Ruowei in Madrid: diciembre 2012

Today the story I want to tell is only a love story, about a boy who related 30 years old passed away, for 13 year love's process, that person is my husband. His Spanish name is Jose, I took a Chinese name to him to call “荷西（Hexi）” Took this name is for easy to write, but everyone who know he, should agree he should be renamed with the “和曦（Hexi）”it means sunlight in dawn , because he is such a person. But he said that that " 曦 " The character was really difficult to write, he could not learn, therefore I taught him the name which I shout freely spoken, “荷西（Hexi）”

Such a handsome boy!

When I knew Jose, he was less than 18 years old, it was a Christmas night, I was in my friend’s home, he was luck enough to come there and celebrate Christmas with some of my Chinese friends.

Spain has a custom of Christmas, after 12 in the middle night, the neighbors would visit each other , and say: " Safe . " A bit like our Chinese spring festival. Jose was running down from the upstairs, when shortly I saw him first sight , has received an electric shock and thinking how the world has such a handsome boy like this? If one day to be possible to be his wife, in vanity, should also be one kind of satisfied, that was my first impression of him.

After that day, I went to this friend home to play frequently, Jose lived near there. On the back of my friend’s house, there is a large yard, where we often play baseball or had a snowball fight. Sometimes visit flea market together. We have little money in our pocket, strolled frequently from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, have bought possibly only a bird feather.

At that time Jose was a senior student in high school and I’m a junior in my college..

The younger cousin comes again!

One day I was reading in my college dormitory, my Spanish friend came to me: " Echo, your younger cousin is looking for you in the downstairs. " "Cousin " has the ridicule meaning in the Spanish, they are calling unceasingly: " The younger cousin comes! The younger cousin comes! "

I found it very strange, I don’t have any cousin, which comes a cousin in Spain? Therefore I run up to the balcony to look ,I saw Jose the little kid. In his arms hold several books, in the hand pinched a French cap he often wore., probably was anxious must pinch the water leakage.

Because he was young, didn’t dare to into the parlor, so standing under a tree outside of my college and waiting for me. I run hurriedly to him, still little bit angry when I in front of him. Pushed him and said :"why u are here? " He did not speak, I asked again immediately " you cut your classes, right? " He replies: " I don’t want have my last two classes today." I asked again: " what makes you here? " Because I thought I’m older than him, so always teaching him by an elder sister's tone. He pulled out 14 pesetas from his pocket, then said: " I have 14 pesetas, just enough to buy two tickets, we can go to movie tonight, but we have to go there on foot, because I haven’t money for the bus. " I am a very sensitive person, I looked at him thought there seems to be something matter with him. But I still promised him, and suggested to see a movie nearby, so we needn’t money for bus. The next day he skipped his classes again, the third day, the fourth day …

Therefore the little boy who waiting under the tree with a French hat in his hand become a joke in my dormitory. My roommates always shouted: " The cousin comes again! " Each time I run to him must push or hit Jose, and said to him: " Don’t come here and look for me again. It’s not good to skip your classes. ! " But he still came to look for me frequently for the excuse he didn’t want have the last two classes.

Because we both haven’t money, so what we can do only walk on the street, sometimes go to the imperial palace to have a look, to pick little stuff in waste dump, but also surprised and said: " look at the nail, so beautiful! Wow ! Look at this…" Gradually, I think the relationship can’t go unchecked, because the boy is serious, and he is so young we haven’t future together.

But to be honest, I do like him

Please wait for me six years!

