A Fala, and all of us who shared work in Tamaragua: The lifelong businesses of Calle Real are slowly seeing their doors close, buildings with a lot of history, located in architectural assets of ...
A Fala, and all of us who shared work in Tamaragua:
The lifelong businesses of Calle Real are slowly seeing their doors close, buildings with a lot of history, located in architectural assets of significant value, house these businesses, which under their wood, high gates, majestic facades, original tiles, and years of care and dedication, have seen how the decline of retail trade has taken its toll on their history.
Another of the great businesses closes its doors, Comercial Tamaragua. Bárbara Rodríguez, better known as Fala, closes her doors and retires, and with her, one of the most important stores that Arrecife has had, of clothing, footwear, bridal, communion and accessories.
She is overwhelmed by the bitterness of a life among suits, shoes, trips to Madrid, Barcelona, to wholesalers, to fill a store that is already part of the past of Calle Real. She doesn't complain; with sadness, she faces a tough decision, for everything she leaves behind, not only work, but for all those people who have been part of this great family that Tamaragua has been. Today she maintains a very pleasant memory of each and every one of the people who were faithful workers in this family business in which children, nephews and cousins have worked hard.
She looks with the relief of someone who closes a business that no longer makes profits, but with the sadness of getting rid of all that furniture, tables, chairs, large lamps, in accordance with the size of the establishment that for so many years, has received island and foreign clientele and that are part of the history of this house and especially of exciting projects of the past.
Fala, like all the business people of the time, has lived to work, she knows well what it is to be on top, and also what it is to have nothing. She is not frightened by her future, nor by ending her days in a larger apartment or a small apartment, she is concerned about the future of her children, especially those who have also been part of this business. I remember with special affection and it even makes me laugh, that book of accounts, which we reviewed every month, in which Fala wrote down the purchases that were being paid little by little, by loyal customers, who never failed her. I remember those mornings and afternoons manually marking the newly arrived seasonal clothing and footwear, nothing to do with today! I remember that computer, I think the first computer the company had, and those first on-line billing jobs. How many memories, how many laughs, that safe, which looked like it belonged to a Great Bank, and which was never filled!
Between empty shoe boxes, due to the final liquidation, between wedding dresses, and headdresses, one of the important businesses of Calle Real closes. Last night I looked at Fala, in her corner, behind the cash register and at the top of the majestic wooden staircase, which leads to the bridal area, and I cannot help but feel some longing, I cannot help but feel that deep down she surrenders to the evidence of the figures.
Now there are only empty rooms left, and the memory of a business that was very prosperous in its time, and that the passage of time, the franchises and the "made in China", has been extinguishing.
If I had to put music to this writing, without a doubt, it would sound, the song that for so many years I listened to in Tamaragua, from Fala's office, which I shared for 4 years?."it will be wonderful to travel to Mallorca?."?every morning and afternoon, the song played on cassette, which then gave way to a music system, and that by inertia, we hummed when opening the doors of the business at 9 in the morning and 4.30 in the afternoon. We enjoyed between laughs and some choreography, the entire staff, at that time that had about 10 workers.
The Calle Real that I speak of, is only a memory of 14 years ago, and that had something special, I always remember that work with affection and much joy. We were a great family, as were the businessmen of the area among them. Many of the shops, around twenty, in these years, have closed and others have moved their businesses to other areas.
Thank you Fala, because you always had a big heart, for making us part of the history of Tamaragua, and for the hours of joys and sorrows that we have lived together. Thanks to Mónica, Fedi, Teresa, Juanvi, Mariano, Elisa, Lori, Paca, Pili, Ana, Mary, the guys from the bowling alley, Paco, Domingo Lasso, the people from the consultancy and banks that I visited every day?.and to many other people who are part of all these years and I have not mentioned.
Soon, the lights will be completely turned off, all the doors will be closed, and the story will continue.