I’d just landed in Medellin. First time in Colombia, no Spanish, no clue where Parque Lleras was. We’d been texting back and forth and I’d offered : let’s meet at your place, then we go together. She said okay. We picked a time around six.
About half an hour before, she texted to confirm. I didn’t answer. Not because I was busy — because I’d taken a “quick nap” and the nap had quietly turned into a real one.
Waking up to the angry smiley face
When I finally opened my eyes, there was a wall of texts on my phone. I can’t believe you’re doing this. Are you actually ghosting me? And then an angry smiley face. I remember just staring at it.
She’d already taken a cab to my building. She was waiting downstairs.
I jumped in the shower for maybe not even five minutes. Got dressed, put on some perfume. Went down. There she was, standing in the lobby, with a face that was very much not happy. The first thing I did was hug her and say sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry. And sorry. And then again sorry.
Maybe two minutes later she kind of forgave me. I still don’t know why. I’m just glad she did.
Parque Lleras in the rain
Parque Lleras was loud. Bars on three sides, music spilling out, people standing around with beers — and it was raining, which somehow made it better. I remember just standing there for a minute taking it in. The colors, the music, the people. It felt magic, kind of, in a way I don’t know how to put properly.
My phone was almost dead. I’m one of those people whose phone is always at 1, 2, 3, 5 percent — never full. Don’t ask why. She just took it from my hand and said let me ask the bartender if they have a charger. They did. We left it there while we ate.
That’s something I would never do in Canada. I know that’s not exactly true, but you know what I mean — it just doesn’t happen. Here, it felt fine.
What I wish I’d known
A few things, in no particular order :
Colombian time is real. People run later than you’d expect from Canada. So when I was rushing because I was 40 minutes late — she was already maybe 20 minutes late herself. We’d both moved the meeting in our heads. (I still don’t know if that’s “Colombian time” specifically or just her.)
A nap before going out is not a 30-minute thing. I learned that. I now set three alarms.
And : some people forgive you faster than you deserve. That’s the part I keep thinking about.