Francisco=)

Alright, this man deserves his own entry on here because he is that incredible. Have you seen Kindergarten Cop? I haven’t personally, but I hear that we have our real life version of that movie right here at Mayatan. Francisco is probably the closest thing to a mix between Rocky and a Latin American drug lord that you can find. He was the science teacher who when I expressed my worries about being in a first grade class said, “I’ll teach first grade.”

To begin with, he’s from La Ceiba, Honduras, so English is his second language, but it makes it all that much funnier. I wish that you could all meet him. He’s always got his shirt partially buttoned up, he smokes, and never plans anything for class. Right now him and Judie (his wife) are staying with Emory and Linda while they are still trying to find housing around here. And as Tyler reminded me to put in here, Francisco is probably at least in his late fourties.

His response to how class is going is this, “Oh it’s no problem man, ya know, ya just gotta keep ‘em busy man.” Tyler walks past his class the other day and he’s teaching the first graders counting from 1-5. He’s holding a little girls hand in the front of the class with four other kids and the kids are repeating “one”, “two”, etc. As Tyler walks by Francisco looks over and gives him a little wink.

During our infamous drizzle-cane we were walking for a little while down a big hill in town that is cobblestone (like all the streets here that aren’t dirt) and his thought is, “oh man, these streets would be awesome if you were drunk man. You know what I’m sayin’?”

That same day with the rainstorm we were talking and I was asking Francisco what we’ll do if the kinds from Santa Rita can’t make it home. His first response, without hesitation, “They can stay at Emory’s! Hotel Emory man.”

We were hanging out with him and Judie when he said, “I’ll have to cook ya guys breakfast some time. I cook a good breakfast.” Judie immediately responds, “What have you ever cooked?!” His totally cool and non-defensive response is, “Oh you know, I cook toast…eggs…all sorts of good stuff. I’m real good.”

And the last and perhaps my favorite story of all. Somebody the other day was asking if there is anybody at school we can ask, “what is going on right now?” And they would be able to tell you exactly what is happening. It seems like nobody ever knows what is really going on. Francisco’s response, “You show up at 7, teach, and leave at 2, that’s what’s going on.”

I wish that you could all meet him. If he leaves Mayatan for some reason then nothing will ever be as funny the rest of the year. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t get a laugh out of something he does or says.