One day, it was really cold, we have no place to go, moved a street's backless stool to the outlet of underground garage. Warm hair came while a car went out, what’s our heater. Two people frozen on the bench look like beggars. By now I said to Jose: " Don’t come to look for me from today on.. " Why did I tell him this ? Because he sat next to me and told me very seriously: "Please wait for me six years, I need four years for my university, two years perform military service, six years later we can get marry, the desire of my life is to have a very small apartment, which has a wife like you, then I make money to support you, this is the happiest dream of my life. " He added: " I can’t get any warm from my own family. " I heard his dream, I suddenly have a urge to cry, I said to him: " Jose, you are only 18 years old, I’m older than you, hope you don’t have this kind of dream again, Don’t come to look for me from today on , if you stand under that tree, I won’t come out again, because six year is too long, I don’t know where I will in. And I won’t wait for you six years. So listen to me my words, don’t come to entangle me, if you do, I will be scare.. " Somewhat taken aback, he, asked: "Did I do something wrong? " I said: " you did nothing wrong, I tell you this just because you been really good so I don’t want go ahead with you. " Then, I standed up, he did the same, walking together to a garden of the Madrid palace , in the garden there is a hillock, I said to him: " I stand here to see you walk away, it will be the last time I looks at you, never come back again. " He said: " I stand in here to see you walk away. " I said: " No! No! No! I stand here look at you to walk, moreover you must listen to my words, never come back again. " At that time I feared so much he entangled me again, I said: " Do not come to entangle me, starts from the present, I will go out with other guys, I cant go out with u anymore. " but after I said that, I feel anxious too. I’m afraid to hurt him. You know the first love always hurt worst. He said: " All right! I will not entangle you again, Don’t treat as me a child, because these weeks when I be with you, you always treat as me a child, you said ' Do not entangle my ' again; , I have thought this also, only if you want, I will never come to entangle you. "

Echo, Goodbye!

Delivered that words, the day had been already dark, he started to run slowly, at the same time he turn around to look for me, I knew he was going to crying, but smile still on his face: he shout to me while he was running" Echo, goodbye! Echo, bye ! " I stand there look at him, it’s hardly ever snow in Madrid, but at that night, it began to snow. Jose was running on that piece of big grassy slope, wielding the French hat, still repeatedly turned head, I stand there looked that Jose vanished gradually in the dark night and the vast snow-capped, At that time, I almost cant tolerate and cried out: " Jose! Come back! " But I didn’t do that.

Since then, every time when I read the scene of “Baoyu” become a Buddhist in "Dream of Red Mansions" would always remind me think of Jose, who was running in snow and calling my name: " Echo, goodbye! Echo, bye! "

After this, he didn’t come and look for me again, also has not come to entangle me. I went out with other boys, often meet him in the street, he saw me always use the Spanish courtesy shack my hands, kiss on my face, and then said” Hello ”. I said::” Jose, this is my boyfriend XXX ” he would shake hands with them.

He grew a beard, grew up!

After six years later, my studies had been completed, so I left Spain and returned to China. One day a Spanish friend visit me, he said: " Do you remember Jose? " I said: " sure! " He said: " Oh! He is different now, grown a beard, also grow up. " " Really?! " He also said: " I have a letter from him and a picture of him, do you want to see? " I said surprised: " Good! " Because I still miss him, but that friend added: " He said that if you already have forgotten him, don’t read this letter. " I reply: " God knows, I have not forgotten him, I thought he is so young, but now since he has been earnest and grown up, I won’t hurt him anymore.. " I received that letter from that friend’s hand, a picture fell, in the picture I saw a young man who in a swimming trunks, wear the full beard trying to catch fish in the sea, I say immediately: " Ha! This is Greek mythology, the god of the sea! " Opened the letter and read: " After so many years, perhaps you have forgotten the Spanish, but I want tell you a secret, on the snow night of my 18 , you told me you don’t want see me anymore. Have you thought about a boy cried all night on the pillow, and wanted to commit suicide ? Over the years, do you still remember me? The period of our contracts is six years. "I didn’t reply him, put the letter aside, and said to that friend: " please tell him me I receive this letter, and say thanks for me to him.. " A half year later, I have met some twists and turns in the sentiment, left China, returned to Spain.

Joes, I came back!

