The new house's refurbishment was nearly finished - Casi se habían terminado las refacciones en la nueva casa.
End of July 1987
Dear Mum,
First of all, a very happy birthday! Secondly, forgive the delay in writing. Thirdly…thirdly?
Well, today is a radiant, sunny day, let’s say, a radiant sunset. The summer was pretty shitty but in the last few days the weather has improved no end. It is not very hot but the sunshine in the garden is a delight. Through the window of this room I can see a very beautiful portion of the garden. There are some white roses, a gift from a friend; their name is “Francesca”. There is a large climber (or something like that) with lilac flowers, a cypress, a brick wall and thousands of shrubs (this is only what I can see through the patio door!). It is 7.30 pm., we have just had dinner and Patricia is shattered. The kids are messing about and I am here writing letters while I listen to the news on TV.
We are going off holiday to Rimini, in Italy, on August 4th. It will be the first time Francesca goes to the seaside. She is very excited about it. Not that she understands what the beach is, but she is constantly chattering about this event. Here she comes, slamming the door, to stand next to me. She pinches her lips between two tiny fingers. Patricia brings in the tea (lime flowers) and knocks off the remote control with a kick to the coffee table. Pablo is writing to you in the kitchen, next to a parrot that we are minding for a friend who is in Argentina (the daughter in law of the lady who lent us the Avenida Las Heras apartment. We are also looking after a tortoise that added to our fish, the ants that come out from under the floor and the toads Patricia is breeding in the garden make up our collection of domesticated wild life.
Dear Mum,
First of all, a very happy birthday! Secondly, forgive the delay in writing. Thirdly…thirdly?
Well, today is a radiant, sunny day, let’s say, a radiant sunset. The summer was pretty shitty but in the last few days the weather has improved no end. It is not very hot but the sunshine in the garden is a delight. Through the window of this room I can see a very beautiful portion of the garden. There are some white roses, a gift from a friend; their name is “Francesca”. There is a large climber (or something like that) with lilac flowers, a cypress, a brick wall and thousands of shrubs (this is only what I can see through the patio door!). It is 7.30 pm., we have just had dinner and Patricia is shattered. The kids are messing about and I am here writing letters while I listen to the news on TV.
We are going off holiday to Rimini, in Italy, on August 4th. It will be the first time Francesca goes to the seaside. She is very excited about it. Not that she understands what the beach is, but she is constantly chattering about this event. Here she comes, slamming the door, to stand next to me. She pinches her lips between two tiny fingers. Patricia brings in the tea (lime flowers) and knocks off the remote control with a kick to the coffee table. Pablo is writing to you in the kitchen, next to a parrot that we are minding for a friend who is in Argentina (the daughter in law of the lady who lent us the Avenida Las Heras apartment. We are also looking after a tortoise that added to our fish, the ants that come out from under the floor and the toads Patricia is breeding in the garden make up our collection of domesticated wild life.
Francesca “reads” a children book and chatters non-stop. The parrot screeches, Patricia writes to her mother on a tiny pad and a group of politicians debate stupid subjects on TV. The house is finished and habitable already. However, the summer heat brought up all the bathroom floor cork tiles we had put down in the winter.This year I have worked like crazy, it was a very busy year. I only had a breather when I was invited to Annecy, in France, for an animation festival. There I met a veteran animator from Disney, a charming, 74 year old man. He animated all the women (Cinderella, Tinkerbell, Cruella de Ville, etc.) in Disney’s films. This man designed Bambi.
Francesca plays the flute and looks around impishly, to see what reaction she gets.Pablo comes to ask how to spell “I am sending lots of kisses to my cousins, uncles and aunts”. It must be very difficult for him to write in Spanish because at school he only learns in English!
By the way, the change of school was very positive for Pablo. The local school is great and he has made lots of friends. They visit each other often, which for a country like this, made up of extremely shy people, is a triumph.I’ve just called the “Pussy cat”, who answered “am ‘ere”, to give her a packet of sugar coated peanuts I bought in Oxford Circus.
The other day Patricia and Francesca went out and by pure fluke saw the Queen in her carriage (sitting next to the king of Morocco) and Francesca, who adores books about queens and princesses, was flabbergasted. She is healthy now, but still takes antibiotics because she still has some infection (under control by penicillin)
If only you could see her, she is dancing, has left the sugar coated peanuts to dance unencumbered. You would eat her up.
