When I was a child somebody gave me a book I used to read over anv over again. There you could find fragments of famous literary pieces. One of them was Viaje a la Alcarria by Camilo José Cela. Does anybody know it?

“- Adiós, que tenga usted suerte. ¿Va usted a Zaragoza?

- Adiós, señora, muchas gracias. No, le aseguro que no voy a Zaragoza.

El viajero piensa en la despedida de los hombres que van de camino, que es un poco la despedida a las gentes a las que ya no se volverá a ver jamás. El adiós, que tenga usted suerte, que dice la campesina, o la tabernera, o la arriera, o la pastora, es una despedida para siempre, una despedida para toda la vida, una despedida llena, aun sin saberlo, de dolor: un adiós, que tenga usted suerte, en el que se ponen el alma y los cinco sentidos.”

Sorry you have to know Spanish to understand, but if you do, what do you think of it? I have always thought it overwhelms with beauty and lyrism. And It has come to my mind today as I was saying goodbye to the man who drives me to work every day. Not that we are not going to see eachother anymore (he will probably be at the same spot tomorrow, doing his job) but at that early hours, when the missing of warm sheets becomes almost painful and the world appears to be wicker than usual, a friendly smile and a gentle word work the miracle of lighting up the day, just the way that tender “adiós, que tenga usted suerte” makes the way easier to follow.

I don’t even know your name but thank you. May you never lose that goodbye painted in smile. And may you never in your hopefully long life get a smile painted in goodbye.

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