At that time Jose in the last month-long military service, Jose’s younger sisters always wanted me to write to him, I said: "I already forget Spanish, how can I write it? "Then she finished the envelope just want me to write the letter, therefore I have written an English letter to the barracks area, said: " Jose! I came back, I am Echo, and my address is XXX. "but the result was that letter spread throughout the camp, but no one can understand English, it made anxious Jose wrote to me soon, he said he have no idea what I said in my letter, so he cant reply me. But he cut many divers’ cartoons and send them to me, and pointed out one of a man, said: " This is me! " I didn’t reply. So he gave me a long distance telephone call from his barracks area: " I will arrive in Madrid on 23rd, wait for me! " But it has passed out o my mind on 23rd, I went to a small town with my classmates . When I back home, my roommate told there was a boy called me dozen times, I tried to remember the boy, but it eluded him. Just then, I got a call from one of my friend, she said she has something important to discuss with me, wanted me to take a taxi to her place.. I rushed her home, she took me into the living room, wanted me to close my eyes, I was afraid she play tricks with me, I doubled up my fists, and put them back, worrying about she put a little animal on my hands to scare me. When I close my eyes, I heard a sound of footsteps came up to me and then I heard the lady said she should go but I have to keep my eyes closed. Suddenly, I was hugged by a pair of strong arms, I shivered inwardly, as soon as my eyes opened, sawing Jose standing in front of me . I squealed with pleasure. That day I happened to wear a long skirt, he wore a red pullover.. He clutch me circle, and my long skirt flew up, I screamed constantly beat him and also couldn’t help kissing him.. Everybody standing outside was laughing. Because they knew, although Jose and me were not couple, but we agreed very well.

The period of our contracts is six years, after six years, fate took me to him again.

Do you still want to get marry?

One afternoon in Madrid, Jose invited me to his home.. Arrive to his room, was precisely dusk', he said: " look at the wall! " I look up, on the entire surface wall pasted has filled the enlargement black-and-white photograph which turned yellow, cropped hair of me in the picture was in the sunset trough shutters. Watched that picture, I was silent for a long time, ask Jose: " I never send you pictures, where are these photos come from? " He said: " From uncle Xu’s home. You often send them photos, after they looked, they put it into a paper carton, every times I visit them, I stole their photos, then went to photo studio to make the negative to enlarge, after that sneaked put the original picture back . "I asked: "what the people said to you when they know what u did? ".

"They said that I went crazy, have gotten sick, the girl already disappeared " I also asked: " \why these pictures are yellow? " He said: "oh! Must because of the sun, I have drawn the blinds down to keep out the direct rays of the sun. But blinds has strips. " He said that with a contrite expression. I take down conveniently a picture from wall, and a white trace appeared. I turned around and asked Jose: "Do you still want to get marry with me?" By now was his turn to be dumbfounded, as if I was a phantom.

He stared at me for long time, I said: " Don’t you said sex years? Now I’m standing in front of you. "I suddenly started to cry and said: " oh, just forget it, we’d better don’t…. "He asked hurriedly:" Why? Why not? "All my old animosities flooded out suddenly. I said to him: "Why you didn’t want me at that time? If you insisted I would be with u with an unbroken heart, now I’m back, but my heart is broken. "He said:" The broken heart, you can use glue to stick it up. " I said: "but seam still exist" He took my hand to his chest, said: "there is a heart here, a golden one. We can exchange! "

Seven months later we get married

I just feel that everything has been arranged already, thank God for giving me such a wonderful marriage life with him, I had said in a book: " I never fell madly in love before I get marry, but I have huge confidence to give my hand to him. And then I found my decision was right. "If he still alive, I must say that I will never regret my marriage. Therefore I think the age, the economy, the nationality, even the knowledge is not the condition which selects a mate for marriage, No doubt to average person these conditions are certainly important, but I think the most important thing is the person’s character and soul, this is so-called "perfect mach" Thing.

----Learnt from Echo and Jose's Love Story