The Mercedes I Loved

Before I was 5, I had this nickname Mercedes from my father's driver Sherif Abi where as my older sister was nicknamed Anadol. Although sis and I, we did not know why those names were given, we both loved our nicknames each.

Well, at those days, Mercedes was the best car for Sherif Abi, and Anadol, a national ordinary car. Now I understand that it must have been a delicate way of having a favorite one :)

I have never been into cars but I kept the sweet memories of the dusty town I grew up, the light green mercedes parked in front of our apartment and my soulful Sherif Abi that I currently have the chance to occasionally see at family funerals, holidays or happy gatherings. I see Life passing through us, our hair, our skin, our glances, our postures,.. our smiles. I watch Life do sweetly, slowly sometimes swiftly what it does to all if given a chance.

Thanks
to Life,
to Mercedes Sosa (who passed away the day before yesterday) and to B that I always loved that I first heard this beautiful song from..

Click here to see the video and to listen:

Thanks to Life

By Violeta Parra

Thanks to Life that gave me so much

Gave me two bright stars,

when I open themI perfectly distinguish

the black from the white

And the starred background of the high sky

And in the crowds the man I love.

Thanks to Life that game me so much,

Gave me the hearing which in all its width

Night and day captures the cricket and the canary,

Hammers, turbines, barks and squalls

And the tender voice of my beloved.

Thanks to Life that gave me so much

Gave me the sound and the alphabet,

And along the words I think and declare:

Mother, Friend, Brother, and Light illuminating

The way to the soul of whom I loved.

Thanks to Life that gave me so much,

Gave me the march of my tired feet,

With them I walked cities and ponds,

Beaches and deserts, mountains and plains,

And the house of yours, your street and your backyard.

Thanks to Life that gave me so much,

Gave me a heart that flutters in its cage

When I see the fruit of the human brain,

When I see the good, so far from the bad,

When I see the bottom of your light eyes.

Thanks to Life that gave me so much,

Gave me the laughter and gave me the crying,

Thus I can distingish joy and sadness,

The two materials of which my song is made,

And the song of yours that is the same,

And the song of all, which is my own song

These are the photos of Biffy and I, taken each year at the doorway of Malcolm. Biffy was our imaginary dog with an ex-lover, the son of Malcolm. Biffy was in our dreams of our life together along with our imaginary daughter Lilly and our imaginary friend Shui.

This dog just the dog we have imagined years, years ago came to visit me every year whenever I went down to visit Malcolm. So I knew it was Biffy. The real Biffy.

And above is Malcolm's favorite tree: a huge eucaliptus tree and if you pay enough attention, you can see me hugging it down below.

Forgive me real Mercedes and real Violeta for forgetting lately about being thankful to life for the men I loved.

My heart aches still for each of them.. Deeply, nobly, quietly.

Faithfully.

For they had been my homes in time.

Do you have a favorite street that leads to your lover, to his backyard, to his house?

Are you thanking to Life?