Spanish Tomatoes

I wish I had leaned how to speak Spanish at some point along the way.  Way back in time, at Alexander IV Elementary School for Boys and Girls, Mrs. Greenway would come to our class and converse with us in Spanish.  Her daughter was in my class and was the only one who understood what she said.  They had just moved to Macon from somewhere like Puerto Rico and were exotic and temperamental.

Home grown tomatoes are a staple in the South.  Everyone agrees that nothing tastes finer than a slice of fresh tomato with a dab of mayo on white bread.  I have tried to like fresh tomatoes.  Almost every day this past summer, I made a tomato sandwich for Sweetie Pie for lunch.  I do not like fresh tomatoes and I  think I know why.

In Mrs. Martin's second grade class at Alexander IV Elementary School for Boys and Girls, the exotic and temperamental Greenway girl (I'll try to keep her anonymous, but we all know and love her) decided one afternoon to pitch a little hissy fit.  In Spanish.  I can't remember why she was so upset, but she stood up in the aisle, she was in the front, I was a few desks behind her (alphabetically, of course) and while screaming something in Spanish, up-chucked her lunch. 

It went everywhere! Up and down the aisle.  Under desks it spread, creeping down closer to me.  She must have eaten a tomato sandwich for lunch.  Little red chucks inched their way toward me as I held my feet up, my knees almost hitting the underneath part of my desk.  I think I had repressed that memory.  And that is why I can not eat a tomato. 

Oh, why I wish I knew how to speak Spanish.  Today at work, Carlos and his helper were there to move furniture.  I was there to show them where to place everything.  My boss was there to be in charge.  Bobby, who is hearing impaired, was there, well, because he's there all the time.  So I'm nicely making suggestions to my boss about what needs to go where.  Boss, he's rolling his eyes big time.  Carlos is telling his helper, well, I'm not sure.  They talked and laughed and talked some more.  I sure do wish I knew what they said...