follow-up. there is more to come.
...I did a really bad job on cutting my fingernails...
I was pretty drunk last night when I wrote that post. But I had to write it anyway, so many things were swimming around in my head. Besides, it is for Fernando that I was drunk. I know that sounds like an excuse, but it's not...
You see, I went to Monday Night Football at the bar because you can win money in a game of pure chance if you get there early enough to bet. So I bet $5 hoping to win $50. But of course in a game of pure chance, a last name like Murphy doesn't really help you out so much. I didn't win any money.
BUT. At halftime they were drawing names out of a tin pail for prizes. Mine was the first name drawn, I won a glass of mezcal. I knew it was Fer when I won; mezcal was his drink. When Juan Manuel, aka Juancho, i.e. Diego's dad, was toasting him on the day he died, he said 'the parties will end earlier and the bottles of mezcal will be fuller.' Just to give you an idea.
So I was sitting there at the table, sipping my mezcal, writing Fer a thank you on a napkin when Steve Kelso, aka Herbert Kornfeld, comes by and says 'here's another one for you.' Someone else won it and didn't want it, and Steve knew I would gladly take it. Plus, I think I may have screamed 'WoooooooooHoooooooooooo' a little loudly when my name was called the first time around.
That was when it became obvious that Saint Fernando was saying hello.
When a third one came my way, it got kind of ridiculous.
I was thinking to myself, "Okay Fernando! Thank you! Two was plenty!"
The day he died, Lilia had a Spanish class to give at noon. She'd been tied up at the hospital all morning dealing with the shite, got to the library late and there was no student. She felt horrible for being late, went home and called up the woman. The woman was beside herself with embarrassment, for standing Lilia up. It turns out she never showed either. She said she would pay Lilia anyway. Lilia didn't mention she was twenty minutes late.
The next day, after the wake when they were going to take Fernando's body from the place to be cremated, Lilia was on time for her class at noon. But it meant she had to leave the farewell (the hearse hadn't arrived at that point) to go to class. When she got to the library the woman hadn't arrived, so instead of waiting around she went back to Fer. She got to be there when they held hands and made a circle around the casket, everyone taking turns saying their own prayer before they took him away.
After he was gone, she went back to seek out her student and apologize. She was going to the woman's house when she passed by a cafe on Reloj, and heard the distinct sound of this woman's voice carrying out into the street. She stopped, ducked into the cafe, and as soon as the woman saw her, her eyes got wide and she put her hand over her mouth. "Lilia! I'm sooooooo sorry!"
"I don't know HOW I forgot! I was talking to my daughter just this morning and read to her from my agenda that I had Spanish class at noon! I am going to pay you anyway!"
When she reiterated that she didn't know HOW she forgot, Lilia smiled to herself. As she walked out into the street she threw her arms up in the air and smiled, "GRACIAS FERNANDO!!!"
So that is how he came to be our saint. When there is uncanniness, it won't be coincidence anymore because now there is no such thing. It's Maqueo up there, taking care of us all from above, making sure the luck comes our way.
I was pretty drunk last night when I wrote that post. But I had to write it anyway, so many things were swimming around in my head. Besides, it is for Fernando that I was drunk. I know that sounds like an excuse, but it's not...
You see, I went to Monday Night Football at the bar because you can win money in a game of pure chance if you get there early enough to bet. So I bet $5 hoping to win $50. But of course in a game of pure chance, a last name like Murphy doesn't really help you out so much. I didn't win any money.
BUT. At halftime they were drawing names out of a tin pail for prizes. Mine was the first name drawn, I won a glass of mezcal. I knew it was Fer when I won; mezcal was his drink. When Juan Manuel, aka Juancho, i.e. Diego's dad, was toasting him on the day he died, he said 'the parties will end earlier and the bottles of mezcal will be fuller.' Just to give you an idea.
So I was sitting there at the table, sipping my mezcal, writing Fer a thank you on a napkin when Steve Kelso, aka Herbert Kornfeld, comes by and says 'here's another one for you.' Someone else won it and didn't want it, and Steve knew I would gladly take it. Plus, I think I may have screamed 'WoooooooooHoooooooooooo' a little loudly when my name was called the first time around.
That was when it became obvious that Saint Fernando was saying hello.
When a third one came my way, it got kind of ridiculous.
I was thinking to myself, "Okay Fernando! Thank you! Two was plenty!"
The day he died, Lilia had a Spanish class to give at noon. She'd been tied up at the hospital all morning dealing with the shite, got to the library late and there was no student. She felt horrible for being late, went home and called up the woman. The woman was beside herself with embarrassment, for standing Lilia up. It turns out she never showed either. She said she would pay Lilia anyway. Lilia didn't mention she was twenty minutes late.
The next day, after the wake when they were going to take Fernando's body from the place to be cremated, Lilia was on time for her class at noon. But it meant she had to leave the farewell (the hearse hadn't arrived at that point) to go to class. When she got to the library the woman hadn't arrived, so instead of waiting around she went back to Fer. She got to be there when they held hands and made a circle around the casket, everyone taking turns saying their own prayer before they took him away.
After he was gone, she went back to seek out her student and apologize. She was going to the woman's house when she passed by a cafe on Reloj, and heard the distinct sound of this woman's voice carrying out into the street. She stopped, ducked into the cafe, and as soon as the woman saw her, her eyes got wide and she put her hand over her mouth. "Lilia! I'm sooooooo sorry!"
"I don't know HOW I forgot! I was talking to my daughter just this morning and read to her from my agenda that I had Spanish class at noon! I am going to pay you anyway!"
When she reiterated that she didn't know HOW she forgot, Lilia smiled to herself. As she walked out into the street she threw her arms up in the air and smiled, "GRACIAS FERNANDO!!!"
So that is how he came to be our saint. When there is uncanniness, it won't be coincidence anymore because now there is no such thing. It's Maqueo up there, taking care of us all from above, making sure the luck comes our way.