Both Worlds
April 30, 2003 | 12:00AM ETNews & Politics
It was a sunny afternoon in Cancun. Dressed in sunglasses, a swimsuit and a smile of repose, Ed reclined in the lawn chair. Lying in the next lawn chair was his fiancée, Jenny. It was good to be off work, but try as they might, neither of them could completely get their minds off the job. Somewhere in the back of their minds, Ed and Jenny were still computing meaningless numbers, sealing business deals, and generally anticipating ways to get promotions and raises.
"Just try to relax," Jenny said soothingly, both to her fiancé and herself. They both breathed in a sigh of rest and somewhat forced contentment.
"Hell, you and Cancun, What could be better?" Ed said with a light smile. They kissed lightly. There was a loving silence. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a soft whimpering Spanish voice. The couple looked up simultaneously.
It was a small Mexican boy carrying a shoddy bowl, ostensibly for money. His clothes were unkempt and raggedy, and his belly protruded very visibly. He spoke softly in Spanish to the couple, and extended the bowl.
"Jesus Christ," sighed Ed, rolling his eyes slightly. "No money," he said loudly and slowly. The boy didn�t flinch. Ed repeated his assertion, to no avail. Jenny was slowly inching away from the boy, her eyes darting back and forward urgently, looking for someone who could help them eliminate the potential problem.
With multiple senses of annoyance, discomfort and bewilderment, Ed and Jenny tried to shoo the boy away. The boy, however, remained stationary. Intermittently, he would try to communicate his message to the American couple. The message, as simple as it was to him, was increasingly complicated to the couple.
Ed�s frustration gradually turned to anger. "Goddammit, I just came here to relax, not to be pestered by the fucking locals! I swear to God, this is such bullshit! We spent good money on this resort, I don�t recall reading about Mexican beggars in the brochure," His outburst was not directed at the child, or his fiancé. It was a simple release of disturbance and anger.
The child, seeing and hearing the anger in Ed�s face and voice, darted off. His tear-filled voice trailed off into the distance as he ran, until it eventually died out. The sun was setting. The boy not so silently retreated into his adjacent village, his mission unfulfilled.
Jenny shook her head in disgust. "Why they build the resorts so close to the villages is beyond me." She looked off in the distance, the direction in which the boy ran. Jenny vaguely made out the image of a few villagers, standing silently, observing the resort patrons. She quickly turned her head away, before they could make eye contact. The last thing they needed was another beggar.
The couple tried to avoid excessive thought regarding the situation that had just occurred. All thoughts of poverty, malnourishment, begging, children, villages or Mexico gradually melted away.
After a silence, Ed and Jenny exchanged glances. They clicked their wineglasses together as the setting sun shimmered over the warm sea.
It was a sunny afternoon in Cancun. Dressed in sunglasses, a swimsuit and a smile of repose, Ed reclined in the lawn chair. Lying in the next lawn chair was his fiancée, Jenny. It was good to be off work, but try as they might, neither of them could completely get their minds off the job. Somewhere in the back of their minds, Ed and Jenny were still computing meaningless numbers, sealing business deals, and generally anticipating ways to get promotions and raises.
"Just try to relax," Jenny said soothingly, both to her fiancé and herself. They both breathed in a sigh of rest and somewhat forced contentment.
"Hell, you and Cancun, What could be better?" Ed said with a light smile. They kissed lightly. There was a loving silence. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a soft whimpering Spanish voice. The couple looked up simultaneously.
It was a small Mexican boy carrying a shoddy bowl, ostensibly for money. His clothes were unkempt and raggedy, and his belly protruded very visibly. He spoke softly in Spanish to the couple, and extended the bowl.
"Jesus Christ," sighed Ed, rolling his eyes slightly. "No money," he said loudly and slowly. The boy didn�t flinch. Ed repeated his assertion, to no avail. Jenny was slowly inching away from the boy, her eyes darting back and forward urgently, looking for someone who could help them eliminate the potential problem.
With multiple senses of annoyance, discomfort and bewilderment, Ed and Jenny tried to shoo the boy away. The boy, however, remained stationary. Intermittently, he would try to communicate his message to the American couple. The message, as simple as it was to him, was increasingly complicated to the couple.
Ed�s frustration gradually turned to anger. "Goddammit, I just came here to relax, not to be pestered by the fucking locals! I swear to God, this is such bullshit! We spent good money on this resort, I don�t recall reading about Mexican beggars in the brochure," His outburst was not directed at the child, or his fiancé. It was a simple release of disturbance and anger.
The child, seeing and hearing the anger in Ed�s face and voice, darted off. His tear-filled voice trailed off into the distance as he ran, until it eventually died out. The sun was setting. The boy not so silently retreated into his adjacent village, his mission unfulfilled.
Jenny shook her head in disgust. "Why they build the resorts so close to the villages is beyond me." She looked off in the distance, the direction in which the boy ran. Jenny vaguely made out the image of a few villagers, standing silently, observing the resort patrons. She quickly turned her head away, before they could make eye contact. The last thing they needed was another beggar.
The couple tried to avoid excessive thought regarding the situation that had just occurred. All thoughts of poverty, malnourishment, begging, children, villages or Mexico gradually melted away.
After a silence, Ed and Jenny exchanged glances. They clicked their wineglasses together as the setting sun shimmered over the warm sea.
