Weekends with Dad (I)

A few months after my parents separated, my mother took a job as a rural teacher, so we all moved to a little town called "La Galia", 45 km away from home. In reality, La Galia wasn't a town, but a large estate and cattle ranch. What we called 'the town' was just the place where all the employees lived. There was a school, a chapel and even a convenience store, so that to me was big enough. We would go back to Necochea during the weekends (except Guillermo, who stayed in Necochea with my grandparents during the second year). And that's when I would see my father.

 

Dad would pick us up from home, and since he didn't have a car yet, we would walk all the way to his apartment (well, we could have taken the bus, but walking was more fun!). Now my hometown is small, but there's a considerable distance between the two places; let's say, some 35 blocks. That's a long distance to walk when you're seven years old. And it was even worse for my younger brother Martín, as he was only three!

 

Sometimes, we would make a stop at a restaurant called "Solchaga" that was very close to our place. In there, I would have my favourite dish: veal schnitzel "on a horse" (which in Argentina means with two fried eggs on top) with waffle fries ("papas rejilla" in Spanish) or if not, just a 'complete' veal schnitzel (which is with two eggs and 'regular' french fries). I love them indistinctly.

 

 

A 'complete' schnitzel - (picture from Mini-Mumi's blog)

 

After lunch, we would resume our walking, making all the necessary stops, as Martín would get very tired. I remember we would take a break in front of a big house that had a low fence (so low that we could sit on it). Eventually, we would make it to the apartment.

 

Dad's apartment was very small, what we call a 'studio' here in Canada. There was virtually no furniture or personal belongings in there. The apartment had a kitchenette, not a kitchen, and the most peculiar appliance ever: a small, horizontal fridge that was hanging from the wall (above the bed) and that you would open by pulling the door upwards.

 

Once in there, all we would do was just hang out, read books (mostly "The little Prince", by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) and listen to my dad sing (I don't think he even had a TV set). In the summer, we would go to the beach (two blocks away) or to the big "Miguel Lillo" park (just across the street).

 

Until Dad could finally afford a car (that will be the next story!) that would be pretty much all we would do. But, boy, did I look forward to those long walks with my father!

 

...

 

Many years, a life after, I found myself back in Necochea, visiting my family after my father died. On my very last day, I told my stepmom Cristina I was going to see my grandfather, and my grandfather that I was going to be there in an hour or two. I went to "Solchaga" alone, and had another one of those schnitzels on a horse, with the waffle fries. But it wasn't the same... I was older than what Dad was then. And Dad wasn't there anymore.

 

 

Unos meses después de que mis padre se separaron, mi madre comenzó un nuevo trabajo como maestra rural, así que todos nos mudamos a un pueblito llamado "La Galia" a unos 45 km de casa. En realidad, La Galia no era un pueblo, sino una estancia muy grande. Lo que llamábamos "el pueblo" era sólo la cabecera, donde la mayoría de los empleados vivía. Había una escuela, una capilla y hasta un pequeño almacén, lo que para mí era suficientemente grande. Volvíamos a Necochea durante los fines de semana (excepto Guillermo, que durante el segundo año se quedó en Necochea viviendo con mis abuelos). Ahí es cuando podíamos ver a mi padre.

 

Papá nos pasaba a buscar por casa, y como no tenía auto aún, teníamos que caminar todo el camino a su casa (bueno, podríamos haber tomado el bus, pero era más divertido caminar!). Necochea era una ciudad chica, pero igual había una distancia grande entre los dos lugares; digamos, unas 35 cuadras. Eso es mucha caminata para cuando uno tiene siete años. Y mucho peor para mi hermano Martín, que sólo tenía tres!

 

A veces hacíamos una parada en un restaurante que se llamaba "Solchaga", muy cerca de nuestra casa. Allí, yo pedía mi plato favorito: milanesa "a caballo" (es decir, con dos huevos fritos arriba) y papas rejilla, o sino, directamente una milanesa "completa" (con dos huevos y papas fritas). Las amaba a ambas por igual... :-)

 

Luego de comer, continuábamos con la caminata, haciendo todas las paradas necesarias, porque Martín se cansaba mucho. Recuerdo que siempre hacíamos una pausa en frente de una casa grande que tenía una cerca muy bajita (tan baja que nos sentábamos allí). Eventualmente, llegábamos al departamento.

 

El departamento de Papá era muy chiquito, lo que llaman un 'studio' en Canadá (un monoambiente en Argentina). Prácticamente no había muebles o efectos personales allí. Había una kitchenette, en lugar de una cocina, y el artefacto más peculiar yo yo hubiese visto hasta entonces: una heladera pequeña, horizontal, que estaba colgada de la pared (justo encima de la cama) y cuya puerta se abría para arriba.

 

Una vez allí, todo lo que hacíamos era pasar el rato, leer libros (sobre todo "El principito" de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) y escuchar a mi padre cantar (yo no recuerdo ni que hubiera una TV). Durante el verano, podíamos ir a la playa (a sólo dos cuadras) o al enorme parque "Miguel Lillo" (con sólo cruzar la calle ya estábamos allí).

 

The Petit Prince 

 

Hasta que Papá pudo finalmente comprarse un auto (esa va a ser otra historia!) eso era todo lo que hacíamos. Pero cómo esperaba esas caminatas con mi padre!

 

...

 

Muchos años, una vida después, me encontré a mí mismo de nuevo en Necochea, visitando a mi familia luego de la muerte de mi padre. El último día que estuve allí, le dije a Cristina (la esposa de Papá) que me iba a ver a mi abuelo, y a Pepe que llegaba en una hora o dos. Entonces me fui a "Solchaga" solo, y comí otra de esas milanesas a caballo con papas rejilla. Pero no era lo mismo... yo ya era más viejo que lo que mi padre había sido entonces. Y mi papá ya no estaba allí.

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