1980, Talavera de la Reina
I'm teaching English privately in my apartment on the Calle del Prado. One group is made up of two advanced students who work together at the Colgate company, just outside Talavera. They are always punctual, and always very well dressed, complete with shirt and tie. They even use 'usted' with me, even although we're around the same age.
The handsome one with the dark curly hair announces, "Guess what I'm going to purchase?"
Nobody replies.
"A video cassette recorder." He beams. His face literally lights up as he awaits admiration from his colleague and me.
"That must cost a fortune! A video cassette recorder?!" His colleague is stunned.
"Yes, it is VERY expensive. It's the latest craze." He can't stop grinning from ear to ear.
"What are you going to do with this v.c.r.?"
"I don't know. Look at films?"
"How does it work?" The colleague looks up at me as if I should know. "I think you connect it to your television?"
We sit in silence.
I am technically inept. I don't even know how to read instructions, so I change the subject.
"How are your families?" Families are a safe conversational topic.
"My wife is SO jealous. She really is jealous." That's the colleague talking.
"Why is she jealous?" V.C.R. Man can hardly get the words out, his face is still smug and grinning, thinking of his new machine.
"She won't let me go to London! And I should go. Shouldn't I? I mean, how am I to perfect my English?"
V.C.R. Man grins salaciously. "You want to go to London without your wife? To learn English?"
"Just for a week or two, that's all."
They shrug their shoulders in unison. Agreement has been met. The wife is indeed jealous, and should let her husband go to London.
"Couldn't you take your wife with you?" What a silly question I ask!
The two men frown at me.
"She's happier taking care of the house and our children. Anyway, London isn't a place to take your wife!"
"Why not?"
"There's Soho. Places like that. Definitely not somewhere I'd want my wife to be. Absolutely not." He slaps his hand on the table.
Time to change the topic of conversation once more.
"How is work?" That should keep them speaking English for a while.
"Do you know María del Pilar?" V.C.R. man asks his colleague.
"Of course. She's pregnant. Everyone knows about her."
I look enquiringly at both of them. There must be some other part to this story about María del Pilar.
"She's not married!" They both splutter at the same time. They gesticulate with their hands as if wiping the floor with María del Pilar.
"You disapprove?"
"Absolutely!" V.C.R. man has no doubts at all about his disapproval. "She's not married!" He loosens his tie.
"Then," says I, "do you disapprove of the man who got her pregnant?"
"What?! Why would we disapprove of him? "