El Cadejo, Part 1

A head nod, a short phrase that included something like paso, I looked at another man I had also met at the party.  His overwhelming willingness to translate from Spanish to English helped me feel comfortable among the mostly Panamanian guests. “You can pass,” he answered.  There was a brief pause.  Then, I laughed. Other guests laughed with me.

After all the jokes comparing Panama City against Colon, after the hand-waving and gesturing about the difference between the Atlantic tide versus the Pacific tide, after the gossiping and cutting of eyes, after the wide-eyed children who were unable to stop laughing and incapable of slowing down - even for a moment, after having a really good time at the party, I thought about the comment, “He can pass.”  I came to understand why there was a brief pause. - Read Part 2