Wézfiy

other’s company, rekindling the fire of their relationship, and reflecting on the lessons of life. It was like a fine art, how these two had learned to communicate from the heart. Each could read the other’s mood, by a mere gesture or an expression on the other’s face. Their love had matured to a deep, rich understanding that two hearts share, only after they have experienced the pain and joy of a lifetime together. There was a certain harmony between the two, even though in many ways they were opposites. Each one complemented the other. Alphy was innovative, strong-willed, direct and stubborn. He was also genuine, honest and profoundly loyal. Margurita had a good sense of humor, warmth and charm. She was also compassion— ate and persistent, and sometimes a bit manipulative, but not in a malicious way. If she couldn’t get over an obstacle, then she would

usually find a way to get around it.

Once during the Christmas holidays, Margurita mentioned to Alphy that she would like to have some electrical lights on the Christmas tree. Alphy wouldn’t hear tell of it. He stated that the “electrical lights are just a fire hazard.” Margurita recalled having the same conversation with Alphy the previous year. She sighed the conversation was dropped — this was too trivial to make an issue about. Later in the evening Ivan came to help put the tree on its stand, like he did every year. Margurita asked Ivan if he had electrical lights on his tree at home. Ivan answered that he had.

Margurita then mentioned that she had planned to put lights on the tree, but “Your father thinks it’s not safe.”

Ivan told his Dad that the electrical lights don’t get hot. He asked his father to “Come see for yourself’, and asked him to touch the electrical lights which were hanging in the window.

Alphy inspected the lights in the window. Ivan was right, they weren’t hot.

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