her watch.
She said," I have to go home I have to give the students a test tommorrow."
I said," You never told me what you do."
She said," Did I forget to tell you, I teach 4th grade."
She started walking up the hill and I watched her until she disappeared.
I walked home and walked up the steps and than went to the bedroom and than I stripped to my underwear and climbed into bed.
I fell asleep thinking we are having a budding relationship before we even went on our first date.