Eduardo

“How was your afternoon walk, Nana Louisa?” Nurse Abigail asked.

             “Swell. Swell. Have you received any calls from Eduardo? He promised that he would visit me this week.” Louisa told Nurse Abigail.

             “I’m afraid not Nana Louisa. Who is this Eduardo that you speak of by the way?” Nurse Abigail asked. Abigail was a new-comer at the Castanea Home for the Aged and Nana Louisa was her first ever patient.

“Oh Rosa, I thought I’ve already told you about my precious Eduardo…He is my husband.” Nana Louisa informed the nurse.

“Ah, your husband?”

Nana Louisa nods slowly. “Yes, yes. Don’t you remember, Rosa? Why I even told you how the both of us met during the World War II…”

Nana Louisa hummed as she happily reminisced those memories while Abigail carefully approached her with a bowl full of porridge. She sat down in front of Nana Louisa and took a spoonful of porridge then gently blew it off so that it wouldn’t be too hot for her to consume.

“Sorry Nana Louisa, but I’m not Rosa. Rosa’s on her maternity leave so I’ll be the one in charge of taking care of you for now.”

“You’re not Rosa?” Nana Louisa asked.

“I’m afraid not, Nana Louisa.”

“Oh dear….” Nana Louisa paused. “Then who are you?”

“My name is Abigail. But you can call me Abby for short.”

Nana Louisa smiled at the young nurse and motioned her to her side. “Abby…what a lovely name…come, come, sit beside me dear. If you’re new, then I must tell you all about my beloved husband, Eduardo…”

Abigail laughed lightly at how Nana Louisa dreamily said her husband’s name. It was always sweet to watch old people talk about their love stories. Abigail thought that they were always filled with innocence and joy that most modern romances lacked. Like how her love story was (if you could call it that) – A sweet loving relationship that turned sour over the course of three months.

Thus began the story-telling.

Nana Louisa or “Nene”, was in her teens when she and Eduardo first met. She worked as a waitress in a regular, old carinderia while Eduardo on the other was a soldier in training. They met one Sunday afternoon, where Nana Louisa was busy wiping tables, and Eduardo was just passing by when he noticed the strange yet lovely lass that had a bandana tied to her forehead. It seemed that he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

He took a deep breath, gathered his courage then entered the carinderia.

“Why hello, Fair Maiden.” Eduardo started. “I can’t help but notice that you seem to shine much brighter than the sun.”

Louisa ignored Eduardo’s pick up line and continued to wipe the dirty tables.

Surprised by her reaction, Eduardo took Louisa as a challenge. Back in their barrio, Eduardo was considered the most handsome bachelor and not one fair lady hasn’t fallen in love with his charm. This seemed to only fuel his determination more.

And so began the tango.

“I’m Eduardo by the way. And you miss?”

Louisa stopped wiping and eyed him suspiciously. “They call me Nene.”

Eduardo laughed. “Well, that’s an odd name for a lovely maiden like you.”

“And so? Is there a problem with my name?”

“Louisa! An order for table no. 9!”

The voice was coming from the cashier. They awfully had a lot of customers at that time and the heat was not helping at all.

“Louisa…” Eduardo repeated. The name was like music to his ears. “That suits you more…”

Louisa scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “Whatever lover boy. Look, if you’re not going to eat, then leave.”

Eduardo played hurt and took a step back. This was his wife, he was sure of it. “Ouch! Never have I been hurt in my entire life! I don’t want to brag, but back in my barrio, I was considered the most handsome bachelor! Not ONE. SINGLE. MAIDEN. Has said no to the GREAT Eduardo.”

Eduardo coughed as he posed and showed off his so-called “muscles”.

Louisa laughed and thought, ‘who was this wacko that was trying to impress her?’

“Wait…Is that…a laugh that I hear?”

“No.”

“Ah! But it is! I caught you! You were smiling!”

“No I wasn’t.” Louisa lied.

“Yes you were.”

“No. I. Wasn’t.”

“Louisa! Table no. 9!”

Louisa grumbled then sighed. “Look, I have to go.”

“But señorita wait! Are you from around here? How will I ever find you again?”

