Maria Argentina

Angela with Maria Argentina in Dani's taberna
Mom, Mommy, Madre, o Mama. All are names w use to refer to our mothers, the last two being in Spanish of course. Dani, our friend who owns the taberna in La Latina, calls his mother “mama,” but I will refer to her by her name, Maria Argentina. She represents not only a typical mother, but also a typical Spaniard. She was born in a small pueblo outside of Madrid and moved to the city to work. She is very religious, as so many in Spain are, and has argued with us several times about the benefits of the church and Catholicism. She continues to wear her husband’s wedding band on her necklace, and with this week being Semana Santa (Holy Week) she is reminded more forcefully of his recent passing.
Maria Argentina’s family is typically Spanish in that her son Dani is 28 years old and still lives with his mother and gave up his career of being an engineer when his father died three years ago. Her daughter Irene also lives with her in an apartment in a beautiful complex at the bottom of Calle Toledo that has a full kitchen, two full bathrooms, three bedrooms, and a large living room area. It is unusual for children to leave their parents’ home until they are married, and even then they do not stray far. Maria Argentina, a name you have to say in its entirety because otherwise it just isn’t fun, is a petite woman with graying hair and a love for all things Spanish. She speaks no English, which is great for us in terms of practicing, and is very generous to her favorite customers. She also has a home in her “pueblo” where her family still lives. She has told us that many people who live in Madrid also have an extra home outside of the city, many times at the beach or in their own pueblo. She differs from most in this regard because she does not own her own home outside of her apartment. As she still has family in the pueblo and she still has her husband’s family in a different pueblo, having her own home seems unnecessary. She also differs in the size of her family. She only has one brother who has two children. Most Spanish families are significantly larger, although they all live close together. Of course, there is the typical mother-son relationship between her and Dani, as they bicker back and forth but ultimately really love each other. To us, living with our parents would mean a lack of freedom and responsibility. Maria Argentina’s response is that she worries but does not put limitations on her children, despite the phone calls throughout the night to ensure Dani’s safety. She may differ from parents in the United States in wanting her children to live with her while still allowing them freedom, but she also holds the Spanish familial traditions in the sense of her life and how she lives.