the road to cop

Friday, 11 of December.

I sat with my arms wrapped around the back seat of a taxi cab, peering out at the clogged artery otherwise known as a new york city street on a friday night thinkin..ain't no way i'm gettin to this flight on time..

willie, el borinquen, had picked me up. on his way home, just after 5pm but said, 'mija, you looked too cold, i had to stop.' and i was thankful (and cold!). we cruised to John F Kennedy airport, talking about our favorite puerto rican restaurants - we agreed that La Fonda Boricua was tops. (Its on 106 between Lex and 3rd...in case you wanna try it). He told me he's lived in the city of New York since he was 8 years old, a native of El Bronx.

i took on willie's cool, and shook off my nerves at missing yet another flight. traffic all around us, and when he got an opening he didn't punch it, just cruised on through. for a minute i forget i'm on my way somewhere and that i'm late, but then he asks me where i'm going. and i answer - oh, yeah! copenhagen. 'a si?! y que hace un mexicanita como tu en ese lugar??' [oh yeah? what's a lil' mexican like you doing in that place?!]. and i sat back, and said the first words that came to my mind, 'To see if we're ready to save the planet.'