one of many written and more to come...MEMOIR ENTRY #4
Its been 6 months now since I’ve
moved in with the lovely older
couple here on the eastern shore.
They are an interesting couple.
At first I was sort of weirded out
by all of the framed pictures of me
they have up all over the house.
But then I realized that is just their
way of making me feel welcome.
They do speak a unique language.
Both are speaking what appears to be
English, even the same form of it,
the same words yet at times they
are unable to understand one another.
The language seems to have something
to do with the proximity in which
they are to each other. For example
when sitting at the dinner table,
perhaps just a foot apart from each
other it seems rather difficult
for each to hear eachother.
The conversation consists of
grunts and “huhs?”
The peculiar part being that when
one is in the far living room,
on the other side of the house,
and the other in the kitchen at the
other end of the house, they seem to hear
eachother perfectly.
As well oddly and much to my surprise
I have picked up this interesting slang of
the area. I guess it is true that the
best way to learn a new language is
to immerse yourself in the culture,
the people, and sink or swim.
And even beyond just grasping it
I am able to translate for them., much to their delight!
They seem to truly appreciate my
talent for grasping this unusual
language and reward me by
feeding me delicious meals
and offering me alcoholic
beverages. Even to go as far as
to have free reign of their wine
cellar.
Its been 6 months now since I’ve
moved in with the lovely older
couple here on the eastern shore.
They are an interesting couple.
At first I was sort of weirded out
by all of the framed pictures of me
they have up all over the house.
But then I realized that is just their
way of making me feel welcome.
They do speak a unique language.
Both are speaking what appears to be
English, even the same form of it,
the same words yet at times they
are unable to understand one another.
The language seems to have something
to do with the proximity in which
they are to each other. For example
when sitting at the dinner table,
perhaps just a foot apart from each
other it seems rather difficult
for each to hear eachother.
The conversation consists of
grunts and “huhs?”
The peculiar part being that when
one is in the far living room,
on the other side of the house,
and the other in the kitchen at the
other end of the house, they seem to hear
eachother perfectly.
As well oddly and much to my surprise
I have picked up this interesting slang of
the area. I guess it is true that the
best way to learn a new language is
to immerse yourself in the culture,
the people, and sink or swim.
And even beyond just grasping it
I am able to translate for them., much to their delight!
They seem to truly appreciate my
talent for grasping this unusual
language and reward me by
feeding me delicious meals
and offering me alcoholic
beverages. Even to go as far as
to have free reign of their wine
cellar.
I’ve done some research
and have since learned the name of this foreign yet
vaguely familiar language they converse in.
The name of it is mumbling.
I 've been able to secure employment in
another town, Cape Charles, from the one in which I reside,
Belle Haven, with the older couple, quite a distance, a
journey or so I am told so often by the
locals with remarks like “oh my you drive
All the way here from there and then
All the way back again at night?” “you live where?”
Is that up north somewhere? I shake my head yes
and answer politely. I do not want to rile the locals
up since living among them so far has been peaceful
and I am learning a lot. I really don’t mind the long
distance, all 28 miles of it, the drive in the morning.
The vehicle I have precured is enjoyable to drive
and seems quite reliable. I like having something of
my own. And actually when I say my own I truly mean, to
be fair, the fine young farm hand's. It is his car. He is
extremely friendly, helpful and as well looks strikingly
like myself. I fear he has as well been taking pictures of me
when I am not looking since he as well as a few of me
in his room I have never seen before.
He purchased the vehicle from the woman of
the older couple but has yet to pay her entirely for it.
So she has loaned it to me for the time being. Often she says,
“well I have half a mind to repossess that car from him”
and then proceeds to laugh for what to me seems to be an
over extended period of time. It seems to make her happy.
And yet again, I don’t say anything. I don’t want to come
across as ungrateful since they have taken me in on merit.
They are very generous to someone they don’t really know.
Paying for other various necessities like electricity, netfix,
popcorn, scotch, advil, and triple A batteries. I’ve been
spending a lot of time getting to know the older
couple and so far it seems that we do have a lot in common.
We’ve discovered one thing in particular that goes by the
name of DNA. Note to self, when first free moment, look up
This DNA. I’ve not really been dating. I fear there might
be a language barrier as well with men here or perhaps the
pick up lines of this area do not translate well to others.
They seem so confusing. For example just last week
a young man came up to me in the grocery store parking
lot and said, “get in the truck” and smiled.
Then just the other evening I was in a fine drinking
establishment in town and this fine young gentleman
came up to me at the bar, right up to
me so that at first I thought oh good
someone direct and who knows what he wants.
