Everybody knew but me!

    One of the cleaning staff came Tuesday afternoon to empty the trash, sweep the floors, clean the bathrooms, and mop. The nice little man teased Nellie a bit and went about his business.
    Nellie leaned over to me. "She always does that."
    "Umm...she?"
    "Yes, yes, the cleaning lady."
    "Nellie," I corrected, "that's a man."
    "Oh, no. It's a woman."
    I read his nametag. Raul Vicente. Definitely a man's name. I told Nellie I was pretty certain.
    "I'm going to ask him." She didn't believe me. "Are you a man or a woman?" she asked--in Russian, of course. I had to translate.
    Surprise mixed with good humor in his face. He pantomimed astonishment and cupped his hands suggestively at his chest. "See? None of those. I'm a man!"
    Nellie was still incredulous. "Surely not. Look at your hair!"
    He insisted. "I have a son!" He showed us a picture. "I'm a man!" Shaking his head, he continued working.
    Nellie whispered, "He had a son with a woman?"
    I rolled my eyes at her. "Of course with a woman."
    Raul had to mop the floor, so we waited in the hall. Nellie grabbed the hand of one of the attendants and pointed at the cleaning man. "Eta muzhchina ili zhenshina?"
    Once again, I had to translate. "She wants to know if he's a man or a woman."
    The attendant's eyebrows rose in shock. "He's a man!"
    Nellie threw up her hands. "Everybody knew but me!"