A Pleasing Understanding Of Albanian

(I have a thing with languages. I grew up learning Latin, French, Spanish, and German. I also like to fall asleep watching movies in other languages. I pick up almost any language quickly. I can’t speak them, because I don’t try. I get embarrassed about mispronouncing things. However, I always know what’s being said without thinking. I figure out this super power when I am 18, accidentally. I am working in a restaurant that is run by Kosovo refugees. I am the only one outside of the family that works there. Every day the owners and some friends gather in a booth right next to where I do prep work.)

Friend Of Owner: *in Albanian* “Get me coffee!”

Me: *in English* “You could try saying, ‘please.'”

(Everyone turns to me and just stares.)

Friend Of Owner: *in English* “Please?”

Me: “Okay!”

(For days after that, the sons of the owners only spoke to me in Albanian to figure out how much I could understand. It was almost all of it. There were no more meetings by my work station anymore. I know why. Another super fun thing was once they figured out they didn’t have to speak English they just flat out didn’t. And now a ridiculously small town in the Midwest thinks I’m a refugee to this day when I go back to visit. I was born in Massachusetts.)