Tales of Salvador

Salvador is our landlord. And he is quite the interesting one. I feel like twenty-somethings, or parents talking about their twenty-something's, always have their stories about this or that landlord - the crotchety one who badgered about rent payments, the motherly one who took care of each and every problem, the one who was so absent it was debatable if he existed at all... And so on. Well, Salvador will probably still be my landlord story in thirty years.

I've mentioned that he's a drunk, but I don't know to what extent I conveyed this little fact. I have never seen this man sober! I'm fortunate enough to have him as my alarm clock most mornings, when he wakes up between 5:30 and 7 and begins stomping around the garage (right below our apartment) fooling with his brother's car or his boat. Or walking up and down the stairs talking to his brother, who drinks just as often but somehow functions as the caretaker of the two. Or, his favorite pastime: singing. Most music in San Juan is of the radio pop variety, but Salvador is no regular guy. He serenades the entire building with romantic love songs, "Raindrops keep falling on my head," and the occasional Celine Dion song. Some in Spanish, some in English, it doesn't matter. He loves to sing. His voice isn't too bad, actually, but he makes himself hoarse from wailing at the top of his lungs so often!

I normally stay out of his way. I say hello, of course, and ask how hes doing, etc.. The normal courtesies, but we don't chitchat. The singing and early morning wake-ups don't put him on my best side unless I have a really good sense of humor that day. But this weekend, I think we took a step forward in our relationship. First, I need to say that Salvador, for all his craziness, is a very mild-mannered amiable guy. He wouldn't harm a fly, and he has two very sweet labs (nobody who plays frisbee with his dogs can be too bad). And his girlfriend, though I thought she was his maid at first, is super sweet and helpful. She has to see something in him! I digress. So anyway, this weekend, Salvador brought me food! Everybody knows how much I like food, and this was a pretty good way to win me over. But then, he gave me food AGAIN! After running errands this morning, I walked in and he offered me a cupful of steaming soup with fresh crab. Okay, Salvador, you win. I can't be annoyed with anyone who gives me fresh, yummy seafood.

Until he discovered Pacman. Oh yes, e found it on his computer, and the little "wee-ooo, wee-ooo, wee-ooo," "chugga chugga chomp chomp" blasted at full volume, accented with occasional outbursts from Salvador himself, flooded the building for hours.

He should bring me food more often.