The dry season in Panama usually begins in mid November
and can stretch all the way to mid or late April. The days are hot and not so
humid, the chance of heavy rains, slim. Grandma Arosemena loved the dry
season especially during full moons at Linda Vista, the shiny silver glow of
the night sky, a perfect setting for her late evening swims.
Every summer when I was on vacation from elementary
school, I would stay at the finca
with my paternal grandparents for a week or two. Throughout the year our
family also visited every Sunday after church for family luncheons. In Panama,
the finca was known to everyone as
"Linda Vista"; two big
white pillars marked and guarded the entrance of the property. You knew
you had arrived at Linda Vista in Arraijan when you passed the tall white
pillars with decorative large tiles that captured the name of my grandparents
property. Linda on the left side pillar
and Vista on the right, the translation, Beautiful
View. It was fitting that to reach the
residence, you drove up a narrow winding road, if you were new to the finca, the slight incline invited
anticipation, you knew you were visiting somewhere special. At the top of the hill, everyone was greeted
by a large circular driveway beautifully landscaped complementing the main
house and terrace.
My Grandparents moved to Arraijan in the early 1950's, back then a tiny, sleepy, rural pueblo, 10 miles outside of Panama City.
Grandpa Rogelio wanted to be away from
Panama City, he wanted a place where he could rest and have total peace, where
he could have his caballos de paso,
his specialty crops and the wide-open spaces with beautiful views of the
countryside. Linda Vista had a little
bit of everything, fountains, large trees, fenced fields for the cows and
horses, a tack room for his collection of saddles, a large barn, a walk in bird
house for pigeons, goat pens, dog houses, a small creek, it was a child's
dream. My Grandma loved flowers, all of the landscape near the main house
manicured, the tropical colors vibrant, something always in bloom.
The hallmark of Linda Vista, a large covered terrace
overlooking the countryside. On one side of the terrace, the views
panoramic, you could see gently rolling hills stretching the distance all the
way to the Pacific Ocean. Close up, there was a small lake on the
property below where the invisible alligator lived and also the house where
Pablo Santana, the finca foreman and his family resided. On the opposite side
of the terrace, a large walk in wooden bar area with the word DESPREOCUPATE at the top. The terrace at
Linda Vista, home to many famous parties hosted by my grandparents over the
years.
The literal translation for Despreocupate,
Stop Worrying. My Grandpa's version, when you visit Linda Vista you are among
family and friends and all your troubles and worries for that afternoon or
evening visit, absolutely had to stay behind. My Grandpa Rogelio lived his life
large, he wanted everyone around him to know they were welcomed, loved, appreciated,
especially when they visited his home in Arraijan.
For the nine Arosemena grandchildren the finca was an adventure. We saddled
up and rode horses, fed chickens, milked goats, chased the geese and ducks, all
while wearing the coolest black industrial heavy rubber boots, a must when
roaming around with Grandpa Rogelio, especially in the rainy season. And the
dirtier the boots got the better. In the afternoons, the terrace or terraza was setup with beautiful
hammocks where siestas with Grandpa
were ritual. He always napped in a large heavy cloth hammock hanging across the
full length of the terrace, the grandchildren got the smaller hammocks in the
corners which where perfect for our size. And we really did take naps.
Grandpa Rogelio would fall asleep quickly, I remember loving the temporary
silence knowing that it would soon be interrupted by Grandpa's snoring. I also always
took notice at the tiny exchange of airflow created by the back and forth swing
of the hammock. My focus on this tiny personal breeze always gently galloped my
brain to eventually falling asleep.
My favorite all time activity at Linda Vista, swimming
late at night with Grandma Chichi in her large oval shaped pool. I
imagined then and still do now that this was a "secret" activity that
no else in the world was aware of and I got to share this with her. I
imagined the two of us having a secret pact. Of course Grandpa Rogelio knew
about the swims, but he was always asleep by the time we went swimming. Grandma
Chichi always waited until about 11pm, the night air mostly still, the roof of
the world scattered with a million stars. Always so many stars in the country sky I
would ask from time to time if anyone could count them all. She always said, “No, mijita, no se pueden contar”. In this sense Grandma was very practical,
things like accurately counting stars, she knew were not possible.
