Paper Planes
Three
“So, I don’t really have an extra room, well, I do, but it’s my office. So you can either stay in my bed with me, or sleep on the couch. Whatever’s good for you. Here’s the laundry room. You’ll probably be in here a lot,” he said. I looked at him. “Oh, you don’t speak English.”
“I speak English,” I said. I understood English perfectly. Mostly perfectly. I learned from books, and this is the book I did not like. The role of the housewife. “I do not wash clothes all day.”
“No, you can cook and clean and watch TV, too, I don’t care.”
I furrowed my brows. “No, I work.”
He looked even more confused than me. “Yeah. You work. You know how to use one of these? Add a cup of this, turn this to 60, pull it out, it fills with water. Once it’s done, you put the clothes in, and close the top. Understand?”
I nodded, a little upset. This won’t last for long, right?
“Dryer. Throw the clothes in, turn this to 60, press start.” I nodded again, and he led me across the hall to his room. “This is my room. Again, you can stay here if you want. That dresser is full, but if you move some stuff around you should have a few empty drawers. You probably don’t have much, though, huh?”
I shook my head. Mostly everything I have I left.
“Good. So you know how to use a vacuum?” he asked. I’d read up on American culture. You just plug it in to the plug hole. Outlet. Yes. I nodded.
“Do you have a clock?” I asked.
He looked at me oddly. “Yeah,” he said, like I was stupid. I felt like slapping him. I hate that look. He looked down at his wrist. “It’s 9:30. There’s a clock on the stove and the microwave in the kitchen. In the living room the time is on the cable box. There’s an alarm clock beside my bed.”
“Thank you,” I said, as kind as possible. Maybe that will make him be nicer to me. Maybe not give me that look. “And your beddings closet?” I asked.
“Like sheets? You gonna take the couch? They’re in the closet next to the door to the bathroom.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
I retrieved and extra set of sheets and a pillow. I laid one sheet down, used one as a cover, and placed the pillow down.
My suitcase was left sitting on the floor. I opened it and bit my lip. I didn’t have pajamas, so last night, Vera gave me a pair of shorts, that are very short, and a tank top. Is that appropriate? I hardly think so.
I reluctantly changed into the outfit and sat down on my couch. Or bed, I suppose.
I grabbed the remote. Dmetri had taught me to use the one at their house. This one can’t be much different, right?
It is rather rude to watch television right now, but I’m sure Tucker won’t notice with his music so loud.
I clicked it on and pressed the arrow until I found a news channel. All it talked about was half-naked women traipsing around through night clubs.
It’s not like we don’t have half-naked women and night clubs where I’m from. We do. We have televisions, also. My family has never been one to participate in such events, though.
We didn’t own a TV, nonetheless one with so many channels. And I’ve never owned a tank top before. Just pants and long-sleeved shirts. I almost like it better, but everything new seems better at first, right?
Or perhaps worse. I’m not too sure.
I clicked off the television and laid down. I could care less what Vanessa whatsername does with her time.
I sighed and tried to stop thinking until sleep overcame me.
“I speak English,” I said. I understood English perfectly. Mostly perfectly. I learned from books, and this is the book I did not like. The role of the housewife. “I do not wash clothes all day.”
“No, you can cook and clean and watch TV, too, I don’t care.”
I furrowed my brows. “No, I work.”
He looked even more confused than me. “Yeah. You work. You know how to use one of these? Add a cup of this, turn this to 60, pull it out, it fills with water. Once it’s done, you put the clothes in, and close the top. Understand?”
I nodded, a little upset. This won’t last for long, right?
“Dryer. Throw the clothes in, turn this to 60, press start.” I nodded again, and he led me across the hall to his room. “This is my room. Again, you can stay here if you want. That dresser is full, but if you move some stuff around you should have a few empty drawers. You probably don’t have much, though, huh?”
I shook my head. Mostly everything I have I left.
“Good. So you know how to use a vacuum?” he asked. I’d read up on American culture. You just plug it in to the plug hole. Outlet. Yes. I nodded.
“Do you have a clock?” I asked.
He looked at me oddly. “Yeah,” he said, like I was stupid. I felt like slapping him. I hate that look. He looked down at his wrist. “It’s 9:30. There’s a clock on the stove and the microwave in the kitchen. In the living room the time is on the cable box. There’s an alarm clock beside my bed.”
“Thank you,” I said, as kind as possible. Maybe that will make him be nicer to me. Maybe not give me that look. “And your beddings closet?” I asked.
“Like sheets? You gonna take the couch? They’re in the closet next to the door to the bathroom.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
I retrieved and extra set of sheets and a pillow. I laid one sheet down, used one as a cover, and placed the pillow down.
My suitcase was left sitting on the floor. I opened it and bit my lip. I didn’t have pajamas, so last night, Vera gave me a pair of shorts, that are very short, and a tank top. Is that appropriate? I hardly think so.
I reluctantly changed into the outfit and sat down on my couch. Or bed, I suppose.
I grabbed the remote. Dmetri had taught me to use the one at their house. This one can’t be much different, right?
It is rather rude to watch television right now, but I’m sure Tucker won’t notice with his music so loud.
I clicked it on and pressed the arrow until I found a news channel. All it talked about was half-naked women traipsing around through night clubs.
It’s not like we don’t have half-naked women and night clubs where I’m from. We do. We have televisions, also. My family has never been one to participate in such events, though.
We didn’t own a TV, nonetheless one with so many channels. And I’ve never owned a tank top before. Just pants and long-sleeved shirts. I almost like it better, but everything new seems better at first, right?
Or perhaps worse. I’m not too sure.
I clicked off the television and laid down. I could care less what Vanessa whatsername does with her time.
I sighed and tried to stop thinking until sleep overcame me.