When I finished my studies I started a new life. I got married, moved to a new city and started to enjoy the tranquility of having a fixed salary.
A few months after being in Maracay, my new city, I invited my parents to visit me, by that time I already had a small apartment where they could be comfortable.
They left Caraca on a Friday morning and I told them I would wait for them at the passenger terminus, right where the buses were parked.
That day I left early at the end, I had no way of knowing what time they had left, in those days there was no cell phone. Every bus that arrived filled me with expectation, I got up to look out the windows to see if my parents were on that bus.
I did this several times until finally, at about one o'clock in the afternoon, my parents showed up. They were both very happy, it was the first time they came to Maracay.
Taking advantage of the fact that it was noon, I invited them to lunch. I knew that both my father and my mother liked rice dishes, so I took them to "La Paella Valenciana", a very famous restaurant that everyone was talking about in the city.
At that time the place was very nice, it was decorated with Spanish motifs, its ambiance was spacious and pleasant, and the staff was very attentive.
My parents had never been to a place as luxurious as that one, my mother was amazed with the decorations. But the best moment was when the huge paella platter arrived, it was a huge plate overflowing with shrimp, prawns and other seafood. Even though the three of us ate a lot we left a little more than a quarter of it on the plate, that paella really was gigantic. To finish off the meal my mother ordered a small piece of cake and my father a cup of coffee.
At the moment of paying the bill my happiness was immense, it was the first time that with my own money I invited my parents to eat. For many years I took them both to the same restaurant. Nowadays it no longer exists, and every time I go there I remember that it was my parents' favorite place.
There are other restaurants of which I have great memories, all of them are linked to some important event in my life.
One that I will never forget was located towards the center of Maracay. It was not a luxurious restaurant, it was more like a kind of cafe, where they served light meals, sandwiches, and the traditional arepas, a typical Venezuelan dish that now with the diaspora we have had is beginning to be known worldwide.
The restaurant was called "El Arepanito", its main attraction was a large terrace that extended between the sidewalk and the street. It was a place where people gathered to have a pleasant conversation, at night it was very nice, with a great illumination.
In those days I was working as a professor at the University and I had met a very special student. She had asked me for some books to prepare an exhibition. We arranged to meet at "El Arepanito" to give her the materials. We arranged to meet at five o'clock in the afternoon, a time when there was still no movement on the site.
By chance that appointment was on February 14, which in our country corresponds to "Valentine's Day" or Valentine's Day.
I arrived early and reserved a table, and ten minutes later my student arrived.
Soon the place was filling up with couples who came to meet for the celebration of the day of love. We looked at each other strangely, perhaps thinking that we were out of place. However, the magic of that day enveloped us, we felt that a very strong feeling had been unleashed between the two of us.
After that day my student and I continued to see each other and soon after we decided to become a couple. On that February fourteenth, nineteen eighty-nine, I could not have imagined that I had found the partner of my life, and to this day we have been together for more than thirty-five years.
Another place I have great memories of is the restaurant called "Rancho Los Jardines", it is a place where they sell a very good grill. Its attraction are the small wooden booths where you can be quite quiet. I have been there many times.
But the reason I am telling you about it is because at the end of the century, around the year ninety-nine, I went there to celebrate my eldest son's university degree.
At the graduation ceremony, only the parents were allowed to be there. The situation was uncomfortable for me, because at that time I was separated from my son's mother and did not have very good relations with her. But at the end of the ceremony my son asked me if the three of us could go celebrate. That request surprised me because he knew that things were not good between me and his mother. However, I could not contradict him on that special day.
We arrived at the restaurant and I asked for the farthest cabin. However, despite my fears, my son's joy was so great that it softened the tensions. The three of us enjoyed a great evening and he thanked us for indulging him.
There are many more stories to tell, perhaps another time I will share them with you.
I am publishing this post motivated by the initiative proposed by my friend @ericvancewalton, Memoir Monday, in its week eleven. For more information click on the link.
Thank you for your time.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version).
Logo creado por @themanualbot
That's life, my dear friend @irvinc. Live the moments TODAY, tomorrow is always in judgment TV. And if we capture them in a couple of photos, you immortalize them. A hug in the distance. Blessings.
Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting, dear @amigoponc . A big hug from Maracay.
Very nice memories. I haven't invited my parents over yet with my first “loose” paycheck but hope to do so soon. Very nice reflections.
It gives a lot of satisfaction when one can give a beautiful surprise to the parents. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting dear @florecitamejias . A big hug from Maracay.
That feeling when you finally treat your parents with your own money. While the restaurant is gone, the memories created there remain in your heart :)
And who would have thought that meeting you had with your student would change your life forever?
Thank you for sharing these beautiful memories with your loved ones ❤️
Yes, life is full of surprises. In those early years when I started working I was able to give many surprises to my parents, they helped me a lot to get ahead. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting, dear @ifarmgirl . A big hug from Maracay.
Hello @irvinc
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Thank you so much.
Beautiful memories! I can imagine the satisfaction of being able to invite your parents to eat that paella with your salary. I was also very happy to be able to treat my parents when I started working. Saludos!
That is one of life's beautiful moments. Giving satisfaction to the parents gives a lot of joy. Thanks for stopping by and for the support dear @coquicoin . A big hug from Maracay.
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Such great memories to look back to♥️.
It was nice to read your experience. Though your parents arrival and student's arrival at restaurant seemed interesting, the last part with your son and his mother seemed painful.. But then Almighty has kept something for us to keep moving. So let's move on.