LET THE PICNIC BEGIN (SUNDAY PART 3)

We were led through Margarita's modest but lovely home
into the garden which she had lovingly created, herself. 


She is divorced and lives with her three children. 
She and Alfredo (father of Mario, Anna, and Margarita) were tending the parrilla (grill.)


 They greeted us warmly. Only in his fifties
Alfredo is still handsome and seems to be loved by everyone there. 


The aroma of the cooking in progress was tantalizing.
Bife de chorizo (like our rib eye steaks) were being slowly 
cooked. As we passed through the kitchen creamed spinach 
sat on the stove. 


Although not everyone spoke English, somehow we managed
to communicate. Smiling eyes say so much. 


In the area where the table and chairs are, Carmine began to talk about the Mario we had known in Memphis, 58 years ago.


 On the brick patio area Beanie and I played with the children.    A cousin was playing the guitar...another cousin was singing in Spanish.


"Tango?Tango?" One child said to Beanie and me. We shook our heads no, but the children took our hands and showed us steps. Not everyone in Memphis loves the BLUES, but it seems like EVERYONE in Buenos Aires loves the TANGO. 


Then Mario brought out a cardboard box with his uncle's 
pictures; his great grandfather left them to him because he was Uncle Mario's namesake. Even though he was born in 1989 and never knew Uncle Mario, he was very proud of his kin. 


When Mario began showing the pictures, someone said, "Senora Carmine, this is you, this is you, no?!"

There were a few pictures of Carmine and Mario together
standing by the Mississippi River in Memphis... too worn to show....more  memorabilia & pictures of friends, relatives, fellow sailors, gauchos, Korea...but no pictures of any 
other girl, except Carmine!!


 Carmine blurted out, WHERE IS HE? No one says where he is!!!!"


 Mario translated for Alfredo.
"We don't know where he is. He disappeared many years ago."
(I thought about Billy's e-mail...oh, no. Surely not.) Everyone, except his two older sisters, thought he was dead. Here is their picture.They prayed for him
every day for the rest of their lives.  Uncle Mario never married and had no descendants."


I asked where their Uncle Mario worked last. They said he was a gaucho on a ranch.
..v
   "Do you have the address of the ranch? We would love to have it. We have come so far to find
out about our friend. We want to search a little further." 


Alfredo went inside, returned with a post card and handed it to Carmine.


 THE FOOD WAS READY!!  Wine was served but
Carmine, Beanie and I drank sparkling water with a little lemon. ***INCREDIBLE FOOD!!***

Fresh fancy lettuce salad. creamed spinach
.
We ate too much, because EVERYTHING WAS WONDERFUL. We got enough protein to last the rest of our lives. Fresh fruit completed the meal.


Then we sang. They sang Argentine music in Spanish. We sang some Elvis music which they requested!
They loved THAT'S ALL RIGHT SWEET MAMA!!! So funny to hear us old ladies sing that song!!!


They all had to go to school or work the next morning


 So at 9 we insisted on getting a cab back to the hotel. 


Amazing how sometimes you can grow close to people so quickly. We will never forget the picnic or the Mendozas.


But we still have questions unanswered. I need to talk with MPA and find out about that ranch!!
More tomorrow...love, annie