"Centro Queretaro - a beautiful place with swirling pebbled roads, a myriad of destinations, captivating age-old buildings and brimming with history. Walking down the roads, one sees the old buildings with huge doors - so huge that they remind of the by-gone days of chariots and horses.
"Couples walking, couples kissing making merry. A kid hops holdng the hands of his parents. Music lofts by from every bistro. Neon lights shine on the Victorian stands. The bell rings from the Cathedral. The church may be empty, but the bell boys do their duty. Taxis with their red signals creep by to pick tourists and the fellow citizens.
"The weather is cold, harsh and windy. The centro is still, not like Christmas anymore. The stalls are gone, the Christmas tree is already packed. The pinyatas still hang high waiting to be broken. It is ten at night. The mercury dips further down.
"I am sitting on a bench in the artistic park at Plaza Indepencia. The bistro guy asks me to come in. I say no. Gracias. I light one more cigarrette, look around. Some native Indians are sleeping on the streets. It is really cold - pinche frio. Not much different from India. I guess homeless people share eveything in coomon around the world.
"My thought is distracted by a beautifu girl. She is sitting alone in front of me. Nice features, I say. She is wearing a tight blue jeans and a black coat. Her hair is untied, long and I guess smooth. She is smoking. Okay - I say. I am leaing tomorrow. Whats the big deal. Lets talk. Anyways it is pinche frio....
"I get up and slowly walk towards her. The music grows loder ... "Its going to be a good night, its going to be a good good night ..." Wow - Is it really ? I ask myself. I am tired of dating, work and life. Already had a couple of drinks at the Irish Whitglow. I felt good. I am getting closer to her. She looks at me.
"Hey do you speak English?"I ask.
She smiles and says " A little"
"Its good to talk to a woman in signs. It reduces lots of problems. Funny huh ! Sometime I feel language can be a misery for communication.
"Well Buenes Noches Senorita ! I know pokito espanol. I am a tourist. I am leaving tomorrow." I stop and check whether she understood. She says yes. Good.
"I am alone and if you are not busy, can we have dinner maybe? Or some drinks."
She didnt understand anything. My bad ! She thinks I am drunk may be. Who cares. One more try. I am bad in Spanish. I should have learnt.
So few girls speak English in Mexico - And unfortunately the lonely ones dont !!!
"With my fingers I try to make signs for eating, walking and drinking ....
"Where are you from, I ask
"Morellia.
"Whats your name ? nombre ..
"Lupita. Your name ?"
"Alfredo." I had to say some name she can pronounce.
"Hola Alfredo." She is happy. At least she can say my name.
We sit there for sometime. This is a bad choice, I think. Never mind. The clock is still ticking.
"Today - My birthday." she says.
I am surprised. "Oh! Great ! Happy birthday. "
She says Gracias. May be she wanted to say more. - pinche English. But that a global language. Every one should be able to speak English. Hell English. I light another cigarette.
I wait for sometime and say -"Lupita - Lets go for a drink - drink Corona Indio ..." She gets the point. We start towards Cinqo de Mayo - the pub street.
"I really didnt care to know her. Her situation was the same as mine. There were couples hugging around. Lupita looked at me and then straight ahead. We were walking close. I held her palms - They were really cold. She smiled.
"She wouldnt be more than twenty three. She couldnt be. Her face still had the shine and joy of life.
