The Milonga Chronicles...Not Another

Sandra comes to get me.  I get into the taxi.  "I am so bad."  I tell her.  "El cretino me llamo".  Her eyes open wide. "Que dijo el?"  she asks me.  I start to giggle.  I answered my phone.  He said "Hola soy Felipe." Then I said in that horrible way I do like an old lady "¿QUIEN?"  Sandra starts to laugh too. I continue; "He said "Felipe"  I went "¿Quien?  ¿Quien quieres hablar? ¿Quien"  He hung up.  The two of us are cracking up.
"He probably wanted to know how my hair was, the idiot."  I say to her.  "He hasn't seen my hair for almost 6 months.  Comehombre probably told him I changed it.  Maybe I should take a picture so he can copy it."  By this time the two of are hysterical with laughter.  "He hasn't learned" she says, "no pudes preparar el mate sin yerba."

On Tuesday we have been checking out various milongas, Sandra and I.  Something to break up the routine. We have been to this milonga twice before.  The first time there was no one there, and that seems to be the situation tonight.  Before when we went there were at least 3 men to dance with.  When they left, so did we.

Tonight there is only Hector.  There are maybe 20 people here.  Good thing we did not have to pay the entrance.  The organizers are inviting Sandra and I now.  That is a good thing since the prices just keep going up.  The wait staff greets us as we walk to our table.

Hector dances with a few women.  Then he dances with only Sandra and I.  I tell him I heard he is going to the Chicago Tango Festival.  He is happy about this. Finally he gets to go to the U.S.  I tell him Ray Ray is a great guy.  Hector is happy to hear this too, he says he is staying with Ray.  "What am I supposed to do?"  I ask him.  "You are leaving me."  He laughs.  "Only for 3 weeks.  I will be back May 2."  "What am I suppose to do until then?" I demand.   "I am sure you will figure something out" he teases me.

As we dance I notice that we are being videotaped.  I am pissed.  I hate that.  I mention it to Hector.  He is not too thrilled either.  In an empty place like this, they should ask.  I tell Hector I do not like to be filmed. I told him how someone in Europe used a tape of me to teach adornos to women. 

Sandra and I sit.  And sit.  And sit.  We decide to eat instead.  I look to see who has come in the door.  It is this man I am dying to dance with.  He is with a blond who has seen too much Botox. Hay por todo.  They sit two tables behind us.

Our food comes.  We are eating and watching the dancers.  The man takes blondie to dance. His feet are beautiful.  She is clearly a student.  I watch him dance.  Every movement.  I always watch his feet. I want to dance with him.  He never looks at me.

I tell Sandra I want to dance with him. "Mira" she tells me. (Look) "Hago,  pero él nunca me invita."  I tell her. (I do but he never invites me) I am dying for those feet.  I watch them.  They are the feet of a cat.  His student goes to the bathroom.  He invites Fish Face to dance.  FISH FACE!  Of all people.  What is wrong with him?

After the tanda he sits down with his student.  I try looking at him again.  It is like looking at a blank wall.  He goes to dance with the woman he is with again.  I cannot stop looking at his feet.  "Muero para aquellos pies"  I sigh. 

We decide to leave. There is nothing going on here. We pay our bill and say our good byes.  Some good byes take longer than other.  Jose is outside waiting for us.  When we go out Dream Feet is smoking a cigarette.  Ugh.  He listens to Sandra and I talk to Jose.  Sandra is telling Jose what a disaster the milonga is.  There is no one to dance with, it is boring.   The most exciting thing was her pavita. (little sandwich)

Then Dream Feet chimes in.  He agrees it is slow.  He said he brought his student there to practice.  He wanted her to dance with other people.  Then he adds and I want to dance with others too.  I can't control myself. I look at him "¡No es verdadero!"  (That's not true) His head snaps around. "¿Como?" Sandra and Jose get that look on their face when they know I am going shock someone.

"I have been looking at you all night, and you just look the other way." I tell him.  His eyes open wide. I cannot believe I am saying this myself.  "You want to dance with me?" He asks. "Yes," I tell him. "But you never look at me."  He probably thinks I am another crazy foreign woman throwing herself at some milonga guy.

"Where do you go to dance?" he asks me.  "What days?"  I let Sandra give him the rundown.  I tell him that we cannot dance every day, we have to work.  He pulls out his wallet and gives me some free entrances to milongas.  "Meet me at any of these milongas and we will dance."  I thank him for the entradas.

"What is your name?" He asks me.  I tell him. "And yours?"  I ask him. "Roberto" he says to me. I die, on the spot.   "Dios mio, un otro Roberto." "I know who you used to dance with." He says to me. I can say nothing. I feel Sandra grabbing my arm and Jose moving towards his car. "No puedo creer, un otro Roberto."  I put the milonga entrances into my bag.