The day before yesterday I helped out an acquaintance of mine by serving as a translator. This is the acquaintance for whom I make the technical bids — he also has another company dealing with apartment renovations. One of his latest clients doesn’t speak Hungarian, so he asked me to visit her together with the engineer who would be taking the measurements. So I did.
The client is a woman from the Philippines, an artist by the name of Aida. She said that in the first stage she wants to renovate the bathroom and to cover the small hallway leading to it with mirrors. We talked about the bathtub, shower, tiles on the walls and floor, and when we got to the sink, she said she wanted it elevated, along with a cabinet with drawers high enough so that her husband doesn’t have to bend over. ‘You know, he is short, fat and old – 84 years old’, she said.
I could hardly keep a straight face. I translated her words to the engineer: ‘Write it down, please: high cabinet with drawers – short, fat, old husband cannot bend.’
I had just finished the translation – luckily – when the husband appeared. He was exactly as his wife had described him, so vividly… The engineer, happy to finally be able to speak in Hungarian, began explaining the future design of the bathroom. Aida interrupted, saying: ‘Honey, I told them I need a high cabinet with drawers – you know I can hardly bend…’ I was fighting hard not to burst into laughter. She was tall, slender, and moved like a feline.
Suddenly I heard a ‘meow’. I stepped out of the small hallway and saw a beautiful Bengal cat sitting on the stair rail. I stroked her head and she let out a long, drawn-out meooow. It sounded like a critique – she had certainly heard her mistress complaining that she couldn’t bend. Aida told me that the feline’s name was Picatso.
Infinite laughs.
After we had all agreed on the next steps, I said goodbye to Aida and Picatso. Outside, I could finally burst into laughter.