Page 88 - Wake Up and do Your Thing

WAKE UP AND DO YOUR THING
I’d given them a crash course in English while they did the same for me in Portuguese. Every day for thirty days I wrote down ten phrases like, “I can’t find my socks,” “Close the window,” and “Who likes cheese on toast?” Then she’d translate them for me. That way she’d get to learn them in proper English while I learned them in Portuguese. The deal I made with myself was I had to memorize all ten phrases and throw away the paper they were written on before I went to bed each night. That made three hundred phrases in thirty days. By the time you can say that much in a foreign language the rest comes together naturally. Mind you, she drove quite a deal, and I had to include Francisca in the lessons.
Donna Casilda rushed over to comfort me, but I couldn’t stop sobbing. I didn’t want to; it felt wonderful. She rubbed my shoulders and Francisca held my hand. Antonio pushed her away and stuck a beer in my hand.
“Ay, Senhor Nick,” Donna Casilda said, “what is the matter with you?”
That was all it took. I got to my feet and hugged them all. “It’s my birthday and this is the best party I've ever had.” Then I yelled it out loud in Portuguese just as Tom Jones belted out It’s Not Unusual. Gulls swept in and helped themselves to leftovers and we danced around the square.
As dawn broke, we hugged goodbye. It might have been over for now, yet plenty more celebrations were still ahead! I staggered back along the beach. With each step a new smell
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