Fregando

1. 

Today, my dishwasher in Isla Verde will not be turned on since Mami is visiting. Every time I make something to eat, she says, "deja los platos, que yo los lavo," meaning that she will wash the dishes. She almost fights me over them. I love her for doing that and of course for many other reasons. Just this past week I made some cod fish and green bananas and she just enjoyed them so much she had to do something nice in return. So here she is fregando or doing the dishes. You can almost hear her as she goes on with her story that in her family of twelve in Naranjito, her older sisters got to cook but she was responsible for las trasteras full of plates and pots. Her customary place was right in front of the window that gave a view of the verdant hills and a riachuelo at the bottom of their small valley. She would break out in singing and sing her heart out, rompiendo a cantar y a fregar, with her voice filling the valley below with songs by Rafael Hernandez, such as Campanitas de Cristal, Borinquen Preciosa, or Yo Tengo Ya La Casita or El Lamento Borincano. "Alli esta Gisela fregando," and all the neighbors knew mom was washing her dishes.

We complain so much about doing the dishes, and she made it a beautiful event. Today, my kitchen is not so fortunate to enjoy her singing as there aren't that many dishes ( she has a hard time remembering all the lyrics), and especially listen to her sing my favorite song of all times," El dia que me quieras" , that she would sing to me as I grew up. So full of emotion and passion, that petite lady has taught me so much about life. How fortunate I am.

Pueden ver la letra para "El dia que me quieras" al seguir el link que aparece abajo.

You can find the lyrics to the song, which means " The day in which you love me, or that I make you mine." You can also listen to the original song as sung by Carlos Gardel, the famous tango singer of the 1930's which mom loved to listen to.

http://www.planet-tango.com/lyrics/eldiaque.htm