I had five days to prepare for Irene. If I did my part, I had confidence that she could do hers. And if she did her part, then the remainder of my stay here in Puerto Escondido stood a decent chance to sail smoothly. First thing First. I scored her a room in an unfinished house near La Punta. It was a modest sized room with built in wood cabinetry. Huge bathroom. Colored Concrete floors. Colored Concrete Walls and Ceiling. Mexican Colors. Neons and the like. There was still plastic on the mattress, which I thought was a good sign. No toilet seat, but that’s standard so I learned. Nice little half finished patio deck. Sweeping vistas from the unfinished rooftop. Basic little room in a quiet little area located in the Brisas Zicatela Colony.
I paid the nice lady $80 for the month. Probably overpaid, but I didn’t have the time to shop this thing around. I left a small bowl of coins near her bed with a note that said, Use Me To Pay for all your Taxi Cabs and Collectivos. Welcome to Puerto Escondido. See you tomorrow on the beach at 10am Sharp. I dated the note 12/31/12, even though it was still Friday, 12/28. Scratchy insisted he draw up a ‘You are Here’ map, with all the notable landmarks. All drawn to scale with a legend in the lower left corner. I gotta admit, The guy finds a way to come in handy.
That same day, I stopped by to see my friend David. He cuts hair at his Uncle’s Peluqueria. David is a nice young kid I have known for years. He threw in the towel on his construction career, and recreated himself as a barber. Smart play. Cutting hair is a nobel profession here. Oaxacans like their hair just right, and never appear in public with any sort of facial stubble either. I credit David for teaching me how to properly use the slang words Chingon, and Guey. He’s a great kid.
I actually know three Davids here. Two of them I can’t stand. It would make for a better story if I couldn’t stand all three. But I don’t. Haircut David I like. Although I don’t let him cut my hair. No fucking way! The Maestro cuts my air. Actually his son Jesus does.(Pronounced Hay Zeus) Unless of course I am going for the Combo Shave and a Haircut. That is when I turn to The Maestro. The Maestro’s name is Maestro. I often see him on the street in the lower sections of The Lazaro District. I usually just turn my palm up like the Pope might do, and yell “Maestro!” He typically just gives me the half nod.
Back to haircut David. I needed a favor, and I knew he had transportation. I offered David 500 pesos to drive his Nissan truck to Pochutla and shuttle Irene Burgstrom back to Puerto. He gave me that look like he wanted more money. I told him to suck an egg. He accepted my offer. I gave him the cash in advance. I told him to be at the station at noon. I also handed him a cardboard sign that read The Warden. I suggested he hold that up. I drew my own map for David showing him where her apartment room was located. From there, I had arranged Logio to step in and commission her welcoming committee.