FERNANDO - PARTE 1 (PART 1)

1965. Madrid. Llegué a Madrid en el Talgo desde Irún. Tenía ganas de vivir en España, país en el cual no había vivido desde mis 10 años. Llegué a la Estación de Atocha. Cuando bajé del tren me llamó la atención el ambiente de pueblo que se palpaba (gran diferencia entre Paris y Toronto). No me gustó pero me quedé. Alquilé una habitación en la casa de las hermanas Arretondo en la Calle Azcona (cerca de Francisco Silvela). Había otros dos huespedes viviendo en la casa, un italiano que nunca veíamos y una alemana, Steffi Rieche con quien hice gran amistad. Una noche una de las hermanas, Charo que era muy marchosa, nos preguntó si conociamos los mesones. Llevabamos tres meses en Madrid y no, ni Steffi ni yo los conociamos. Nos fuimos a verlos. En el "Meson de la Guitarra" había un ambiente muy simpático; decidimos quedarnos. De repente entraron dos parejas. Uno de ellos era muy, muy atractivo (tenía un aire a Paul Newman), muy elegante. Adiviné toda su vida nada mas verle, su trabajo (correo de turismo)(jamás había conocido a un guía de turismo!) origen familiar entre francés y andaluz y que la mujer que le acompañaba no era ni su mujer ni su novia. Se sentaron al lado de nosotros. Empezamos a hablar y Fernando se quedó prendado de Steffi (era bellísima, la verdad) averigüamos que los que le acompañaban eran canadienses de Toronto y como Fernando les había llevado en un viaje por Andalucia les había invitado a conocer
los mesones. Acabamos intercambiando números de teléfono. Fernando le dijo a Steffi que la llamaría despues de Semana Santa. No llamó. Unos dias despues de Semana Santa, una amiga suiza que siempre que llegaba su hermano de Ginebra me invitaba a cenar con ellos, me llamó y dijo que nos citábamos en el Hotel Plaza de la Plaza de España. Allá fuí. El "hall" del hotel era enorme; estabámos sentados tomando un aperitivo cuando de repente ví a Fernando entrar con un rebaño de gente detrás. Le dije a Nelly, mi amiga, "Oh, ahí está Fernando que le conocimos en el meson!". Le perdí de vista. Despues de un rato yo quise ir al baño y le pregunté a Georges (hermano de Nelly) dónde estaba. Me dijo: "Mira, no sé es mejor que vayas a recepción y pidas la llave de mi cuarto". Vale, me acerqué a recepción y, al lado mio, estaba Fernando!!! Le saludé, me miró un poco extrañado, le dije que yo era la amiga de Steffi y que le habíamos conocido en el meson. Cayó y entonces me dijo que si queríamos salir al dia siguiente con el y un amigo. Cuando fui a casa le conté a Steffi el encuentro y que nos había invitado al dia siguiente. Allá fuimos. El amigo no apareció entonces Fernando se quedó con las dos. Nos fuimos al "Pasapoga". Sacó a bailar a Steffi y yo me quedé "vistiendo santos". Pero, despues de un baile volvieron y me sacó a mi a bailar. Encajamos perfectamente y ya no tuvo ojos para Steffi. Quedó en llamarme. Me llamó. Salimos a cenar. Pero yo le veía mayor que yo y pensé: "Este está casado". Le pregunté y muy sincero me dijo que estaba separado y tenía tres hijos. En esa época no existía el divorcio...

1965. Madrid. I arrived in Madrid in the "Talgo" train from Irún. I wanted to live in Spain, country that I hadn't lived in since I was ten years old. I arrived at the "Atocha" train station. When I got down from the train, the ambiance arround me was very "small-townish" quite a change from Paris and Toronto. I didn't like it buy I stayed. I rented a room in a house owned by two sisters. We were three lodgers, one Italian that we never saw, a German girl, Steffi Rieche, who became a great friend and myself. One evening, Charo, one of the sisters, asked Steffi and me if we knew the "mesones". We said no, we didn't know them. She took us to various finally staying at the "Meson de la Guitarra". At one moment two couples entered and I noticed one of them who was very handsome (he looked like Paul Newman), very elegant and in one second I guessed his whole life! I guessed his work (international tour guide--I had never met a guide in my life) his family origins a mixture of French and Andalusian and that the woman beside him wasn't his wife or girlfriend. They sat next to us. We started speaking and we found out that the three others that were with Fernando were Canadian, from Toronto, and that he had taken them on a trip through Andalucia and since they were so nice, he had decided to invite them to see the mesones. Fernando was very interested in Steffi because she was very beautiful. We ended up giving him our telephone number. He said to Steffi that he would call her after Easter. He didn't call. The days passed and one evening, a Swiss friend of mine that whenever her brother came to Madrid, always invited us, called and said that her brother had come from Geneva. We agreed to meet at the Hotel Plaza in the Plaza de España. The hall of the hotel was enormous. We sat and had a few aperitifs. At one moment I saw Fernando coming in with a trail of tourists behind him. I said to Nelly, my friend,: "Oh, there is Fernando the man we met at the meson!". I lost sight of him. After a while I needed to go to the loo and asked Georges (Nelly's brother) where it was. He said: "I don't know, I think it's best if you to go up to the desk and ask for the key to my room" so I did. When I was at the desk, next to me, was Fernando! I said hello, he looked at me not quite remembering who I was but when I explained he realized and then quickly invited Steffi and me to have dinner with him and a friend the following day. I went home and told Steffi about the invitation. Next evening we went to meet them. Fernando's friend didn't show up so he ended up with the two of us. We went to the "Pasapoga". Fernando asked Steffi to dance and I remained sitting like a wall flower. After one dance they came back and then asked me to dance. It was magic. We were made for eachother! Afterwards he asked me if I would go out with him sometime. He called and we went to have dinner. When I saw that he was older than me, I thought: "He's probably married". I asked him and very sincerely he told me that he was separated and had three children. There was no divorce in Spain at the time...