I usually ride in the morning, but late yesterday afternoon I unpacked Maggie (Magical Grey Girl, the "girls" bike Leslie gave me) from the car and set off down route 341. In a few minutes I began to pass the public housing project where I recalled Celina, son Carlos and her husband lived. Celina was among my first and best ESL students and I had a special warm relationship with her and Carlos, whom she had occasionally brought to class. As I passed the last street in the project I heard someone cry out “teacher!”. Glancing back, I saw several figures around a parked car, so braked hard and turned. In a moment I saw it was Celina and family. I rode back and exchanged hugs with the three. When asked when I had returned to the city, I said it was just the day before, and explained where I had spent the summer. Shyly, Celina lowered her head and looked up to say “I miss…I missing you.” My day was made!
Background note: Celina had a miscarriage two years ago so I was concerned to see she was pregnant again. I had met her husband only once or twice before, but he did not hesitate to give me a warm abrazo. A year or so ago Celina got swept up in the Seventh Day Adventists. When I got her a good housekeeping job two years ago, Celina’s class attendance suffered, but she would stop by my office every few weeks to ask my advice on rearing Carlos and other matters. I had her and Carlos on the boat and have some memorable photos of Carlos at the wheel.
I have often thought of Celina almost as a daughter. She would not be out of place, for another Mexican, forty year-old Candelario Pina, considers the financial assistance and emotional support I have given him to be worthy of a parent, and calls me “Daddy”.
A tear runs down my cheek as I write this.
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