September 1998
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The last time we saw Dad was here in Virginia in September 1998. He and Mom were on one of their periodic tours visiting our spread-out family members and this time it was our turn to host them. We spent two wonderful weeks together.
Every morning after breakfast Dad would go onto the deck to enjoy his pipe and read the newspaper. The days were beautiful. With Ed at the office and Edi at school Dad and Mom would accompany me while I did my many errands. We always got along wonderfully. We did things casually so as to make it very relaxing for all. Dad never left Mom even for a second. At noon Ed would come home from the office (he works 10 minutes away) and we would have lunch together. It was a special time. Ed and Dad talked a lot and remembered their past, including the good old Talara days. I was fascinated listening to their stories. Dad would get very involved when he talked about politics, the situation in Perú, or just about anything else. His conversation was always so interesting. After lunch Ed would return to the office and Dad would take his nap while he waited for Edi to return from school.
Ed, Ed, & Ed
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The time that Edi spent with his Grandpa was precious. They worked on Edi's homework and they played different games. It was delightful to see them laugh together so much. It was the first time that Edi really got to communicate with his Grandfather and establish a bond. This is what Ed had always hoped for.
Cooking was a lot of fun. While Mom and I cooked Dad would taste and add his own special touch of spices. We also let Dad try out his unique cooking skills while Mom and I chopped and cleaned. He managed to come up with some really special and wonderful food. It's amazing how much alike our tastes for food were. On other occasions we would all go to a restaurant. Evenings were warm and relaxed family affairs that transitioned the excitement of the day into the calm of our Northern Virginia summer nights. Had we known we would never see Dad again, we would not have changed anything. We feel truly blessed for having had the opportunity to share these two weeks of our lives with him. We have so many memories of Dad, but the last two weeks he spent with us brought all of us closer than ever before. Perhaps we sensed this wonderful person was leaving us and we were desperately trying to hang on.
Dad passed away on 13 October 1999. We immediately flew to Lima to say goodbye and to be with Mom. The ceremony was beautiful. It was moving to see our son Edi embrace his Dad while they lowered his Grandpa to his final resting place. The Location was beautiful. Ed said it reminded him of Talara - something about desert sand, green grass, and blue sky. Despite the waning of his physical strength, Dad's lucidity and powerful presence shine through our everlasting memory of the last two weeks we spent with him. We miss him very much. He is in God's hands now.
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