OK mummy, I will say goodbye now, I am very well, with never a free moment but happy and contented; everything is going very well and next Monday I will go on a break of four weeks. Patricia and Pablo are sending a separate letter.
Happy birthday and a big kiss,Oscar.
The other day Patricia and Francesca went out and by pure fluke saw the Queen in her carriage (sitting next to the king of Morocco) and Francesca, who adores books about queens and princesses, was flabbergasted. She is healthy now, but still takes antibiotics because she still has some infection (under control by penicillin)
If only you could see her, she is dancing, has left the sugar coated peanuts to dance unencumbered. You would eat her up.
OK mummy, I will say goodbye now, I am very well, with never a free moment but happy and contented; everything is going very well and next Monday I will go on a break of four weeks. Patricia and Pablo are sending a separate letter.
Happy birthday and a big kiss,Oscar.
Fin de Julio de 1987
Querida mama:
Ante todo, muy felíz cumpleaños. Segundo, perdón por el retraso en escribir. Tercero ¿tercero?
Bue, hoy es un día radiante de sol. Digamos un atardecer radiante. Tuvimos un verano de mierda pero en los últimos días el tiempo se va poniendo magnífico. No hace mucho calor pero el sol en el jardín es una delicia. Miro por la puerta de esta pieza, que de al fondo, y veo una porción de jardín bellísimo. Hay unas rosas blancas que nos regaló una amiga, estas rosas se llaman “Francesca”. Hay una gran enredadera (o algo así) con unas flores lilas, un pino (ciprés), una pared de ladrillos y miles de arbustos (¡y esto es sólo lo que veo por la puerta!). Son las 7.30 de la tarde. Acabamos de cenar, Patricia está molida, los nenes hinchan y yo me siento aquí a escribir cartas mientras veo las noticias por televisión.
Querida mama:
Ante todo, muy felíz cumpleaños. Segundo, perdón por el retraso en escribir. Tercero ¿tercero?
Bue, hoy es un día radiante de sol. Digamos un atardecer radiante. Tuvimos un verano de mierda pero en los últimos días el tiempo se va poniendo magnífico. No hace mucho calor pero el sol en el jardín es una delicia. Miro por la puerta de esta pieza, que de al fondo, y veo una porción de jardín bellísimo. Hay unas rosas blancas que nos regaló una amiga, estas rosas se llaman “Francesca”. Hay una gran enredadera (o algo así) con unas flores lilas, un pino (ciprés), una pared de ladrillos y miles de arbustos (¡y esto es sólo lo que veo por la puerta!). Son las 7.30 de la tarde. Acabamos de cenar, Patricia está molida, los nenes hinchan y yo me siento aquí a escribir cartas mientras veo las noticias por televisión.
El 4 de agosto vamos a Italia de vacaciones. Vamos a Rímini. Es la primera vez que Francesca va a la playa. Está toda entusiasmada. No es que sepa bien qué es una playa pero se la pasa todo el tiempo parloteando sobre este evento. Aqui viene al lado mío, cerrando la puerta de un golpe. Se agarra los labios con dos deditos diminutos. Patricia trae el té (tilo) y tira el control remoto del televisor de una patada que le pega a una mesita. Pablo te está escribiendo en la cocina, al lado de una lora que le estamos cuidando a una amiga que se fue a la Argentina (la nuera de la señora que nos prestó el departamento de Las Heras). También estamos cuidando una tortuga, que añadida a nuestro pescadito, las hormigas que salen del piso y los sapos que Patricia trata de criar en el jardín conforman nuestra casa de fieras domésticas.
Francesca lee un libro para chicos y parlotea sin cesar. La lora chilla, Patricia escribe a su madre en un talonario diminuto y un grupo de políticos discuten pavadas en la tele. La casa ya está lista y habitable. Sólo que el calor del verano nos hizo saltar todas las baldosas de corcho que pusimos en el invierno.
Francesca lee un libro para chicos y parlotea sin cesar. La lora chilla, Patricia escribe a su madre en un talonario diminuto y un grupo de políticos discuten pavadas en la tele. La casa ya está lista y habitable. Sólo que el calor del verano nos hizo saltar todas las baldosas de corcho que pusimos en el invierno.
