OUR NEW SIDEWALK

Over a week ago, several backhoes and other digging machinery came into our front yard and began feverishly digging and leveling and putting stakes in the ground where our new sidewalk and gutter are going to be.

Today, after more than a week of silence, "they" started working on our sidewalk. Actually, "he" started working on our sidewalk. A lone man, who doesn't speak English, is outside using string and a level and some stakes to, I assume, lay out our sidewalk. It looked like he really needed an extra set of hands to accomplish what he was trying to do.

I asked him if he had any help, since he seemed to be struggling with the job. He said, "Que?"

I said, "Do you need some help? Do you want me to hold that?" He said, "No speek English."

So, the two-handed Mexican, who needs four hands to get the job done, is outside, balancing one end of the level on his leg, the other on the stake, all while he tries to hammer the stake into the ground. It looks like he's going to use about 10 - 12 stakes, so it will be a long, arduous job.

If only I spoke Spanish.