Ricardo had a sharp sense of humor and it was one of the things that made me fall in love with him. He used to call me ‘truck driver’ for my being ‘subtle’. One of those things that never bothered me but made part of our intimacy and internal jokes.
Recently, while driving to Calgary with a rented cargo van, I couldn’t stop smiling at the thought that Ricardo was laughing seeing me driving that big thing!
Yes, he is still very present in our lives and we talk about him very often. It is a peaceful feeling and a huge ‘saudades’ – a Portuguese word to define the longing.
Ian constantly reminds me how silly his dad was. And just this week he was telling me something about his dad used to do or say. It is wonderful to see his memory alive in his son.
I am in the middle of a huge renovation. When me and Ricardo were searching for our first home (and only so far), this condo caught our attention for many features, including huge windows facing the majestic Canadian Rockies. Another one was the possibility of adding a powder room. Three bedrooms with just one bathroom is complicated when you have five living under the same roof, even if the ‘living’ part is not permanent.
So, I consider this reno as a special gift from Ricardo and the realization of one of our plans. I am enjoying the process and the decision-making, detail-oriented feature of it. I have a very clear objective of improving immensely the storage, adding a new powder room and fix few things that are old or not well-done, like insulation under the flooring of two bedrooms.
And it was because of this reno that I had to be the truck driver Ricardo so many times called me! I miss you so much, my dear friend.