Trabajé una barbaridad este año, fue un año muy ocupado. El único respiro que tuve fue un viaje a Francia, en Annecy, donde fui invitado a un festival de animación. Allí trabé amistad con un veterano animador de Walt Disney. Un hombre encantador de 74 años, animador de todas las mujeres (Cenicienta, Campanilla, Cruella de Ville, etc.) en las películas de Disney. Este hombre diseñó Bambi.
Francesca toca la flauta y mira pícaramente, a ver qué resultado obtiene. Pablo viene a preguntar cómo escribir “les mando muchos besos a mis primos y tíos...”
¡No hay que olvidar que para él escribir en español debe ser dificilísimo pues en la escuela solo aprende inglés!
Entre paréntesis, el cambio de escuela para Pablo fue muy bueno. En la nueva escuela (en este barrio) es magnífica y se hizo un montón de amiguitos. Se visitan seguido, que para un país como éste, de tímidos consuetudinarios, es un triunfo.
Llamé a la “Morronga”, que con voz de pito dijo “etoy aquí” y le dí un paquete de garrapiñadas que compré en Oxford Circus.El otro día Patricia y Francesca fueron a pasear y de pura chiripa vieron a la reina en su carruaje (junto al rey de Marruecos) y Francesca, que se pasa el día leyendo libros de reinas y princesas, quedó pasmada. Está bien de salud pero aún toma antibióticos porque tiene un poquito de infección (controlada por la penicilina).Si la vieses, baila (ahora está bailando); dejó las garrapiñadas para hacerlo más a gusto. Te la comerías.
Bueno mami, aquí me despido, yo estoy muy bien, solo que sin tiempo para nada, pero felíz y satisfecho, todo me va muy bien y el próximo lunes me tomo cuatro semanas de vacaciones. Patricia y Pablo te mandan una carta separada.
Felíz cumpleaños y un gran beso,
Oscar
Felíz cumpleaños y un gran beso,
Oscar
Dear abuela:
Happy birthday! I hope you’ll have a very good day. I have finished school and we are going on holiday to Italy.
We are looking after a female parrot called Coca and a very tiny tortoise called Jenny. They belong to some friends who went away on holiday.
I am very happy because we are going to the seaside and I haven’t been to the beach for four years and Francesca has never been in her life. Francesca has grown a lot since yous saw her last.
I had very good end of year marks and I am doing very well at school.
I am sending lots of kisses to my cousins, uncles and aunts.
Lots of kisses from
Pablo
Happy birthday! I hope you’ll have a very good day. I have finished school and we are going on holiday to Italy.
We are looking after a female parrot called Coca and a very tiny tortoise called Jenny. They belong to some friends who went away on holiday.
I am very happy because we are going to the seaside and I haven’t been to the beach for four years and Francesca has never been in her life. Francesca has grown a lot since yous saw her last.
I had very good end of year marks and I am doing very well at school.
I am sending lots of kisses to my cousins, uncles and aunts.
Lots of kisses from
Pablo
Dear Alejandrina:
I hope this reaches you in time for your birthday and gives you a surprise.
At last we all managed to write, eh? As they already tell you all the news, I haven’t much to say, only to wish you happiness and send love to all the family.
Thanks for Carolina’s nice letter. I will try to write from Italy.
A very big kiss, from
Patricia
Querida Alejandrina,
Espero que ésta llegue a tiempo para su cumpleaños y le dé una sorpresa.
Al fin nos decidimos a escribir todos, ¿no?
Como ya ellos le cuentan todas las novedades, no me queda mucho por decir, solamente desearle muchas felicidades y mandar cariños para toda la familia. Gracias por la carta de Carolina, tan linda. Trataré de escribirle desde Italia.
Un beso grandote de
Patricia
I hope this reaches you in time for your birthday and gives you a surprise.
At last we all managed to write, eh? As they already tell you all the news, I haven’t much to say, only to wish you happiness and send love to all the family.
Thanks for Carolina’s nice letter. I will try to write from Italy.
A very big kiss, from
Patricia
Querida Alejandrina,
Espero que ésta llegue a tiempo para su cumpleaños y le dé una sorpresa.
Al fin nos decidimos a escribir todos, ¿no?
Como ya ellos le cuentan todas las novedades, no me queda mucho por decir, solamente desearle muchas felicidades y mandar cariños para toda la familia. Gracias por la carta de Carolina, tan linda. Trataré de escribirle desde Italia.
Un beso grandote de
Patricia
posted by Patricia | 5:17 pm
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