In Search of More Students

I have finally found another student. His name is José Luis, and at 70-something, he seems to be a man of many trades. Well dressed and with a calm walk, he is a retired French teacher, but life seems to have brought him in many directions, once living in Morocco for many years and now managing a couple apartment buildings he owns in the city center. We do our lessons in one where he has an office. The building is being renovated, but it’s breathtaking, with an Arab-style courtyard and gilded columns. The office itself has high ceilings and, as he informed me, the original marble from when the building was built in the 1860s. He’s one of those older men who feel the need to tell a young woman like myself how things are. He’s going to save me the trouble of making life’s little mistakes by alerting me to potential pitfalls. I manage to find older men like this everywhere, in cafés, on airplanes, in hotel lobbies.
His level is actually fairly good, yet I’ve been informed several times that it is my thicker-than-usual American accent that is presenting problems. I was unaware of my Southern California drawl. In all honesty, this man entertains me endlessly. During our second lesson, I showed him a picture of an actress as a way to introduce a listening comprehension that was about a movie. I asked if he recognized her or knew who she was.
“I don’t know. Women are all the same to me.”
There must have been some mistake because this could not possibly be what he meant to say. So, I had him explain what he intended to relate. Nope, no dice. He knew what he said. We’re all the same.
“José Luis, are you married?” Here was my mouth, off and running as usual, politic or not.
“Yes. No. I was, but we made the divorce. But, I have been with many women after that. But, they were all the same, jealous, posesivas? Is this the word?”
“The word is possessive. José Luis, has it ever occurred to you that perhaps it is not all the women who are the same, but you that is the same with all of them?” This solicited a laugh.
“Yes, this one I have heard before. You are all the same.”
“Do you know this word? Misogynist? Have you heard it before?” Another laugh. Thank goodness because it meant I still had a job. Apparently, he had heard that word before. But, he’s well intentioned, and like all older men who are trying to save me the trouble, he reminded me of my Grandfather.