By Moya Zhao

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is an author who has said that memories are the basis for writing. His works were incredibly important for literature and he even won a Nobel prize for literature.

Marquez’s dementia was one of the aspects of his life which he despised, and he had expressed this to his son, Rodrigo Garcia. Rodrigo believed that one of his father’s biggest regrets was not being able to write his memories into stories; so, he has written it for his father in “A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes,” a memoir about the days before the deaths of Gabriel and his wife, many of which were depicting negative characteristics.

Rodrigo wrote about the process of his father’s dementia worsening to the point where he couldn’t recognize faces or remember names, even at one point forgetting about his own works. However, his humor had always remained, and he often joked about his dementia, although his later life was quite somber.

The entirety of Gabriel’s last days were remembered by loved ones who recall the states of grieving experienced. His wife specifically opened up about the troubles she faced after the death of her husband, she discussed her plans to remarry, and the many regrets she had as well.

Rodrigo has also expressed some parts of his own life that are reflected in his writing in “A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes.” He wrote a honest memoir where he many times realized things he hadn’t before. He became aware of the impact he had on both the lives of his father and mother, and even further was able to come to terms with it. This led to many sections showing the remorse he had over not having connected to his parents as much as he would like, writing that he “didn’t know them well enough.”

Rodrigo also expressed that his father’s life was more secretive than many believe. Gabriel had aspects that weren’t even introduced to his son, and this led to many problems in their relationship as a whole, with many of the faces seen at his memorial being unfamiliar towards Rodrigo. Many secrets remain in the past, and memories still beyond reach.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gabriel-Garcia-Marquez

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lGltInXEreJ8MVpTpdZQCy-Z9Uk_tOHq