Monday, Monday...can't trust that day

8/18

Good to see Leila as I walk in.  It helps to have someone else around. 

A woman comes in and asks si la iglesia tiene clases para ayudar aprendiendo ingles?

And I say, No tenemos clases para aprender ingles aqui.

And I think a minute. And give her directions to St. Gregory’s. And then Blessed Sacrament. A la iglesia de Blessed Sacrament hay un sacerrdote se llama Father John Duffel. El es un buen amigo mio. I give her my card. Se puede dar esta tarjeta  a Father John. Se puede usar mi nombre.

Que bueno que usted habla espanol, she says. And I smile. She turns. Starts to leave. Turns. Comes back. Yo necesito un trabajo. Yo me pudeo asistar con los ninos. Yo me puedo limpiar casas…

I don’t know of any jobs that don’t require English. Again, maybe the same churches might have ideas. Quizas las Iglesias catolicas con muchos latinos pueden asistarse, I say. And then I ask, Me perdon, mi hermnan, de que pais viene? And she smiles and says, Ecuador. She comes from Ecuador. She gives me the card of an English speaking friend who knows her. Por favor me llama si se tiene algunos ideas, OK? 

Si, I say. If I have  any ideas, I will call her. Buena suerte, I say. And she goes out into the late afternoon sun.

A man comes in looking for an item he left at the play last night. I send him upstairs. He finds it.

RL looks in on his way upstairs. Asks who’s in the sanctuary. It’s Jeremy G and the seed group/open choir. I explain to RL they’re the same ones who usually sing in the gym, but have moved to the sanctuary because of the Trilogy. I find their singing soothing, calming in the quiet half-light of the sanctuary as the setting sun makes the west windows glow like warm  caramel.

I ‘m going out for a much needed conversation with Hugo, who’s as strong and good a moral compass as anyone could want. I come back after a meal of calabazas, ensalada, aguacate, arroz y frijoles and tortillas. And that very special queso nicaraguense, and a muy caliente salsa. Hand delivered by an airlines worker. I smile about an entreprenurial business in  Nicaraguan cheese.

Jeremy and the seed group have been replaced by Ryan and Sam and their Cymbeline cast. Late night rehearsal. I hear enough of the Shakespeare text to catch that they’re getting it. Starting to come together.

Outside, Jeremy and Priska are coming in for some late work. He’s sharing a story of a frustrating experience and his own wrestling when Brian and the Trilogy cast start coming out after their performance. I ask Brian how it went and learn that once again, there’s been an issue. And this one’s on me. He is working so damn hard and has done an amazing job with this Trilogy. I’m sorry for anything that has made his work harder. But more so when it’s mine.

At the moment I feel very tired. Need some reflection. Monday Marie is singing at the Gate.