Too Much Information Eddie

So in my down time, which there’s been a fair amount of lately as I’ve only been working about ten hours a week, I’ve been going up to the pool on the roof of the apartment building and doing some reading and swimming. I pull a chair next to the pool, relax and read mostly, I feel like I’m back at Wood’s Edge condominiums where I “life-guarded” for two summers. Essentially I was paid to read and swim. Best job ever. But I digress…A few times when I went up to the pool this guy Eduardo was up there. He’s twenty three as well and has recently moved to Santiago, working as a nurse. He’s been quite friendly and had lived in the states for a couple of years so we’ve had some things to talk about. There was something that didn’t sit really well with me with him, he was always kind of jumpy, fidgety and nervous when we were talking, but I couldn’t place exactly what I didn’t like about him, I just didn’t feel at ease around him because he wasn’t at ease.

This being said, yesterday I was up at the pool reading “Oliver Twist” when Eduardo comes up there and we get to talking about the book, Boston and working out. I didn’t have anything to do today (Tuesday) until 3:00 so when he invited me to hang out and drink a couple of beers last night I figured there was no reason not to. I didn’t really want to hang out with kid, but I didn’t want to burn any potential bridges so I said “sure, why not?” Something struck me funny, though, when I asked him how his girl-situation is here in Santiago and he tells me, “Oh, I’m not really interested in going out and finding a girlfriend right now, I want to focus on my work.” (In so many words, his English is quite broken) I look at him side-ways somewhat incredulously and hesitatingly say “OK”. What single 23 year-old guy is not looking to go out and hang out with girls…I could tell Eduardo and I probably weren’t going to become the best of friends.

He was supposed to come to my apartment at 9 to hang out for a bit, but 10:30 rolls around and he still hasn’t shown. Feeling somewhat relieved that I didn’t have to hang out with kid I was about to go to bed when the apartment phone rings and it’s him on the other end. “Disculpame, estuve al gimnascio hasta las diez”, (excuse me I was at the gym until ten). “No problema” I said, but my roommate was home and in bed so we’d have to hang out in his place. We go to the store and split a six-pack between the two of us and take it back to his apartment. Eduardo was super-fidgety and nervous; he had an air of desperation about him that I found quite unappealing. He was talking in whispers and couldn’t sit still. He was half-way through his first beer and tells me in broken English, “wow, I already feel drunk”. I say, Eduardo, in the States we’d call you a ‘one-beer-queer’”. Turns out this play on words couldn’t have been more appropriate for the situation. He didn’t know what “queer” meant and I tell him literally is means “strange”, but is another term for someone who is gay. He smiles, nervously and awkwardly, though I don’t think much of it.

The evening progresses and we discuss politics, national pride, Santiago, business and a few other topics. I’ve just polished off my third and final can of Escudo, Eddie’s just downed his second beer and he’s clearly buzzing pretty hard. “Es ard fur me heer in Santiago”, he laments. “I no hab mani frennz”. I tell him I don’t either, but it’s nothing to whine about, you have to go out and meet people. I excuse myself for a brief moment to use the restroom, and when I come out he’s lying on his bed, somewhat coyly, which really makes feel reaally uneasy. He comes back into the living room and says, “Daniel, ken ay trahst en youu?” I tell him “I don’t really know, Eduardo, I’ve known you for about two hours.”
“Well I’b gonna say you this ennywayz…I’m gay, my grantfader rap-ed mee whend I was twelb.”

Talk about TMI! Good lord, man! I’m not one to keep my cards tight to my vest, as people who are close to me can attest, I often wear my heart on my sleeve, but there are just some things you don’t share with a guy you’ve been friendly with for two hours. He then apologizes and tells me that he only wants to be friends with me, but his peculiar actions definitely suggested other-wise. He asks if we can still be friends, now. Man, I didn’t want to be friends with him from the start, now that this air of desperation he conveyed was substantiated, I really didn’t want to be friends with the guy. It would be one thing to tell me he’s gay, cool, whatever, Emily would be excited I’d made a gay friend, but to be acting coyly and telling me about being raped when you were twelve, really crosses the line for things to tell a person who is essentially a stranger. It’s not like he’s even a really cool or funny gay guy, he’s just creepy and gay…I bid him ado and said I hope we see each-other around. “I hoap wee can steel be frennz.”
“Yea, no problem, take care.” My heart goes out to the kid, but truly, I have no desire to hang out with him again.

So apparently the gay guys in Chile think I’m hot stuff…faaabulouths!

After all that with Eddie last night, I get in the elevator this morning and there’s a man with flames shooting out of his ears. He was smiling flirtatiously and asking me if I’m going to work and what I’m doing here. I give some brief one word answers and bid him good day. Normally I would have been much more amiable, coming right after last night I had no patience. The gays here in Santiago are quite sweet on me…it must be because I’m such a snappy dresser (HA!).