Then he proceeded to push me, hard, and say,
“Hey get the hell out of the way”
I was so confused.
I wonder as to why he did
not go ahead and ask me out. Instead he seemed to be
playing some game. Doing
some tribal ritual dating dance.
I don’t usually like to toot my horn, but
“toot toot” for I am very happy
with my choice to live with the
lovely older couple, who for some reason
as of late have requested that I call
them mother and father…and again I
abide by their peculiar wishes since they are
so kind and seem to be moving
slower but speeding up in the consumption of
this brown liquid called SCOTCH.
I am proud of my contribution to the
environment and my sacrifice for
Mother earth. Truly would it not be
environmentally damaging to live on
my own? Wasteful even. Using separate
gas to heat a house when they are already
heating it, buying separate groceries when
they have so much to share? And so on.
I am hopeful that this arrangement
will continue on. I do chores around
the house to help out such as picking up
after myself, throwing the recyclables actually
in the recycle bin, unloading the dishwasher,
making them laugh…and other such vital tasks.
Until the older couple stop feeding me
and ask for rent I shall stay on as
their boarder, afterall truly it is the least
I can do. Until next entry, stay safe.
and have since learned the name of this foreign yet
vaguely familiar language they converse in.
The name of it is mumbling.
I 've been able to secure employment in
another town, Cape Charles, from the one in which I reside,
Belle Haven, with the older couple, quite a distance, a
journey or so I am told so often by the
locals with remarks like “oh my you drive
All the way here from there and then
All the way back again at night?” “you live where?”
Is that up north somewhere? I shake my head yes
and answer politely. I do not want to rile the locals
up since living among them so far has been peaceful
and I am learning a lot. I really don’t mind the long
distance, all 28 miles of it, the drive in the morning.
The vehicle I have precured is enjoyable to drive
and seems quite reliable. I like having something of
my own. And actually when I say my own I truly mean, to
be fair, the fine young farm hand's. It is his car. He is
extremely friendly, helpful and as well looks strikingly
like myself. I fear he has as well been taking pictures of me
when I am not looking since he as well as a few of me
in his room I have never seen before.
He purchased the vehicle from the woman of
the older couple but has yet to pay her entirely for it.
So she has loaned it to me for the time being. Often she says,
“well I have half a mind to repossess that car from him”
and then proceeds to laugh for what to me seems to be an
over extended period of time. It seems to make her happy.
And yet again, I don’t say anything. I don’t want to come
across as ungrateful since they have taken me in on merit.
They are very generous to someone they don’t really know.
Paying for other various necessities like electricity, netfix,
popcorn, scotch, advil, and triple A batteries. I’ve been
spending a lot of time getting to know the older
couple and so far it seems that we do have a lot in common.
We’ve discovered one thing in particular that goes by the
name of DNA. Note to self, when first free moment, look up
This DNA. I’ve not really been dating. I fear there might
be a language barrier as well with men here or perhaps the
pick up lines of this area do not translate well to others.
They seem so confusing. For example just last week
a young man came up to me in the grocery store parking
lot and said, “get in the truck” and smiled.
Then just the other evening I was in a fine drinking
establishment in town and this fine young gentleman
came up to me at the bar, right up to
me so that at first I thought oh good
someone direct and who knows what he wants.
Then he proceeded to push me, hard, and say,
“Hey get the hell out of the way”
I was so confused.
I wonder as to why he did
not go ahead and ask me out. Instead he seemed to be
playing some game. Doing
some tribal ritual dating dance.
I don’t usually like to toot my horn, but
“toot toot” for I am very happy
with my choice to live with the
lovely older couple, who for some reason
as of late have requested that I call
them mother and father…and again I
abide by their peculiar wishes since they are
so kind and seem to be moving
slower but speeding up in the consumption of
this brown liquid called SCOTCH.
I am proud of my contribution to the
environment and my sacrifice for
Mother earth. Truly would it not be
environmentally damaging to live on
my own? Wasteful even. Using separate
gas to heat a house when they are already
heating it, buying separate groceries when
they have so much to share? And so on.
I am hopeful that this arrangement
will continue on. I do chores around
the house to help out such as picking up
after myself, throwing the recyclables actually
in the recycle bin, unloading the dishwasher,
making them laugh…and other such vital tasks.
Until the older couple stop feeding me
and ask for rent I shall stay on as
their boarder, afterall truly it is the least
I can do. Until next entry, stay safe.
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