Seven years ago, we sat together in a pizza parlor. The dark mahogany paneling cast warm shadows along the blinking, neon beer signs. JD walked back to our booth from the jukebox and his lips parted, making way for a smile. The soft sounds of Bob Marley danced in the air and I began to cry. JD was headed back to Monterey Bay to finish the last semester of his freshman year. The distance always made me wilt.
To this day, Marley’s reggae strikes a nerve like no one else. Fond memories and happy emotions.
This afternoon—after exploring the streets of Managua, Nicaragua for a few hours—JD and I made our way into a local eatery, desperately looking for something to fill our empty stomachs. On our way in, a little boy asked us for money and JD gave him a dollar. The little boy smiled and thanked us.
The restaurant was empty, but the humid breeze rolled through the open-air patio. After we ordered local delicacies—queso fundido, frijoles con tostones, plato tipico—nothing other than our favorite Bob Marley song played through the speakers. We sang outloud…no, I sang outloud and JD bashfully looked at me over the lip of his Pepsi bottle.
Once the song finished, a little grasshopper made of palm leaves landed on our table. Just past the metal gate, we saw brown eyes laughing and waving. Our little friend was watching us from a distance. Throughout the course of our meal, more gifts of palm landed on our table, so once the bill was paid, we were smitten.
His name was Edwin. When I asked if I’d be able to photograph him making his craft, he replied in Spanish that, yes, I could take a picture of his art, but of him? Well, no…unless we wanted to pay him extra for using his picture on the Internet. Like I said, I was smitten! 😉
When I boarded the airplane last night, I didn’t think Bob and Edwin would make my day so sweet. The first day in this beautiful country has been lovely and I can’t wait to explore some more tomorrow! Everyone is arriving tonight, so tomorrow morning we’re taking a small plane to the coast, loading our luggage onto an even smaller boat, and arriving to the island…I can’t wait!
