Sometimes you have to go through Awkward to get to Awesome. When we first arrived in this rental house at the beach we were startled to learn of the 2 guys who are living in bunk beds in the maid’s quarters in the front of our house. It felt very awkward to see them the minute you got up, working in the backyard or bringing in your laundry. Especially because they have no AC in their room and our laundry heats it up even more. But we pushed through the awkward and it turned into awesome. These guys do so much for us around here! It’s like having house elves, but better.
Miguel is the assistant to the owner of this house. He lives in the city but came here to check us in and get us settled. We had asked the owner about having someone cook for us and she said Miguel had gone to cooking school and could help us. So evidently Miguel stayed around to cook for us. Es bueno.
Sergio is the caretaker. We aren’t sure where he lives permanently but he takes care of the gardens and the patio and the pool and the weeds. We don’t know why Sergio feels the need to cut weeds at 7 a.m. but evidently that’s a good time to do it.
When I got up on the first morning here Miguel had already come in to get things ready in the house. He made coffee, turned off the outdoor lights, mopped the floor and did the dishes from our late night snack. That night Miguel cooked arroz con pollo for us, served with a salad and freshly made pineapple juice. It was awesome. He also did all the dishes while we went out for ice cream. He just seems to slip in when we don’t notice it and we turn around and he’s there mopping, or taking out the trash, or cooking, or something.
The next night he made spaghetti and a different salad and garlic bread. It got mixed reviews from the kids but it was a meal that filled everyone up and it wasn’t made by me so I give it two thumbs up.
Friday we took off for a little exploring in a nearby town. We forgot our passports (you need to have them to drive here) so we came back. When we came back Sergio was in our house sweeping and had the vacuum cleaner out. Miguel was folding our freshy laundered towels and making our beds.
The cars are getting pretty dirty from the rain and dirty roads so I asked Miguel where the nearest car wash is. He said there was no need for a car wash, they would do it all right here in the driveway. Es bueno! Danna thinks we should ask where we can get a pedicure and see what they do!
As with many things on this adventure, I’m reminded that what is first uncomfortable can turn into something very rewarding and a lovely part of the journey. Miguel and Sergio the House Elves will be a memorable part of our stay at the beach.
