I Don't Speaka Ingles

I speak some Spanish when I need to and throw down on the understanding of several languages. One day, like everyday, I get the same old question, "Tu hablas espanol?"


Of course I let them know my Spanish speaking es mal, but yo comprendo muy bien. So three latinas come through my line to make purchases on their friend's tarjeta. My co-worker stands next to me and afterward she asks me, "What did they say about me?"


I'm looking at her wondering what the hell she's talking about, but then she says, "I don't speaka no Spanish, but I know body language and they were talking about me." She's probably reading this now, so I guess she'll find out that they called her una vieja.


I didn't want to tell her that they called her an old lady because she was having a bad day and that it was a disrespectful way of calling somebody old as well.


The next day, she asks me again about the translation. She knew I understood what the ladies said, but I felt she was on a need to know basis. After a while I decided to give in to her nagging. I told her they called her "old" in a disrespectful manner. 


She spent the whole day wondering why they called her old. Was it the way she dressed? Did she look really old that day? Why would they say something like that?



As much as we try to slow the sands of time in the hourglass that is our life, the clock continues to click and eventually we begin to age. I told her, "Who freakin' cares if some strange ladies called you old. Just get over it."