In my last post, I told about the Three Kings Day parade and the great friends I got to enjoy it with. Yesterday, those great friends happened to stop at the new cafe outside our building. Elena’s sister Ana was off for a walk, but Ana’s husband Doug was there. They talked about my blog post and Doug reminded me that he was also at the parade Sunday and wondered why he didn’t even receive honorable mention.
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| TRYING TO APPEAR RELAXED, BUT I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT DOUG. |
How did I forget Doug was there? He’s warm, charming, interesting. We stood next to each other and talked much of the time. We walked together after the parade to have a drink. We told stories as we sat.
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| I HAD EVEN CROPPED DOUG OUT OF THIS PHOTO. |
Doug and Ana are visiting for the holidays. We only just met Saturday night and I immediately liked them. Feeling guilty about possibly hurting Doug’s feelings, I stewed the entire night and woke up still stewing.
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| DUDO: “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU FORGOT DOUG. I’M SO ASHAMED.” |
I doubt Doug lost any sleep over it (at least, I hope he didn’t). But, just in case, this post is all about Doug… well, kind of.
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| MOOSE: YOU’RE ASHAMED? HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL? POOR DOUG. |
Home is Where?
Ana is originally from Spain. Doug, from the American Midwest where they now live together. Doug had an uncle (he has many uncles). His uncle had a son who was kind of out-of-control. Not a bad kid; just always in motion. When the uncle died, Doug and Ana went to the funeral. It was Ana’s first American Catholic funeral. She was used to the formal affairs she had experienced in Spain. Doug’s family is, apparently, not very formal. In addition, Ana had never before been to an open-casket funeral.
Doug’s now-adult cousin’s son and other kids are as wild as the cousin had been when he was young. As Ana watched, in the midst of this oddly boisterous and festive funeral group were these children. Playing tag.
Ana was aghast when Doug’s cousin’s son, while dodging through the mourners, yelled, “Home is the casket!”
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| MY BROTHER CHUCK IS APPALLED, AS WELL. HE HOPES THIS LITTLE DITTY MAKES DOUG FEEL BETTER. (TOO BAD THERE’S NO AUDIO…) |