Book of Love Letters Canadian Kinship, Friendship, and Romance

vIVA MERCEDES! VIVA PIERRE! In 1971, while he was touring Europe on leave from his job as a cook at a catering company in Gillam, Manitoba, Pierre Michel Trudeau met Mercedes Roman at a dance in Madrid. After the dance, she gave him her home address in Bilbao, and a month later he came to see her. They spent fifty-three days getting to know one another ("no monkey besseness") and falling in love. Before Pierre returned to Canada, he promised they would be married in a year. With the determination of her Basque ancestors, Mercedes began to undo her life in Spain telling her family she was going to marry and move to Canada, deciding what possessions she would give away or take with her, and, finally, quitting her interesting and secure job. During a 440-day separation, the pair continued their courtship in probing letters, written in English because neither could speak the other's native language well. They asked questions ("Can you drive?" "What song you like more?"), discussed philosophy and morality, and arranged the practicalities of their wedding. Gillam May 14 1972 Amor mio Mercedes. I hope you are very well, I receive you letter of May 1 . . . Mercedes don't be fear (miedo). I love you profondo, whit admiration, I think about you every day, I just think the day we be together for always. I sufriendo [suffer] also, here not very, very interressing specialy for the moral[e], you know Mercedes I live here in Gillam just for you that very true, if I never see you or never rencontror you angel mio I think I live for september to try find a job any where, specialy in the big boat (barco) go every where in mondo. But I am responsable of our love, I live just for that to be with you, amor, and it is necessary make sacrifice for me and also for you. I know it is difficult. Mercedes, I want married you, I love you profondo. I never love before. I think not to many angel like Mercedes in the mondo, I know. But, you pensor serious the difficulty, the sacrifice for you here in America, specialy in Canada that not a dream, that reality ... I want you whit me to be happy not be sadness, the married that for always . . . If I have $5000 today, I going to married you tomorrow. You understand not just a question of time (day), question also of money security ... I tell you the situation here, now, all goes well ... I can put in banco, 25,000 peseta by month. That very good money... Confianza in Pierre . . . That all for now. Hasta pronto angel mio. I love you profondo whit all my alma [soul], my hearth, my mind. Bye! Bye! Pierre xxx Bilbao Espana June 25, 1972 Querido [beloved] and amado Pierre: Hello, amor mio, how are you? Today I have received your letter 16 June and pretty card and Kettle Project Manitoba Hydro and photo of parkas . . . Pierre, amor mio, I'm very very happy because I have given to you sorpresa [surprise] with my big photo, but now I have sorpresa because you tell me I'm pretty and beautiful. You never tell me that before. Always everywhere the people tell me I'm very pretty less you . I was a little timid with you because you don't see pretty at Mercedes. Amor mio, why do you give so much (tanta) importance into physical? I think is more import the quality and to be virtuous. You tell me I have great personality. Is true. Everywhere the people tell me too. I think perhaps I have excess the personality... Pierre, vida mia, I want what your moral[e] to be good. If some time you are triste (sad) or your moral is low (baja), you look at me in the photo and you think what my eyes it's to emit (dar) ray of amor at Pierre. OH! PierreGrescoe, Paul is the author of 'Book of Love Letters Canadian Kinship, Friendship, and Romance', published 2005 under ISBN 9780771035586 and ISBN 0771035586.