During these late summer nights, Grandma Chichi and I
always walked slowly and quietly to the pool, we would go out the main entrance
of the house, through two large iron doors with the initials A and V in delicately woven into the ironwork: A for Arosemena and V for Varon,
my Grandmother’s maiden name. We then walked around half of the circular
driveway, down the cement steps to the area of the finca designated for the pools, there were two. Grandma's pool, perfect
for swimming laps and Grandpa's pool, a smaller rectangle pool, perfect for the
grandchildren to enjoy during the Sunday family visits.
Grandma Chichi was always covered with a large terry
cloth towel, always pastel colors, green, blue, pink. She wore her "chinelas', what we call slippers
and her bathing cap. I walked beside her in my swimsuit and chinelas, sometimes we would hold hands.
I am sure she never knew how excited I was that I got to share this time with
her. It was awesome, I was 9 and 10
and 11 years old with Grandma Chichi swimming late at night in her pool and indeed
she swam in the nude. She loved swimming, she loved the quiet, she loved
the water, she loved having this time for herself under the warm night sky and
I was there right with her.
Thinking back on this memory, I imagine that she
cherished all that encompassed the swimming activity. The calm of the late evening hours, the
quiet, the privacy, it was her time, her joy, all of her in a familiar pool,
safe and enjoying an exercise that did not tax her body. She swam free style and the breaststroke and
always took time to enjoy moments of floating as still and quiet as possible. I
knew to also be very still and quiet. Usually once she was in the water, we
didn't say much. Most of the time I would sit holding onto the blue metal steps
that led into the pool. I would listen to the song of the splashes as my
Grandma swam slowly back and forth, back and forth. We were in a wide-open
theatre under the night sky, the rhythm of her strokes and kicks soothing and
magical. I loved being at her side.
Grandpa Rogelio built the pool especially for her and
especially for swimming. It was a large pool, deep enough to swim but as an
adult you could always touch the bottom. The length, 20 yards or so, perfect
for laps. On one of the sides of the pool, right in the mid section, Grandpa
had beautiful blue tiles set in spelling her name, CHICHI in capital letters. Her
full name, Gertrudis Maria Varon de Arosemena, everyone who knew my Grandma called
her Dona Chichi, Sra. Chichi and all the grandchildren, Mama Chichi or Abuela
Chichi.
I remember vividly when the water in the pool was
perfectly still, the level would come right to the bottom edge the blue tiles
and not get them wet. If someone splashed or swam and got the tiles wet, the
cobalt blue shine was extra bright. Under the hot sun, the letters would
glisten and tease the shades of light blue color coming from the water’s
reflection. I am not sure where Grandpa Rogelio got the tiles, not sure what
material they were made of, but they were perfect. Over the many
years that the CHICHI tiles held court in the large oval pool, their shine,
like the memories of those late night swims, never, ever faded. I don’t
think my Grandfather ever knew that in his whimsical nature of naming the pool
or the bar or even the finca, that he would be creating such a powerful visual and emotional impact on the Linda Vista memories that resonate in my heart everyday.
Whenever I am in a pool, a river, a lake, or even the
ocean, the joy in my heart is always connected to those late night swims with
Grandma Chichi. My love of all things water, of swimming, of floating, all
because of her willingness to include me in a simple activity that was so
special to her.
Not a day goes by that I don’t think of my Grandmother
Arosemena.
I love you Abuela Chichi.
Note:
This is the first of many memories from my Grandmother Arosemena that I will be writing about, the goal to to one day include in a collection or memoir about her and the impact and influence she had and has on my life E V E R Y D A Y. If you have feedback or comments, I would appreciate. You can send to elena1025@comcast.net
