People come and go throughout our lives, but those who stay leave a clear impression in our minds of who they were and their appearance. Two significant persons very close to my heart are my paternal grandparents. I loved my maternal grandparents also but Abuelito Guillo and Abuelita Cocó picked me up after school almost every single day until my parents got out of work. They spoiled me (like all grandparents do), took me to the doctor when I was sick, made my birthday cakes, and took me to tennis classes.
When telling me the story of how my Ito met Ita, he described her like the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He said she had beautiful green eyes, natural blond hair (which is rare her in Puerto Rico), and fair skin. I never got to see a picture of my grandma at that age of 17, probably because there weren't many cameras in those years, but he then showed me one of her during her early thirties. She had her hair short with curls, just like she used it until she passed away, piercing green eyes, and brownish-red lips. The photograph only showed her from her neck up and it seemed she was staring into the abyss. During old age Ita still had her hair short in curs like she liked it with some highlights that gave it dimension. I remember that her neighbor, Tati, did her curls every week. Grandma was a bit overweight and had a hunch on the back of her neck due to arthritis. Her eyes were now a blueish-green and she had a beautiful smile that was contagious.
While Ito always complemented my grandma until the age of 80 for her beauty, he never found himself handsome. Hard to believe as I saw a picture of him when he was in the army dressed in his uniform. Abuelito Guillo was indeed handsome, contrary to what he might have said. It was a black and white photograph of him. He was standing tall in his uniform and he was notably physically fit. He had big biceps and a wide back. The memory I have of him at 88 is still embedded in my brain. He had a really big nose, I jokingly called it a Jewish nose. His skin was brown in color and he was a little bent over due to aging, but besides that he was still notably in good physical health. He used to walk everyday for one hour, did sit ups constantly, and watched what he would eat to maintain his healthy weight. His brown eyes were deep in his face and had some dark discoloration under them, also due to aging. He had almost no hair and the little amount of hair he had on his head was white.
Overall my Abuelitos were two very beautiful human beings and their spirits and memories will stay with me forever.
"Our grandparents accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, or friends". - Ruth Good
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