truby's dilema

trevor's got troubles. he's a sixteen year old blond surf boy in a country of dark haired people. he also plays in a rock 'n roll band and is, in general, just a nice guy. all of this makes him kind of attractive to the young ladies.

girls call trevor. they ring him up. sometimes from other countries. he's always very pleasant on the phone. but i can't tell what he thinks of any of them. i've tried asking him but he's purposely opaque to pester me.

it goes back to almost six years ago when we arrived here in portugal and the whole group of new friends spent far too much of their time together talking about who liked who. i told them that was a waste of time. "stupid talk" i said. so now, if i ask about girls i'm quickly reminded that THAT is "stupid talk." well, it was stupid talk when he was ten. it's my business when he's sixteen.

so yesterday in the car i just asked him straight about one of the young women who is in contact with him. he was vague and funny as usual. but then he revealed the real problem.

"the trouble is, there are no cool christian girls in portugal". (bit of an over-statement but i let it slide.)

"if i go to the states," he went on, "there would be LOTS of cute girls. but the problem with them," he explained, "is that they're ALL americans!"

i objected silently to this as something to hold against a person. i am, after all, an american and i'm nice enough! but he went on...

"and if i went to africa, well, i don't think i'd find anyone there."

he paused for just a second.

"so i think i'm going to have to go to norway for a couple of years after college."

watch out, norway!