Random acts of kindness

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of my top 10 all-time favorite authors. I love the imagery he conjures, I love the stories he tells and if he wasn't waayyy too old for me, I'd probably love him. I've read all of his books (even the not so perfect ones) in English but I had only read 1 in it's native Spanish. Until a friend of mine committed an act that is still one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.

This friend is hands down the most wonderfully weird, intellectual, comedic writer/actor I and many others have ever had the pleasure of knowing. His name is Danny Manley and if you ever have the chance to see a play he's written or acting in, don't hesitate. I hope he doesn't mind my plugging his creative endeavors, I would have asked him but his online status is set to sarcophagating. Seriously. If he hadn't completely flaked on being a groomsmen in my wedding, I most likely wouldn't have ever revealed the following.

Danny bought the hardback Vivir para Contarla or Living to tell the tale in its original Spanish and gave it to me. Not for my birthday, nor for any specified holiday, but because he knew I spoke Spanish and of my love for Marquez. He surprised me with it about a day after its release, and was so excited when he presented it to me that it truly pains me to say this; I never finished the book.

I'm not even sure why, it may be the only book I've never read cover to cover in a matter of hours. To make matters worse, I'm something like 10,000 miles away from this book with all the time in the world and can't wait until I go home to visit next month so that I can bring this book back. I've read the reviews, I know it's a great biography and I have an 8 hour layover at London Heathrow.

Danny, if you're reading this, I am so so sorry.