a mosquito's knees

Even though I didn’t have an opportunity to travel around Venezuela, I had a wonderful time with Carlos’s family.

Gabriela, Carlos’s aunt, speaks with a beautiful, clear Colombian accent. She is an impressive lady. In the mid-80s, when her husband’s health failed, her husband’s business partner cheated and left them with nothing but debts.

The family was forced to move out of their comfortable home into an apartment half the size. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s economy also tanked. With a husband at home who was slowly dying of Parkinson’s disease, Gabriela single-handedly provided for her three sons and ailing husband.

It has been over ten years since her husband passed away, and she is still very much in love with him. Now, she suffers from herniated discs in her lower back and works when she can as a coiffeur. I liked her stories about rich women who try to bargain for 90% discounts on her fastidious services.

Carlos’s uncle, Gustavo, is also a hoot. When we crossed streets, he liked to say, “This is more dangerous than a bullet in the ear.” Also, when someone was skinny, he would comment, “A mosquito has more fat on its knees.”