Italian lady
Barbara is in her 60’s. We first met her when the grapes got ripe. She’s lived in Lausanne forever but 35 percent of our conversation is in Italian. (0% mine. 70% hers.) Wife has become her “best friend”. The door bell will ring and it’ll be Barbara asking for “la donna bella”. (I think that means “the boss”.) She and wife will chat. Barbara will magically produce a half pound of coffee (we now have enough for the next five years), then they’ll head out to the yard and pick figs, apples and grapes.
A year ago our paths crossed in front of the house. She, dressed in black. “My husband left me”, she said with a tear in her eye. In my absent-minded way, I asked her where he’d gone. “To ‘cielo’ and ‘la vita’ will never be the same.”
Barbara rang again this past Saturday, offering us a 15 pound pumpkin squash-type thing. She said her grandkids were coming over and they’d just use it as a soccer ball. Better that we should have it. She didn’t take any fruit, didn’t want a cup of coffee. Just wanted to give us something.
And although she smiles a bit more, life really is not the same without her “chéri”.
A year ago our paths crossed in front of the house. She, dressed in black. “My husband left me”, she said with a tear in her eye. In my absent-minded way, I asked her where he’d gone. “To ‘cielo’ and ‘la vita’ will never be the same.”
Barbara rang again this past Saturday, offering us a 15 pound pumpkin squash-type thing. She said her grandkids were coming over and they’d just use it as a soccer ball. Better that we should have it. She didn’t take any fruit, didn’t want a cup of coffee. Just wanted to give us something.
And although she smiles a bit more, life really is not the same without her “chéri”.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Yes, CHERI is French. But that’s what Barbara calls him…
October 14th, 2007 at 7:28 am
I think the same is with my mom since her divorce, which was quite long ago now. Divorces, no matter how they happen, really changes things and people.
October 14th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
What a sweet neighbour, Brady! And a sweet story…
October 14th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
When we lose someone we love, whether by death or otherwise, life IS never the same. I truly emphathize with her. Please tell her I will think about and pray for her from time to time.
And what a giving person. The world needs more Barbaras.
October 15th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
A friend told me this weekend that, after three years, his wife’s unfaithfulness still hurt him. I told him, as gently as I could, that a part of that hurt would always be there. It’s a pain you can’t understand unless you’ve been through it.
October 15th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
A fitting example of love based giving.
October 15th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
It’s not the same as having one’s love, but having good friends like the Smiths is the next best thing in this life.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:12 am
Barbara sounds like a special lady and she is lucky to have you in her life.