Cumpleaños inesperado

Sunday (yesterday) I by serendipity got in on a birthday celebration -- un compleaños inesperado. And it was a delightful experience!

First of all, the birthday person is a member of Mexican Christian Church, my Westside spiritual home. He is Robert Santana. He's been ill recently and therefore I was pleasantly surprised to see his car parked at the church when I arrived Sunday morning! Indeed, as soon as I opened the door I saw Robert. I gave him a bear hug and expressed my delight in seeing him again.

He's a dapper dresser, wearing dark pants, a brown-grey suitcoat, a light blue shirt and a necktie of basic lavender with small white and blue stripes. (The tie's blue stripes picked up the blue hue of the shirt, I might add that once, while he and I were browsing thru ties in the thrift store I saw the tie and commented that it would look great on him -- he probably was wearing the same shirt he was wearing yesterday.) And topping it all off was a grey hat of the type one would associate with Texas law enforcement officers. Indeed, more than once during the day someone would comment that Robert looked like a Texas highway patrolman or a county sheriff!

During church it was mentioned that Robert had celebrated his birthday on 20 March, while he was still ill, and that he is now a noble 80 years old. Later I overheard him speaking with other church members about going to dinner at Don Pedro's. This is the South side Mexican restaurant I had pointed out to Patrick and LaRae just the day before, as a place of good reputation. Since I was so happy to see Robert well and back at church and since I'd never eaten at Don Pedro's, I maneuvered an invitation to go with him (dutch-treat).

Eventually there were eleven in our party at Don Pedro's. These included Robert's children and grandchildren, as well as the church folk like myself. The food was worthy of the reputation. This gathering turned into a real party -- a belated birthday party for Robert Santana! Several cards, most with money gifts inside and/or with scripture references on them, and a few gifts for him enlivened the scene. I managed to whisper to our waitress the reason for the gathering. A little later, lo and behold! she came to the table with two waiters and un sombrero de charro. She set the hat on his head and the trio sang for his birthday celebration.

As a result of all this, I enjoyed a completely and unexpectedly delightful Sunday afternoon. I was in the midst of a small group of chicanos in a Mexican restaurant -- a favorite situation in which to be, given my delight en el idioma español, my taste for Tex-Mex food and my pleasure at being in the company of chicanos. And all this to help a man I esteem celebrate his 80th birthday. ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Roberto!