As promised, Cuentos de Monterrey

7/1/7

We have just returned from tia josefina's house where the figs were amazing. Literally picked off the tree in the back courtyard. So fresh that milky sap was still coming off the branch. It was really amazing. I only wish I could have flirted with Scully as I bit the soft skin and tender flesh of the fig. Instead I worked a different kind of love magic and gave Khubz a whole fig, freshly washed. It still smelled like leaves and sky.

She loved it. She loved it.

Her mouth opened with great expectations and her two bottom teeth pierced the fig. It was all over. I couldn't give her fig fast enough. I'd bite off a small piece and she would practically take off my finger trying to gobble down fig. The other figs looked on pitifully, knowing their time was near an end. I'm sure they saw Khubz--vampire teeth on top, bunny teeth on the bottom--and only wished the birds had gotten to them first.

Tia Josefina has a granddaughter Paola. If my Uncle Faisal was ever reincarnated as a 10 year old Mexican girl, he would be Paola.

She also reminded me of Darla from finding Nemo. She was very exuberant with Khubz--almost treating her like a toy. I heartily dislike Paola, even though I know that it is not her fault. So I was rude and followed her all over the house refusing to let her play with Khubz unless I was right there. I was shameless. Oh well.

Sounds in Monterrey

• Music. Not that there really are Mariachis on every corner. But there are TVs everywhere playing movies about Mariachis, reality shows with wanna-be Mariachis, tribute shows for famous-now-gone Mariachis. I mean it. Also on TV: Beyonce getting on it with Shakira.



• Church bells. All over. For real.



• Metal doors. The large gates in the courtyards and also the interior hollow metal doors. They squeek and heave in the humidity. They remind me of Ha'il.



• Fans. Ceiling fans, standing fans, fans built into the window. Glorious, blessed, life-saving fans.



• Horns. Drivers honk to let people walking in the street know a car is coming. There are also lots of beep-beeps from cars waiting outside to pick someone up. Then there are the honk-honks (or sometimes ring-ring of a bell) from vendors selling paletas, enormous cups of cut fruit, candy, lots of things.



• Great guffaws of laughter. These come from Tia Rosy, Grace and Scully. They are hilarious. I love that we're staying here and that they are so wonderful.

7/2/7

I am in the room that Grace and Tia Rosy share. This is the room we have been staying in. There's a large fan by the window catching occasional gusts of cool air from outside. This is like a parting gift from Monterrey itself.

There are two twin beds in here. One is buttressed up against a wall--perfect for me & Khubz so we only need to guard one side. Early on in our visit Scully had asked if we could move the mattresses on the floor so we could all three sleep together. This is Khubz' favorite sleeping composition. She loves to be the filling in a mommy sandwich. Tia Rosy's response? Claro que si. We've spent all our nights like this together. Very nice

This room also has a private bathroom with a shower. This is unspeakably luxurious. We have showered about 7 times a day as a way of cooling off from the 98 degree weather. Cooling off is essential to getting any sleep as well. The shower is a walk in, so we've just been taking turns showering while holding Khubz. There's a window to the outside waaay at the top. The frosted glass reminds me of arabia.

Despite the two knobs, the shower comes with one temperature setting: cold. There are slight variations. For example, if someone in the house flushes a toilet or rinses a spoon we get particularly cold water instead of just cold water. The five seconds of reliable warmth were provided by Khubz herself who, upon feeling the cold water or the particularly cold water, would pee all over herself and whichever mommy was holding her while showering.

The fact that Khubz has done this each and every single time we've showered makes me think long and hard about the baths that Khubz & I have taken together. I can no longer cling to my denial. I'm sure she peed on me. Every single time.