Lecciones de lengua

She is proud of her papá because he comes to their little grey school, converted from army barracks, to teach español to Mrs. Brenda’s fifth grade. And that means they don’t have to listen to that awful Señora Beister on TV with her screech owl version of “Las mañanitas” and her annoying forefinger to the ear, Escuchen and then to the lips, y repitan. He teaches them to order Coca-Cola en el restaurán– Señor, quisiera una Coca, por favor– and the names of all the utensils– cuchara, cuchillo, tenedor. The children look at him funny when he picks up the knife. Next week he will demonstrate the bullfights he watched in Mexico when he was muy chiquitito. He will choose a boy to snort, stomp, charge the red cloth that Papá will snap at his side as he dodges the sharp-horned strike, stabs invisible swords into the boy’s hide and makes the children laugh.