Lesson 11: Conversation
José approaches Marcelino and asks him if they sell stamps at Hernán's store. Marcelino says they do and inquires why he asks. José replies that he wants to buy some. Marcelino asks he whether he's just received a letter. José replies that he has, just today. Marcelino wonders who sent the letter to him. José says that it is his mother, of course, who else? Marcelino asks how she manages, since José had told him she was blind. José says his younger brother writes the letters for her and reads them to her when she receives them.
Marcelino asks José at what hour the mail is delivered in José's home town. José says at 10:30 in the morning. Marcelino says that here in Mérida it isn't received until 11:30. José asks Marcelino at what hour he wakes up. Marcelino says they they wake him up at six a.m., since he has to go to work. José asks Marcelino where he works. Marcelino says he works in the market. José asks him if he works with his father. Marcelino says no, his father still works in the milpa. He says he has heard that José is going back to his home town, and asks him whether it's true. José says it is. Marcelino asks whether it's true that in his home country they make nice things. José says he thinks they do, and that here they do, too. Marcelino then asks José how much a stamp sells for in his homeland. José says that there it is bought for only eight cents. Marcelino says that here it costs almost a peso.
Marcelino takes José to buy stamps. José asks Marcelino how one asks for stamps. Marcelino says just tell them to give you a stamp, please. José asks whether you need to pay for it first. Marcelino says no, it's paid for when it is brought. José asks Marcelino to accompany him to accompany him to buy stamps. Marcelino agrees. They meet Pablo who asks them if they have seen his older brothers. They say they have, about an hour ago, at the market. José asks why he wants to find them. Pablo says he wants them to take him to Mexico tomorrow. Jose has to go to Valladolid today. Pablo asks whether he may be taken, too. Marcelino says fine that, that they are leaving at three o'clock. Pablo says fine and that he will see them at the square.