The long pants

In the dining room, sitting comfortably, watching television were Mauricio and Rosita, she was knitting a shawl for their first great-grandchild. Suddenly he started laughing, she looked at him surprised, what's so funny, he couldn't stop laughing and between laughs, he said to her the long pants, remember, old girl? She smiled back knowingly.

They had been sweethearts since they met in kindergarten. They lived in houses next to each other, they were the same age, in kindergarten he used to say when I grow up I'm going to marry her, everyone laughed and the grown-ups were amused. They started primary school together, did their homework together, they were inseparable.

When he turned 12 he wanted to give her a kiss like he saw on TV, and she wouldn't let him, not until you have long pants. (Back then boys wore short pants.) The long pants were a symbol of entering adulthood, in Jewish families boys at 13 have a ceremony that means you're entering adulthood, and usually that day they put on their first pair of long pants.

As Mauricio was about to turn 13 his mother bought him for the occasion (bar mitzvah, a suit with long pants). That night she told him put the pants on, I have to mark the hem for you. Mauricio put them on and his mother pinned up the length and said, "Alright, now take them off carefully so you don't get them dirty," he ran off, his mother desperate behind him, he burst like a hurricane into Rosita's house, the family was about to sit down to dinner, everyone was startled to see him, without looking at anyone he went straight to Rosita and gave her his first kiss on the lips, the family didn't understand but everyone cheered.

He told her now I have long pants. Well, he said now to Rosita, I'm wearing pajamas with short pants but all the same, he hugged her, kissed her and said for all the happiness we've shared over so many years.