By Jack Evans, For The Miami Student
A few people have noticed how Ethan pronounces Barcelona with a "th" where the "ce" should go. A few have noticed how the white boy - a pale beanpole with glasses - pronounces "empanada," "españa" and "Catalonia" with the accent of a Spanish national.
A few wonder why, but most are too shy to ask.
Well, here's why:
Because years ago, in Pioneer, Ohio, a religious mother and father decided they should become missionaries.
Because they sold their home and most of their belongings.
Because they packed up their daughter and their son and got on a red-eye to Madrid, Spain.
Because it was their calling to establish a church. And they did so, first in the village of Azúqueca and then in the bustling city of Guadalajara.
Because they ran those churches for nine years while their boy grew up in missionary school with children from around the world.
Because that boy learned fluent Spanish with the proper Castellano accent and got into street fights and learned how to play fútbol and learned how to drink.
Because the churches that the family planted stopped growing.
Because, as it sometimes goes, the religious father was not so religious anymore.
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Because the family went home after living off of savings and the kindness of strangers for nine years. They went back to the United States, to Toledo and they bought a new home, a smaller home.
And the little boy, grown up after nine years, finished his senior year of high school and left for Miami University. His Spanish accent is all but gone, except when he wants it to be.
Most don't ask where it came from.
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