Araceli Cano it boasted of its roots. “Born and married 66 years ago in Arona” was the first phrase that came from her lips, last June, when we met with her and her cousin Guadalupe Frías at the Casa de la Bodega for a report on ancient customs in the municipality. In that dialogue, which was also attended by the Councilor for Historical Heritage, José Alberto Rodríguez, we discovered two people with a prodigious memory and a great sense of humor.
Araceli’s death at the age of 93, last week, has left a great void in the town of Arona, where she was much loved. Before leaving, he left a large part of his memories and his voice in a chest that the City Council cares for like a treasure: an atlas of intangible heritage to safeguard knowledge, customs, trades, expressions and stories. The project, still in progress, is based on the story of the elders of the municipality and thanks to their testimonies it will be possible to draw a sound and graphic map that will help to reinforce the feeling of identity.
“Remembering is always beautiful and traditions should not be forgotten”, said Araceli, who passionately relived the years of childhood in which “we played shuffleboard, rope and dolls that we made with stalks, because there was nothing to buy … We were happy in our own way. He recalled his youth, “when we learned how to make rosettes (a type of needle lace on a pillow characteristic of the South in the 19th and 20th centuries) to sell and buy something from ourselves. We were girls, there was no other ”.
Araceli’s skill with the needle and thread – she continued sewing in the window of her house until the end of her days – was accredited with the cutting and sewing title obtained in 1951 with an outstanding mark. She was the first official teacher in the municipality to teach sewing classes, her great passion. Guadalupe explained that her cousin “made very nice outfits” to go to the dances, “not like now, that the girls are half naked.”
Araceli said that she met her husband, Francisco, who is still living “as a girl”. “We were neighbors, his house faced the sunrise and mine faced the west, we went to school together and at the age of 25 we fell in love; on July 7, we were married for 66 years ”. They had three children, Paco, Conrado and Domingo, “who better, they have never given me a complaint.”
When asked about the secret of his longevity and good health, he replied: “milk and gofio, which lengthens life.” The typical Canarian food was not lacking in her daily diet and clarified that in the middle of the last century “there were no yogurts or anything like that” and that she did not like “potingues”.
He also remembered the visits of Don Manuel Cabrera, the only doctor who was notified when a neighbor fell ill. “In those years there were no practitioners and many families made prayers, they made us believe in that.”
“Although he had a pacemaker, he was in good health and you could see him at the window making rosettes,” Councilor José Alberto Rodríguez told this newspaper yesterday, with whom Araceli and her cousins Guadalupe and Amada toured the places where they played as children. . “They were very grateful for him after confinement and were excited to remember their childhood and youth. They taught me where they played, where they danced, where they walked… ”, said the mayor.
Araceli left, but first she left her best gift: a story that Arona will always be grateful for. Those who knew her will always remember her fondly. The same that she transmitted in her comments and her actions. “My house is there for when I want to have coffee”, was the last sentence he addressed to us after almost an hour of conversation.
