Estufa

My parents, brother, sister, and I all used to be avid scuba divers. It was a family activity that we all enjoyed. During the 80’s and early 90’s we spent A LOT of time in Cozumel, Mexico for the sole purpose of diving the reefs such as Palancar. We spent so much time down there that my parents bought a vacation home on the island.

This was way back before Cozumel became the mega cruise ship port that it is today. The island was rustic and knowing a little bit of Spanish was essential for getting around. I took two years of Spanish in high school however I learned most of my applicable Spanish in Cozumel. I even spoke with a Yucatán accent much to the amusement of the locals and the chagrin of my teachers. Imagine someone from Japan learning English with a Southern accent. That’s how odd a redheaded, American girl with a Yucatán accent seemed to the natives of Cozumel.

The summer after my freshman year in college, my mom and I went down to Cozumel for a couple of weeks of diving and maintenance on the house. Earlier in the year, my parents had discovered a new dive operation so this trip was my first time diving with the new dive masters, crew, boats, etc…

After a dive one day, I floated on the surface waiting for my turn to get back on the dive boat. I took off my gear, relaxed, and listened to the chatter between the dive master floating along side of me and the deck crew hoisting the other divers’ gear onto the boat. Suddenly, my ears perked up and I asked the dive master,

Did he just call me a stove? (Indicating one of the crew members)

The dive master blanched.

You speak Spanish?

Yea, enough. But I don’t understand why he called me estufa.

The deck crew got very quiet. The diver master swallowed hard and asked,

Well, what does a stove do?

It cooks. It gets hot.

Sí! Exactly!

Okaaaay, now I understand.

Flattered, I smiled and the dive master relaxed. Then he hurled an onslaught of insults at the deck crew. When I got on the boat, I receive hundreds of apologies and so on for the two weeks after that.

****

A couple of weeks ago I got intensely hot. My face felt like I had been sitting too close to a roaring fire. I couldn’t cool off even though the thermostat in the office read 74°. I texted my husband,

I think I’m having an honest to goodness HOT FLASH!

He replied,

Well, you are my little estufa.

I love that man.