Mauricio Alejandro Chávez

meat counter

I was at the Whole Foods meat counter, filet mignon please. Woman butcher asked if I knew French. Listening to a bad bunny in one ear and reading my grocery list with the other eye, I had no idea where the question came. I wanted to say “oui” just to be a jackass.

I took French in 6th grade for one semester and all I remember is la tete, les epaules, genoux et pieds. When I was a kid my Mom would sing Frere Jacques to me and what I remembered most was the onomatopoeia “dig, ding, don”, which my mom sounded out with perfect inflection. That’s a French bell if I ever heard one.

I looked up at the butcher and said “No, i actually don’t speak French” while simultaneously realizing filet mignon are french words. “I just asked because you said that really well,” she said. Price was 39.95 per lb. Wasnt even on sale. Still got sold.