Wrong Channel
By Roberto Fernandez
Barbarita waited impatiently for her ride as beads of sweat dripped from her eyebrows into her third cup of cold syrupy espresso. She was headed for the toilet when she heard the knocking sounds of Mima’s old Impala. “About time you got here,” yelled Barbarita from the Florida room.
“It wouldn’t start this morning.”
Barbarita got in, tilted the rearview mirror, and applied enough rouge to her face for a healthier look. She wanted to make a good impression on the doctor who would approve her medical records for her green card. On the way to Jackson Memorial, Mima talked about her grandchildrem.
Barbarita knocked down all the Bibles and Reader’s Digests on the table when the nurse called her name.
“Sorry, ma’am, but you can’t come in,” the nurse said to Mima.
“I’m her interpreter,” replied the polyglot.
“No bueno,” said the doctor grimly as he walked in with Barbarita’s X-rays. He told Mima, “Ask her if she had TB.” *note, TB is short for tuberculosis
Mima turned to Barbarita. “He says, if you have a television?”
“Tell him yes, but in Havana. Not in Miami. But my daughter has a television here.”
Mima told the doctor, “She says she had TV in Cuba, not in Miami, but her daughter has TV here.”
“In that case we need to test her daughter for TB too.”
Mima translated, “He says he needs to test your daughter’s television to make sure it works, otherwise you cannot get your green card.”
“Why the television?” asked a puzzled Barbarita.
“How many times did I tell you you need to buy one? Don’t you know, Barbarita? This is America.”
we looked at this article (or story) in english class. dont u think its funny?? hahaha...well, if u dont noe wat tuberculosis is, its a contagious disease in the lungs. its wat vivian leigh died of. :'( sad. vivian leigh's pretty.
2 comments:
hmmm....I think pretty much anyone who is reading your blog would know what tuberculosis is. I mean its really commonly used in stories and its one of the most well known diseases. Next to cancer of course.
i didnt noe wat tuberculosis was until grade...5 or 6. lets just pretend that ppl who read my blogs are stupid (even though i only know of 4 who read it, and they're not stupid)
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