How [do] you make an old man laugh? Xhaxhi is an elderly man living in the front house who reminds me a lot of a mix between my grandfathers. He probably looks much older than he is so I won’t guess his age but he can do things that people close to his age that I know can’t do…like sit indian style. with his feet on top of his legs. I’m not even sure if I can do that any more.
So how do you make this old man laugh? There are two ways:
1) Leave the House
I went to the parents’ house of the wife of the son who lives with xhaxhi to take some pictures. (It’s ok. you can read that again if you need). I walked in and low and behold there was Xhaxhi sitting on the sofa having some raki with the father of household (they are close in age and good friends from the looks of it). He saw me and started laughing.
Apparently it was quite funny that I was out of the house (even though I go to work every day and visit friends on top of that). Or because I was the last person he was expecting to see with the exception of Nicole maybe? But whatever the case, he thought it was the funniest thing that I was there. He laughed for nearly a minute and had the chuckles for a few minutes after that.
2) Use a Wheelbarrow
The other day, we ran out of gas for our stove. After two days, we figured we had better get it refilled. The reason we waited was partially due to the fact that we would have to borrow the wheelbarrow from the family downstairs and our schedules hadn’t lined up so that we could ask them yet. We would also need help getting it hooked back up and getting the flame adjusted.
I went downstairs and put the tank in the wheelbarrow. Nicole was up getting the keys and money. Xhaxhi was downstairs and saw me standing beside the wheelbarrow with the tank. He asked if Nicole and I were going to take it to get it filled. I said yes. He busted out laughing.
He was laughing so hard he couldn’t even get a complete sentence out. All he could say was you, wheelbarrow, Americans and that’s pretty much it. Apparently, the thought of 2 American girls stolling down the road with a wheelbarrow is pretty hilarious (even though this wasn’t our first time doing it).
Nicole is the professional wheelbarrower!
So to make Xhaxhi laugh, I just have to go have a visit wherever he is visiting. Or use a wheelbarrow.