Yesterday on the bus I saw a girl with the same Christmas socks I just had to throw away because I wore them too much. A hole had formed and despite my hopes that it could defy the rules of physics, the hole grew. They were bright red socks, with green, gold and blue presents on them and white snowflakes covered the ankle joint area of the socks. The snowflakes made me think: BAM! Christmas time!
My grandmother and I had a habit of giving one another holiday and destination themed socks and this happened to be a pair she had given me several years back. When I saw the girls socks peaking out from the cuff of her jeans I became a little excited. I couldn’t help but think how wonderfully random and coincidental it was that when I just threw a pair of my favorite holiday socks away, another person was sporting them. My grandmother obviously had great taste if a female Spaniard had the same socks and decided to wear them when it was still light out. But then my excitement hit a roadblock and I found myself asking: Do they have Macy’s here? That is where Grandma Fran always purchased them…
After mulling over where the girl purchased her socks my stream of consciousness brought me back to the dinner table Monday night with Irene. How are the two related? I’m not quite sure myself yet.
I was not having the best evening and for the first time in my whole time here I just wanted to be home with my family but Irene had a uncharacteristically sad look on her face that made me snap out of my own stupor. Monday, December 10, 2012 marked the 20 year anniversary of Irene’s husband’s death. When she told us tears began to swell in her eyes and she tried to discretely wipe them away with her black sweater that had red roses on the sleeves. A peculiar choice for a day of such significance. My roommate and I had no idea what to say to her. My thoughts switched back and forth from English to Spanish and I became frazzled. I didn’t want to see such a wonderful women be so sad. At this moment she reminded me of my grandmother when it was the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. Irene, unlike Grandma Fran, showed her emotions and wanted to talk about it. So, after my brain became less frantic I muttered out the most pathetic thing possible: Lo siento. I have been here four months and all I could muster up was an “I’m sorry” to my favorite señora in the world? It was a shame but she smiled and was glad we cared.
Irene is a strong women and adores her children, even her unofficial children like myself. When she began to talk about the memories her and her husband shared I couldn’t help but smile. She explained how he died, how the following months were hard for her, and how she just had to keep busy otherwise she would become overwhelmed with sadness. One reason why she began hosting foreign exchange students was because she didn’t like how quite the house was after her husband died. She said he brought so much life to her life, and then she smiled that big smile and chuckled. After dinner she didn’t do the dishes, nor did she hum a happy tune per ritual, instead she talked on the phone with her daughter for a few minutes and headed to bed. It was disheartening to see her in such sad spirits and not like herself.
The next morning Irene was up bright and early gabbing away on the phone again what whom I’m assuming was her daughter that lives in Switzerland. She had a smile on her face and sipped her coffee as she sat on the couch. As I left for school Tuesday morning I was relieved to see her in a happier mood. That night at dinner we shared memories we had of Christmas and what traditions we had. Irene became very excited when she was talking about all the toys she had purchased her two youngest grandchildren and how she had to go to Zara to look at for a nice piece of clothing for her niece and then a jewelry store for a necklace for her daughter.
After telling me all of the things she had to do in preparation for the holidays I told her my sock story. She laughed.
She asked how something so simple can make me think about such unrelated things. I didn’t know the term for stream of consciousness, but I think she understood what I was trying to get at. At one point I honestly just told her I was weird, and she said everyone has their quirks. She continued to laugh and said she was feeling much better today. She said it is much better to talk about how she is feeling with someone than to let it bottle up inside. Suddenly the sad disposition I saw the night before came back and Irene quickly explained why – she didn’t want us to leave. She looks forward to having the new girls in January and is thankful that the weeks between our departure and their arrival will be busy, but it’s still eerie to be alone in her apartment with no one there to talk to.
Not long after reassuring her that the holidays will be fun, Irene asked me if I was ready to go home. I couldn’t lie to such a sweet woman so I said yes, but that I was going to come back and see her and while I was back at school I would write to her. She understood that I needed to go back home, she is a mother after all. After I finished my clementine at the dinner table in the kitchen she bid me goodnight, but not after saying she liked the pair of Christmas socks I had on. I told her they were from my grandmother. She laughed.
Man, I’m going to miss her.