Member-only story
English at My Place
A lesson in misunderstanding
“Look at those Tulips,” said Helen, glancing over to the sideboard.
“Yes, they are very pretty,” l remarked.
Everyone looked over to the items of our attention.
“When I brought them in from the garden this morning they were very fresh and still closed. How quickly they open compared to the cultivated ones you buy nowadays.” Helen continued.
“Yes, genetically engineered, no wonder.” I said nodding knowingly.
“Now, wait a minute”, piped up Cora with a quizzical look on her face, “What on earth are you all talking about? I don’t get your point about garden, closed and open and genetically what?… engineered?”
Stunned silence. What was so difficult, had we been speaking too fast, was the vocabulary unknown to her? “Strange,” I thought, “Cora’s English was very good.”
Then we noticed Cora wasn’t staring at the tulips but at something above the tulips:
