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A2🇲🇽 Mexico1 min read
La mesa junto a la ventana
The Table by the Window
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La mesa junto a la ventana
The Table by the Window
Elena llegó temprano al café de la esquina. Quería ver a su amigo Mateo. La tarde estaba fresca. Casi todas las mesas estaban ocupadas. Solo quedaba una mesa junto a la ventana. “¡Qué suerte!”, pensó Elena. Dejó su bolsa en una silla y esperó.
Unos minutos después un señor habló desde la barra. La mesa era para su hermana. Elena respondió: “No hay problema”. Tomó su bolsa y vio una tarjeta. La tarjeta tenía su nombre y el nombre de Mateo.
Elena mostró la tarjeta al señor. Él revisó su mensaje por si acaso. La hermana reservó una mesa en otro café. Ese café estaba en la otra esquina. Los dos cafés tenían nombres muy parecidos.
El señor pidió indicaciones y Elena explicó el camino. Después él compró dos galletas para Elena y Mateo. Mateo llegó con un libro. Elena contó la confusión. Los tres se rieron del error.
Al final cada persona encontró su mesa. Elena y Mateo tomaron café. También compartieron las galletas. El pequeño error terminó bien. Ahora Elena siempre mira el nombre completo del café. Ella aprende con cada visita.
Elena arrived early at the café on the corner. She wanted to see her friend Mateo. The afternoon was cool. Almost all the tables were occupied. Only one table remained by the window. “How lucky!” Elena thought. She left her bag on a chair and waited.
A few minutes later a man spoke from the counter. The table was for his sister. Elena replied: “No problem.” She took her bag and saw a card. The card had her name and Mateo's name.
Elena showed the card to the man. He checked his message just in case. The sister reserved a table at another café. That café was on the other corner. The two cafés had very similar names.
The man asked for directions and Elena explained the route. Then he bought two cookies for Elena and Mateo. Mateo arrived with a book. Elena described the mix-up. The three laughed about the mistake.
In the end each person found their table. Elena and Mateo drank coffee. They also shared the cookies. The small mistake ended well. Now Elena always checks the café's full name. She learns from every visit.
Key Phrases
Qué suerte
How luckyA natural reaction when something turns out well.
¡Qué suerte! Encontramos el último boleto.
How lucky! We found the last ticket.
No hay problema
No problemUse it to reassure someone that a mistake or request is not an inconvenience.
“Perdón por el cambio”. “No hay problema”.
“Sorry about the change.” “No problem.”
por si acaso
just in caseUse it when checking or preparing for a possible situation.
Lleva agua por si acaso.
Take water just in case.
pidió indicaciones
asked for directionsUse this to say someone asked how to reach a place.
Ana pidió indicaciones en la estación.
Ana asked for directions at the station.
Al final
In the endUse this to introduce the result at the end of an event.
Al final encontramos el hotel.
In the end we found the hotel.
Check your understanding
Try answering these five questions in your own words. Then open each answer to check the explanation and the words from the story. Your wording can be different.
Question 1
¿A quién quería ver Elena en el café?
Who did Elena want to meet at the café?
Show the answer
Quería ver a su amigo Mateo.
She wanted to meet her friend Mateo. The story names him before the confusion about the table begins.
From the story
Elena llegó temprano al café de la esquina. Quería ver a su amigo Mateo.
Question 2
¿Qué vio Elena cuando tomó su bolsa?
What did Elena see when she picked up her bag?
Show the answer
Vio una tarjeta con su nombre y el nombre de Mateo.
She saw a card with her name and Mateo’s name. She then showed that card to the man, which helped them check the reservation.
From the story
Tomó su bolsa y vio una tarjeta. La tarjeta tenía su nombre y el nombre de Mateo.
Question 3
¿Para qué revisó el señor su mensaje «por si acaso»?
Why did the man check his message por si acaso?
Show the answer
Para comprobar la información de la reserva.
He checked it just in case, to make sure the reservation details were right. The next sentence reveals that his sister had reserved at a different café.
From the story
Él revisó su mensaje por si acaso. La hermana reservó una mesa en otro café.
Question 4
¿Por qué era fácil confundir los dos cafés?
Why was it easy to mix up the two cafés?
Show the answer
Los dos cafés tenían nombres muy parecidos.
Their names were very similar, and the other café was on the other corner. Those details explain the mix-up about the table.
From the story
Ese café estaba en la otra esquina. Los dos cafés tenían nombres muy parecidos.
Question 5
¿Qué cambió para Elena después de esta visita?
What changed for Elena after this visit?
Show the answer
Ahora siempre mira el nombre completo del café.
She now always checks the café’s full name. The ending connects the friendly resolution of the mistake with a small change in her habits.
From the story
El pequeño error terminó bien. Ahora Elena siempre mira el nombre completo del café. Ella aprende con cada visita.
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