In Memoriam…

Often we meet people along life's winding roads who, for one reason or another, stick in our minds and hearts. Circumstances, moments, time spent… who knows, perhaps all these rolled into one.

Sometime around the summer of 2001, already 4 years into what would become a very long stretch of time dedicated to the pursuit of a very slippery and costly goal, I received a call from our NYC associate. –“You need to go to Portugal” he said. In what was being done at the time Charlie (we’ll call him) a basic Brooklin-ite, accent included, was a primary associate or partner. Also, he was deathly afraid of getting on a plane. I was then, due to a “temporary” lack of funds (more like a dearth), a secondary associate. Sort of a glorified “gofer” except the “go-ferings” (whatever that is!!) were not to the next corner, but to another country. Well, at least they were interesting doings…

“What do you mean Portugal?” I had just come back from someplace else, and had been in NYC for about 3 weeks. When at “The City”, we worked out of an office on 34^th street in Manhattan, just east of 6^th Avenue. An older building which, inside, looked more like a beehive than an office building. The space belonged to Charlie’s friend, who was into ladies lingerie… No, not as a pastime; he sold the stuff. So, as we often discussed the ins and outs of the world of high finances, someone would answer by popping up from behind a rack of size 36 triple “E” brassieres… Enough cloth here to cover half the island.

“Well, actually, you will be in Portugal while waiting for some issues to be completed” he said, then added in what seemed to be an afterthought “so you can go on to Germany and take care of tying up some lose ends there” and while looking with a befuddled expression at something that, I think, would someday be covering a lady’s lower end. Fuchsia, I believe it was… and rather large…

Lisbon, The City of Red Roofs

 “How are we bankrolling this and when is this going to happen?” asked I…

“You will go with a round trip ticket to Lisbon, and you will meet a friend there who will handle all expenses; then, after you finish in Germany, he will see to it that you get back to Lisbon” Now, in my mind (Huh?) the idea would be to come back to the States, not to Lisbon.  So, I so expressed my thoughts…  “Well, I really need you to stay in Lisbon for a short while after you come back”… I let the silence hang… “There is something else that may come up over there” then he added “You have to get ready because the plane ticket is for next Monday” (this was Wednesday)

So it was that some 5 days later I found myself on a TAP flight from NYC to Lisbon, arriving at this beautiful, still “medieval-ish” city early on a Tuesday Morning. Having never been in Portugal, I wasn’t sure where to go. Never fear; standing at the receiving line was a man whom I had actually met some 3 years before in NYC, for a very short period of time. Actually, hours. But, in a very typical Latin fashion, he came at me with a huge smile, wide open arms and proceeded to embrace me like if he had just found his very own long lost brother.

“Bienvenido, Hombre… Bienvenido a Portugal” “Welcome Guy… Welcome to Portugal”

And so it was I re-met Nuno. A very Latin type, into his early 50’s and always with a smile. Since it was morning when I arrived, he took me to an eatery close by and treated me to coffee and “sticky” buns, while we talked about my being here and what was expected. “You know” he said, “When Charlie told me someone was coming, and then he said it was you, I was very happy” I really don’t know why, since we had met for barely a couple of hours some three years before…

Trolleys in the city

 “What exactly am I doing here?” I asked, since I wasn't totally sure as to what I was supposed to accomplish. “Well, there is this guy in Germany who is not too happy with the lack of developments on the financial front” he said, then adding “Our German associate, whom you will meet, is dealing with him now” So, I asked… “If he is dealing with him, why do I have to go?” Reasonable question, I thought… “You are the guy coming in from the US just to see him”… “This carries an extra weight”… “And Charlie has a lot of trust in you to handle these guys”. Thanks Charlie, I thought to myself…

“So, what do I do while I wait for this visit to come to pass?” “Don’t worry… you will be at a hotel near here and we’ll see each other on an almost daily basis” “there are many places you can visit while we are waiting” and he continued “I understand you have never been here, right?”

The short wait turned into some two and a half months; during this time Nuno became a friend in many ways and proved to be a trustworthy one. True to his word, all issues and expenses were taken care of and, even, he managed to send funds to my family back in the states. This was something he didn’t have to do but, as he put it “if your family is OK, you are OK”. We spent a lot of time together; somewhere else in these posts I have written about Lisbon, my time there and some of the side trips I took; most by myself, others in the company of Nuno. This period was somewhat of a waiting, forced “vacation” of sorts and Nuno was always present; he would take me to several of his meetings, and also took me to meet and share time with his family; in general, making me feel at home while far from home.

The old city

 Eventually I went to Germany, and took care of our discontented German friend. He was OK after our conversations and I returned to Lisbon, to wait for the “second” part of this trip to develop. Once again, Nuno became my guide and friend while there. That second part of the business plan never came to pass… The date I arrived in Hamburg, Germany, would be one which would mark the end of an era and the beginning of another, much different one. It was 09/11/2001.

As we said our goodbyes when my time in Lisbon was up, we made several promises to meet again; promises which at the time were heartfelt, but which were dependent on many issues coming to pass. The changing controls on the international financial horizons after that fateful day in September, made it extremely difficult for many folk to continue on this road. Charlie and I parted ways, and I lost track of Nuno. I went on to different ways and also had to deal with some demons of my own as time went on.

About 4 weeks ago, having been able to reach someone I knew and who also knew him, I asked for information, hoping to get a phone number where I could reach my friend. What he told me was quite different… “Nuno died about three years ago” he said, adding “his heart could not take anymore frustrations and failures”. I quietly hung up after saying our goodbyes, and thought about the guy who had received me with a huge smile and a bear hug years ago and, in doing what was basically a business task, had actually become a friend.

Be at peace amigo; wherever your kind spirit may be.

Be Well… Be Back!!!