THIS MORNING, I WOKE UP TO ROOSTER'S CROWING... (lovely).
How does one say goodbye to a place that resides in one's heart? Impossible. By the time America reads this posting, I will have landed in Madrid and met my cousin, Mercedes Trascasas, for the first time in our lives. Her great, great uncle was my great, great grandfather -- the father of my great grandmother named Eustoquia Rita Silvan Trascasas. She is opening her home, her heart and will be sharing her family with me in Madrid and in Toro, a village I fell in love with on my first visit five years ago. At that time, I had no idea we still had relatives in the village. Now, it will be magical.
Yesterday (Monday) Paco drove me to the Ciudad de la Justica and pored through five ancient books looking for Ruiz documents. He found two documents, but until I can translate and read the documents I am hesitant to say the man in the document might be my great-grandfather's brother. I hope so! Jose Ruiz Garcia, who are you?
Then, there's the trunk I hoped to ship back to America. Nope. After driving around in a hodge podge of winding, narrow streets with cars "Spanish parked" everywhere, we found FedEx, only to learn that FedEx doesn't ship from Malaga to America for individuals. Now, I had to figure out plan B. I couldn't take the trunk and I have accumulated gifts and items that will certainly NOT fit into the one suitcase I'd kept after sending Rina home with my other one a few weeks ago... So, I had to buy another one. Today, I managed to fill both suitcases. How I managed to create such a crazy event, I have no idea. I think craziness follows me like a shadow.
But once I had the new suitcase, I wanted churros and cafe con leche. In Campanillas, Paco pointed out a shop and ordered for us. When the man brought the coffee, mine was half full and Paco's glass had more in it... I'd ordered mine half coffee/half milk. He explained that they'd bring hot milk at the same time that the churros were ready so we didn't drink our coffee cold. I asked why Spaniards delivered coffee in glasses instead of cups because it was always too hot to pick it up (for me). He jumped up and asked the man to pour mine from the glass into a cup (yes!). My friend (Myrtha) told me I should order it "café con leche en la taza" but I forgot half the time (in a cup).
THE TRUNK:
Afterward, I told El Carro to take me to Los Nuñez and la casa redonda to say goodbye to my good friend, Lyn M. I arrived at 12:30 and she wasn't there, but I knew she'd return soon. So, I made myself at home with Pesky, Scalli and Scamp, my little dog friends. They were excited to welcome me and kept watch while I scurried to the back of the round house to slip on my swim suit. It was 92 degrees, hot, and the swimming pool shimmered invitingly. So, of course, I jumped in.
When Lyn arrived about 30 minutes later, I was ensconced, still dripping, in her lounge chair with the dogs keeping me company. Within a short time, Lyn had a tray of tapas prepared and two glasses of wine poured. We sat companionably and chatted while I tossed Pesky's rubber toy (many, many times) and she retrieved it too quickly each time.
I always smile when I see Lyn's fingernails and toenails. Who says fancy is only for the young?
Sitting outside beneath the grassy-roofed pergola with the sun keeping us company, Lyn called her friends so I could say goodbye to them since they are now my friends too.
Saidie in Almogia! Talking to her on the phone was not as good as getting a Saidie-hug, but it was nice to hear her voice one more time. And Bobbie (also in Almogia). I also said hello to her daughter, Jane and grandchildren, Austin and Mae. (I was sorry I couldn't have dropped in on all the cousins for one more hug, but... lo siento mucho) Angela, Jose, Ruben and Ivan / Juani and Mari / Maria Angela, Manolo, Adrian, Esther and the brothers at El Chorrito / Elisa, Laura, Pedro Ruiz...and Paco and Andres and the family at Venta Gloria. And the cousins at the bar near Lyn's...
It is amazing that we have so many cousins in the area and I will think of them often.
When Lyn and I saw that it was 8:30 pm, we were stunned. So, inside the house we went. She heated up tasty leftovers and Lyn invited me to spend the night in "my" room.
Not long afterward, we saw the sun go down behind the mountains of Los Nuñez and after we watched Britain's Got Talent, I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
And this morning? Of course, my last dog-walking-morning. Over the past two months, I'd smelled orange blossoms, seen spring flowers along the roadway and sprinted through the dry river bed many days. Today, the orange trees have fruit, the spring flowers have died away and have been replaced with tiny grapes and tall, flowering weeds. But regardless of the landscape, it was still a dog's morning and I was delighted to be part of it one more time.
I left early, teary-eyed to leave Lyn who has blessed me with her friendship, her home, stories of her life with Shawn before he passed away, memories about my father and skyping with her daughter, Linda, in the UK. I will miss her dearly.
AND WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES, THE GUARDIA CIVIL TRÁFICO POLICIA WERE HONKING THEIR HORN AT ME! THE POLICEMAN WAS WAVING HIS ARM FOR ME TO FOLLOW HIM. OH DEAR. I'd been listening to music on my phone through the radio and as always, when Elvis starts singing, I start dancing around in my seat, body and soul. This time, Blue Suede Shoes beebopped out of the speakers and I was gyrating and singing along with him...etc etc etc. So, my first thoughts? Was I weaving all over the road? Did the policemen think I was drunk? Did I have my European driver's license in the car? Yes. And I had the car rental agreement in the glove box. Oh no, I thought. It shows I rented El Carro for eight days and I've had it ninety days. Will they think I stole the car? Oh, my stomach was in the back seat and my heart rate was up a hundred points. I moved El Carro into the other lane immediately (after I put on my blinker and followed all the rules) and followed the dark green and white jeep, my heart thumping wildly behind them. When the jeep passed the exit and didn't slow down my mind went into overdrive. What? And then it sped up and disappeared. It took me some minutes to get my body back into one piece and I realized they just wanted me to move into the slow lane. I cannot begin to write the words to say how relieved I was... Just one more day trying to avoid the police, other cars and crazy streets. Because I return El Carro in the morning (Wednesday) and fly away.
More good news: I made friends with the man next door this afternoon (Ross from Dublin.) My landlady asked me to leave my house key there so when I introduced myself, the man invited me in for coffee (we left the door open...) while we waited for his sister to come home. He looked very trustworthy, I thought. He was interesting, very nice and we ended up talking for about an hour. He was disappointed to learn that I'd driven El Carro everywhere and seen more villages than he's ever heard of... He's lived in Fuengirola for two years! And he scolded me for not introducing myself two months ago so he could have accompanied me on some of my wanderings. When his sister opened the door and saw me sitting there (she had no idea who I was), her face was a roadmap of indecision... We all had a good laugh.
The good news?
Ross is going to put those big suitcases in my car in the morning.
Life is good for another day.
No comments:
Post a Comment