A CONTINENTAL ROMANCE

I have written so many continental love stories inspired on my own that I cannot believe one which looks like issued straight from my pen is actually happening! I had been close, though, with one story that showed the love of an Argentine journalist for an American married Senator. My character was married to a British lady and the whole story, shaped as a long email (yes!) the journalist wrote to the Senator who wouldn’t pick her phone calls, was about the sad feelings my Argentine woman had when not succeeding to get him divorced. Every character worked as a living metaphor. The story was, of course, a pretence to develop a sort of essay on how Americans often prefer Europeans as partners instead of choosing what by many ways would be the natural and closest partners: Latin Americans. My story was a bit depressing and it didn’t end exactly well, with Latin America neglected in favor of the legitimate British wife, but, hey!, now the romance between the Governor of South Carolina and a beautiful Argentine woman who happened to be also a news anchor, shows that reality can be much better than my poor writer’s imagination.

Since I heard about this brand-new continental actual romance, I couldn’t help following the story in all the details the Governor, wife and lover have generously delivered to the press. I cannot stop dreaming now about what the development of this story will become and if, contradicting the story I had invented, this new continental couple will not finally show to the world that Continentalism is possible. The fact that the Governor is a Republican adds its political spice to it, for none other than both Bush pushed for the finally failed Free Trade Area of the Americas, that first step toward continental union. Why then the Republicans are asking the Governor to resign when he could become the most important and attractive asset for a new policy in the Americas?

I cannot stop raving. Why would the political career of this loving man being ruined just because he happened to fall in love? Doesn’t it also add a previously unsuspected quality to Republicans letting us know that they can put their hearts and bodies aligned with the universe acknowledging that God has more ways to express his will than we can imagine? Why wouldn’t he divorce in full honesty, faithful to his true feelings and marrying later his soul mate? If we were within a Latin soap opera, this is the way the story would end, because Latinos are prone to follow love where it’s met and also to forgive those who had to take their time discovering what true love is.

On the opposite side of the cultural continent, many American voices are calling to scandal, not noticing that the complete naiveté of confessions is taking what could have been a deplorable affair to the highest level of romance. We are also being slightly and slowly led into the most exquisite international political arena, with the hidden promise of a higher creativity in the U.S. and Latin American relationship. What if this couple became an instrument of history to unite those parted because they never suspected love could exist between them? Latin America the bride, the United States the groom, we can almost see them heading toward a Hollywood ending.

Only a small elegant adjustment needs to take place: the groom has first to become a free man, not to show himself as irresponsible or without those good manners both Americans and Latinos appreciate. Besides this tiny detail, we are all safe dreaming great days to come by the mysterious ways of love, in the magic land of the Americas, still waiting for common, everyday heroes ready to accept their fate and unknown mission in this world.