My Mexican Lover Fernando

I’m not yet sure how I feel about high school reunions. I managed to be out of the country for my 5 year get-together, and my 10 year gathering is still 2 blissful years away (I like to hope I will have overcome my current unemployment affliction by then).

Who wants to hear about the marriage/divorce/pregnancy of the people I have been studiously avoiding ever since I finally shed braces, acne and a school uniform that included a kilt? There’s going to be the girl who gives me reassuring advice about finding a man (while showing photos of her dream wedding), the girl who had to toss up on whether or not to bring her own press clippings (she’s got 1 tucked into her clutch just in case), the girl who insists on bringing her boyfriend along (so he can be seen, but not heard) and the girl who’s looking to settle scores (and 5 drinks in, she will. What’s a shoulder without a chip on it?).

I imagine spending my entire time giving people the same biographical information, telling the same stories, reminiscing about the same ancient moments and then we all lurch off into the distance. I’m reliably informed 1 girl actually squatted and urinated in the street after the 5 year reunion. Sounds like a blast.

But then, today I was sent an email that almost makes all those conversations worth it, one that hinted at a story worth hearing in full. An old boarding school friend sent me this:

“i left in october, for columbia and we headed north, spent 2.5 months in panama, then to guatemala. after that ended up in mexico and im still here!

had no plan when i left and still don´t. not working, just travelling. bought a van.. which i still have so have been road tripping around.

i am travelliing with my mexican lover, fernando! im in his house now with the whole family... quite scary really. but they re lovely. i think the language barrier helps, who knows what each others saying but with a smile it doesn´t matter!”

Aside from ignoring the existence of upper case lettering… can anyone else claim to have traveled with their Mexican lover Fernando?? It’s like being given a window into a book about a redemptive journey of self discovery. Just take away the redemption and the discovery and add Fernando. Can you hear the drums?

In about 2 years, I will have fully recovered from this seething sense of jealousy. Then I think I’ll be ready for the full story. She can even bring Fernando along to the reunion if she likes.


Painefull Out