My circumstances are strange. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would end up in Loreto Mexico living in a small casa, playing guitar and drinking shots of Tequila with beer. I am from a small town in Pennsylvania. I had never left the state until the age of twenty and you could say that I have had a naive view of the world.
All that changed when I met Manuel. I was an insurance agent at a conference - my first time out of state! One evening after a rather boring presentation on family insurance, I went to the dining room of my hotel and sat down to order dinner. I looked up from the menu and saw this starched and pressed waiter with curly black hair and dark eyes smiling at me and waiting to take my order. He was immensely charming and asked me to have a drink with him when he got off work that evening. Now remember I was naïve and of course I agreed. We met later that evening and drank and talked about our lives. Manuel was from Loreto, Mexico and came to the states to work to help out his family. Now we really had no romantic connection that I could pick up on. He was handsome and all but I was no slouch myself. It was possible we had a little spark!
Manuel began to tell me about his town and the wonderful food and music. He told me that I was stunning and should be on stage and I of course was flattered. I began to toy with the idea of a new career - the insurance world did not suit me whatsoever . I would make a great actress and Manuel told me of this fantastic acting school run by his cousin in Mexico. All I had to do was give him a deposit which he would send on to his cousin and before I was to leave send the rest of the tuition and my spot for school would be saved. I was very excited about this new prospect. I gave Manuel a check that night, called my parents and told them I was leaving for Loreto at the end of the month. I began to get all my things in order so I could start my new carrier as a fledgling actress.
I got to Mexico without a hitch and Juan (Manuel’s cousin) met me at the airport and drove me to the school. I know - there actually was an acting academy! The school was a rundown elementary school. Even the desks were small and though I am rather tall, I would make do. This was just the first problem. All my teachers spoke Spanish and all the students were American women as vain as I was. They had all been lured by the false flattering Manuel who also promised to get us jobs in the telenovelas!
I didn’t even bring much money, I spent most of it for this school where I could not even speak the language and I was surrounded by this cluster of semi attractive women in the same misfortunate situation! I was ready to make the best of it; I began Spanish lessons so I could learn from my teachers. After several months Manuel returned and walked into the Cantina where I worked as a waitress. He started setting up for the evening entertainment. He was a singer in a Mariachi band called “Fresco Diablo” and he was the singer. That night I fell in love with Manuel and his gypsy ways.
Once in awhile we would run into one of the many women that Manuel had swindled, they would scowl, spit or even slap Manuel in the face, it was a common occurrence. I decided to give up acting and learn guitar. Manuel said when I improved I could join the band! So here I am in a romance with a dishonest man, drinking too much and living in this heavy hot place as if in a dream. Asleep in Mexico.
