Angela a beautiful teenager girl appeared in our neighborhood just out of the blue very befitting for a heavenly creature and Frank met her during our walks in the Plaza Garin square. Our small country in the old big Santiago.
She had fair a complexion, blonde hair and blue eyes and a voice that just saying I am Angela, pleased to meet you ! made the youngster around her to tremble and become enchanted with her. The three of us fell in love right there. Oh what a beatiful day !
Frank announced after a couple of weeks that she was going out with him and that was officially his girlfriend. She is the best that has happened to me in my whole life, he was barely 15 and such a knowledge of girls was worthy of our admiration. We barely knew that girls were girls at that time and a number of differences were just as amazing as unknown to us.
Perico, Sergio and I just silently wandering – with a little jealousy - what a heck of a luck has this friend of ours.Following the local custom of the time and place, beginning 1950’s in a little place called Quinta Normal, he used to walk with her around the square and go on Sundays to the one and only movie show on Sundays. There Frank would steal a few kisses and talk very softly with Angela. A good dominical custom!
A few weeks later we came to know that Perico arrived at the movie show somewhat earlier and sat next to Angela and also stole a few kisses and what have you, before Frank arrived. Perico claimed that he was keeping the seat next to her for Frank.A seat stabbing treason I would call it!
Sergio, somewhat more cunning, chose to walk with her some evenings and kissed her under – against- a big tree. It was not an apple tree if you are wondering. Traitor number 2 if you ask me. I, more a daredevil, went close to her house and met her there, also a street full of big trees and stole some kisses and low voice talk. Traitor number 3, also an adept of big trees if you are wondering for a third time.Weeks were gone by, and the three musketeers were feeling some uneasiness. The situation exploded during a meeting in the square where the 3 young Angela’s lovers were saying:
She is my Girlfriend!
Frank, Perico and me looking at each other – some of us with some guilty feelings but again love is love. At fifteen nobody is really conscious of details such as engaging in treason for a beauty like Angela.Frank looked around to hide somewhat his anger saw Angela walking toward us with a couple of girls.
This only happens in films and in real life! They approached and Frank – our expert in Girls – called her and asked point blank : These two claims that you are their GIRLFRIED (enunciating quite clear and loud) whilst I AM your boyfriend. His eyes piercing those green eyes of “mine “ - “our” Angela.She looked the three of us and quietly, firm, unequivocal, and said: Frank, Perico, and you listen to me:
I am nobody’s GIRLFRIEND – enunciating and with the same tone as Frank has used a while ago. Three youngsters’ felt for the first time the cruel public rejection of such a beauty on earth. Shame on you traitors.Completely silence in our Plaza Garin square.
Next Sunday, Perico stole some kisses in the movie house just before Frank arrived. Sergio renewed his “walks” with her, and I went to visit her trees after sunset.Our Angela was happy, and we -as good 15 years old traitors - never spoke again of our Angela.
Miguel Jan 2023, (based on Pedro’s good memory) JCarras, junio-18-2024