Thursday, June 18, 2009

Paige del Mundo

On Friday morning, I was up with the alarm and I am running through the streets of Sevilla a bit earlier than usual. I was heading to the beach for a final weekend with Eline, and the goal was to be on a 1PM bus, freshly showered and caffeinated and having said goodbye to Saber...for the weekend.

When my morning routine was over I met Saber at the shop to get directions to the bus station. I think he did not really think I was going, as when I walked into his shop with my weekender tote, he looked a bit puzzled and he said, "You're leaving me? Will you miss me a little?" He wanted to have coffee at Jonata's before I made my way to the station, so he had Antonio (neighboring shop owner) watch his store while he joined me at the cafe.

I sat down at our usual table and Saber went in to get our twin cafe con leche. While I was waiting a tourist stopped and asked for directions and when I spoke with an American accent he asked where I was from. "New York" I told him. He was from Oklahoma.

As they walked away, Saber was standing there with our coffees and was shaking his head at me.
"YOU are NOT from New York," he said. "Why do you tell people that?"

"Well, where do you think I am from?", I ask. "I grew up in Georgia, I spent time in Florida, I lived in Atlanta and have been in NYC for the past 7 years."

He got that "Saber look" and he said, "When people ask you where you are from, you tell them you are from the world. People like you are not from New York. You are Paige, Paige of the world. Its much better, don't you think?"

Why yes, Saber. I absolutely do.

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