22/07/2024 The brief days
I opened my eyes and saw her; she was as beautiful as ever – Silvina Garré
The brief days of the reunion are ending, and my heart tightens in a crazy swirl of emotions. Just a few hours between the foot that will step onto the plane and the one that rests on the loose tiles on this porteña morning. These little streets have that certain something, and I walk them, saying goodbye, but they don’t know it. I tell them about the time that vanished between hugs, laughter, meetings and missed connections, medialunas, coffees, theaters, empanadas, pizzas, dulce de leche, friends, family, doctors, errands, barbecues, books, buses, and Argentinian Spanish. Oh yes, because we have our own language, one you only learn by living it. ‘We needed more time,’ says the song, and that was my case. There was so much that it didn’t fit into the days, even though I stretched them as much as I could! My mom’s aunt used to say that you should always leave the table with a little hunger, that it was the proper way to eat. I guess if she saw me, she’d think that being left wanting more was a good thing. See you soon, Buenos Aires! I’ll write to you, and those are not just empty promises. Until next time, piba!