Terlingua Dreams

Terlingua Dreams
Governors Landing Campground - Lake Amistad - Del Rio, Texas

Sunday, August 6, 2017

The return of Mata Gatos

For those new to my blog or to my readers that have been with me for a while but had not heard me mention Mata Gatos (Spanish for Cat Killer) in a while...he used to be mother's handyman, a sort of jack of all trades and master of none.

His regular job is being a school bus driver but during the summer and Christmas vacations, he would come to mother's to try to do side jobs. That would not be bad if he was at least average at fixing things but that has never been the case.

Even mowing the lawn proved difficult for this man.  He would do the front yard leave and not come back for weeks to do the back yard. I finally got so sick and tired of him, I decided to keep up with the yard myself. The last time I saw him he showed up wanting to mow the yard but thankfully I had Walter and Dulcinea (the neighbors horses) grazing and Pedrito (my little stray) barking at him, so I sent him on his merry way. The header picture for my other blog, Walter's World was taken the last time he came.

Fast forward to Thursday afternoon when I heard a lot of racket coming from the front yard.  I looked out the window and he was cutting the front yard using his weedeater.  I only go into town once or twice a week so to deter salespeople I use a heavy chain and lock on the main gate.  Would you believe he brought a ladder to climb into the property...he has some gall!

This man did not call to tell us he was coming, he just showed up unannounced to mow a weed infested yard that no one hired him to do. I was livid, even my calm, cool, and collect mother was visibly upset.  I needed to go into town to run an errand but I was so upset and afraid of the demons that would be coming out of my mouth if I had a conversation with him that I decided to pretend that we were not home.

Funny that he would show up at the beginning of the month when he knows my mother receives her Social Security check. He even brought his wife along to help him as his kids like many Del Rioans, myself included, got the heck out of Dodge as soon as they graduated from High School.

He has yet to call to inform mother how much she owes him for a job she did not request. We will eventually pay him but he is going to have to wait because I seriously doubt this was Pro Bono.

Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

2 comments:

  1. Pay Mr. Gators with a 1 lb. bag of pinto beans and I guarantee he won't be back.

    ReplyDelete

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