The Paulas

            I know two my quarter’s girl friends whose name is Nuria. Both have a daughter with the same name, Paula. In a not too distant lapse of time I lived a special situation that inflames me of pride with each of them two, the two Paulas.

            On walking down along Evangelios Street, on passing by beside Nuestra Señora de la Soledad church, eldest of our quarter, I saw my girl friend Nuria and her daughter Paula were sitting on the low wall beside the church. Hello, I said to them on passing by. Skinny, come here! I was taken aback by the little girl’s self-confidence and smiled when I stopped and looked at them admired. Skinny, I told you to come here! said the little girl Paula imperiously. I went to them. Nuria was laughing and her daughter Paula, who would be eight years old, pointed out to me the spot where I should sit down with the palm of her hand. Here, sit down here, she was telling me. I sat down obediently and felt inwardly like I was a saint and the little girl knew. How are you, Paula? How are you, Nuria? I asked them still with a surprise countenance. Nuria smiled to me and said she was all right. The little girl observed me very attentively and willing to say something, but in realising it I was first in speaking and asked suddenly: What about you, big colleague? You are very skinny, she said then. We the skinnier have too good questions to put in, I said joyfully before her adequate opinion about my physical aspect. Well, let us hear what are the questions you will put in to me, said Paula, although seeing you with books always, I guess you want to know what subjects I like most and if I pass all the exams. Yes indeed, you have guessed right, that was what I was going to ask you. I knew it, said Paula. And also if you study English, I added after. She started to last year and for the time being is basic level, said to me her mother. What? Yes? said the little girl. Let us see if you know how it is casa in English, she said. I know how it is but I prefer listening how you say it. House, said Paula. And colours? Do you know the names of colours in English? I asked Paula. Yes, she replied. Let we see..., Amarillo is yellow...; Azul is blue...; Rojo is red...; Verde is green...; Marrón is brown... Blanco? I asked her to make her remembering it. I know, I know..., it is..., it is..., already, white. Yes, miss, I said. Negro? Of course I know..., it is..., it is...;  don’t, don’t, don’t say it to me, and it is in the tip of my tongue. A negro cat, I said. Now! A black cat! Yes, black! Well, little colleague, you have already learned much... And names of animals? Shall I ask you first? I shall put in the questions, I said. No, better I ask you first, because perhaps you don’t know them all, she said. Let us see, do ask me, I said. She moved her eyes as though searching for names and she chose at once: Ardilla. Yes, I know, but I prefer you to tell me. Well, then tell my mother in her ear and after I will say the word. My lips whispered in Nuria’s ear and told her. Let us see how it is, asked Nuria to her daughter Paula. Paula said squirrel. Well, yes, that’s the word he said in my ear. Well, skinny, you have passed the exam. I shall not ask you dog and bird; cat has already appeared. Let us see, how it is..., how it is...Pato? I will now tell my mother in her ear. Nuria moved forward and put her ear to Paula’s lips. I did know the word, in fact it wasn’t the first time someone has asked me, but I doubted for a moment and thought it wouldn’t come to my head right away. Paula was staring at me waiting. Then I remembered at the same time the little girl did and we both said duck at the same time. Well, I nearly catch you up. Because it reached your head at the last moment, but you were very near. It’s all right, I said laughing. So you wanted to catch me up... Let us see how it is Conejo. Yes, I know, Paula said and kept silence as if feigning. How? I asked her again with no intention of catching her up and thinking it had happened to her same to me. For sure you have heard the word many times. Conej, she said finally venturing a response. No, little colleague, you have forgotten, I said to Paula. You have invented the word. Come on, remember. I do tell you sure conej is not; of course not, what a fun, no conej, big colleague. No, Paula, Nuria said, I do know too the word for Conejo in English and it is not conej, try to remember. I say it is conej, insisted Paula. How funny, big colleague inventor of words; you have left the word conejo without and o at its end just well for the good. The word is rabbit, Nuria said. Yes, Paula, it is rabbit, written with two b.

            My friend Juan Carlos lived in Villaverde, area in Madrid’s south, rather badly built and abandoned, peopled with popular classes, and we know too with many people poor. Juan Carlos’ basement restored as a flat supposed to him 90 % of his salary for the mortgage, for the bank had conceded to him a loan to buy the basement in spite of circumstances. Of course, it dealt of selling money. Well then, Juan Carlos brother José and his wife Nuria with her daughter Paula spent a time at Juan Carlos place in Villaverde, and José and Nuria used to take the little child Paula to a kindergarten there in Villaverde. I used to go there with another Juan Carlos; they both were friends since childhood, above all at nights and on weekends. When José, Nuria and Paula moved to Juan Carlos place, we couldn’t be going so often at nights and weekends were not so long in Villaverde because, as it is logical, the situation was not the same. Sometimes my two friends Juan Carlos appointed at Villaverde’s place when they had the day free. In those occasions we went to see Juan Carlos and his brother José and we were with them for a time. Coincidentally one time we had appointed Juan Carlos wasn’t there. His brother José told us he had to go to Alcalá de Henares to both their sister’s place. Nuria hadn’t come yet from work, cook in a community dining room. José told us he had to go to pick up Paula at the kindergarten. Juan Carlos and I told him we would go with him along. We strolled towards the kindergarten. Paula played with other children although it was time their parents should pick them up. An assistant seated Paula in the pram and we started our way back home. Just on coming out in the street from the kindergarten Paula had stretched her hand towards mine for me to take her that way. She looked at me and laughed merrily. Juan Carlos and José were speaking and Paula and me grasped by the hands. We had to cross out a wide road and I thought Paula could want to release of my hand. I loose up my pressure on her little hand in the case it was so. She even realised my attempt; with a look of disapproval she pressed harder and I adapted myself to go by her side grasped by the hands. How beautiful this girl will be, I said. Well, if you don’t want to loosen up, either do I, for you to see that I am going enchanted this way. And she didn’t loose up until we got to the basement stairs. During our walk she pressed my hands with her little fingers while she laughed.