“I work Monday through Thursdays. You can’t miss me.”

“Oh, but I will!” Eduardo insisted. Louisa rolled her eyes again and pushed him out to the exit.

“Oh he was real pusher, that Eduardo…” Nana Louisa giggled. “Can you believe that he even used his charms on my boss for my address?”

“No way…” Abigail played along.

“Yes way. You should’ve seen his face when Papa pointed his bolo machete at him. He almost fainted! Considering him a soldier.”

Abigail laughed. She was truly enjoying this. “A soldier? Fainting?”

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

“Oh, wait here Nana Louisa…I’ll go get that.”

Abigail stood up from her seat and answered the door.

“Yes? How may I help you?”

“I’m here for Louisa.” A man said.

The man was about Nana Louisa’s age that had a bushy mustache, thinning hair on the top of his head, standing at about seven feet tall. He had grey eyes and was wearing a checkered long-sleeved shirt.

“May you state your relation with the patient?” Abigail inquired.

“Oh, I’m her husband.”

“Ohhh, so you must be Eduardo. Nana Louisa has told me so much about you.”

The man looked at her in confusion. “I’m sorry, who?”

“Um, Eduardo?”

“Eduardo…?” Nana Louisa called out. “Is that you?”

The man sighed. “No, Louisa, It’s me. Philippe…”

Nana Louisa tilted her head to the side slightly. “Philippe? Who’s…Philippe?”

“Your…husband, dearest.”

“No. You’re not my husband…where’s Eduardo?”

Philippe approached Nana Louisa and knelt in front of her. “Louisa, dearest…I’m your husband now…Eduardo died in the war ages ago…”

Nana Louisa started to shake her head. “No, no…who are you? Get away from me! I want my Eduardo! I need my Eduardo! He promised to visit me this week!”

Abigail quickly went to Nana Louisa’s side to calm her down. “Nana Louisa, stop! Stop before you get a heart attack!” She turned to Philippe. “Can we talk outside?”

Philippe nodded as he stood up and walked out to the door.

It took a while for Nana Louisa to calm down. Abigail went outside the room and closed the door.

“How is she?” Philippe asked.

“Stable, for now.”

Philippe sighed in relief and slumped his back to the wall.

“So…Eduardo?” Abigail began, breaking the silence.

“Eduardo…was my best friend. We were mates back in the war. But unfortunately, he died, fighting in Vietnam. I was left in replace of him…to take care of Louisa. Louisa had a heartbreak the first time she knew about it, she lost her child along the way. We had a happy life, I think, but I knew that during those years, her heart still belonged to him.”

Abigail stood in silence as she took all the information in. She looked at Philippe with pity then at the door, where Nana Louisa slept.  

“I’m sorry.” She said, not knowing what else to say.

“Don’t be…You’re new here?”

Abigail nodded.

“That explains it.” Philippe sighed. “But then again, with Rosa…she always acted like this.”

“I see…”

Philippe removed himself from the wall and gave Abigail a bouquet of flowers. “Here. Give this to her, it will remind her of Eduardo…But those are her favorite flowers.”

“Sunflowers?”

“Yes…and today’s his death anniversary. I’m going to pay a quick visit to the cemetery. Please take good care of my wife…for me.”

“I will.”

Philippe gave a pat on Abigail’s shoulder as she watched him walk away with his head down. She looked down once again to the bouquet of sunflowers in her hands and can’t help but feel a little teary-eyed for the two. As innocent and joyful their story was, it was truly tragic. She breathed in deep and went back inside.

There, Nana Louisa was finally up from her nap. Abigail tried to push the negative aura off the room with a smile. She hid the sunflowers behind her back before Nana Louisa could notice them.

“Hey, Nana Louisa. How are we feeling now?”

“Oh, Rosa…” Nana Louisa sighed. “You don’t know how delighted I am now that Eduardo has come to visit.”

Abigail looked at her, confused. “Eduardo? Where?”

“Oh He just left. Such a shame that you didn’t get to see him…but don’t worry, Rosa. He promised to visit me again next week. He always does.”

Nana Louisa smiled as she looked outside the window, recollecting happy memories of Eduardo’s visit.