Encarna

I can't believe I'm saying this, but every month I look forward to paying our water and electric bills.

The reason I don't mind paying the bills is it gives me an excuse to go and visit my landlady at her antique shop. Her name is Encarna. She's Spanish (from León) and middle aged with short gray hair. And while her husband is off working long days as a chemical engineer, Encarna spends her afternoons chatting with her customers, usually other women like herself, about antiques or the weather or family or summer holidays. It doesn't really matter. The antiques are just an excuse to be with people.

I realized very soon after April got pregnant that Encarna is always on the lookout for more grandchildren. She collects them like she collects antiques. The very moment the news left my mouth that we were pregnant, she was giddy, saying, "Ay, una valenciana," proud to point out that our little one would forever be a child from Valencia, born in the province of Spain where Encarna lives.

From the time Encarna greets me at the door of her shop to the time I finally find the courage to leave the envelope with her (which contains nearly every last cent of my savings), we only talk about one thing--the baby. I love it.

This last time I went for a visit I scribbled a few baby names on a sticky-note and pasted it on the front of the envelope. April and I wanted to know what a few of our baby names sounded like in Spanish, so I was hoping to run them by Encarna since she doesn't speak any English and would pronounce the names in Spanish.

Encarna took one look at the names and said, "I think you should name her Abril, after her mother." Abril is the Spanish version of April. That name was not on the list.

Regardless, Encarna had made up her mind, and she proceeded to walk through her store asking her customers if they didn't think Abril was the most beautiful name for my daughter.

Many of the customers looked confused, so she took the time to explain the whole scenario, who I was, that my wife was pregnant with a little girl, and that she thought our little girl's name should be Abril.

One of the women said, "I like Ana."

Encarna smiled politely and tried again.

"No," Encarna continued, "I said Abril. Don't you think Abril is the most beautiful name for his daughter?" She wasn't asking the question as much as telling the women what she was supposed to say.

"Oh, yes, Abril," the woman said. "It's beautiful."

Encarna was persistent until finally she had filled my sticky-note with a tally of votes for the name Abril, the most beautiful name for our daughter.

Pseudo-Grandma had cast her vote, and she had rallied the townspeople behind her.

TAGS: encarna, antique shop, baby name, baby names, spain, castellón, valencia, valenciana, april, abril, pregnancy, dad, daddy