A Happy Marriage- Rafael Yglesias

I had a bit of trouble spelling the author's name. Got this book during Border's sale for perhaps $5 or $2. How could such a great book come at such a low price?? This a love story (not exactly in that romantic sense) that spanned 30 years, and it uncannily resembled the author's own life. The story began with Enrique and Margaret meeting for the first time, at his home. And so boy meets girl, boy falls in love, girl falls in love, and you get the picture. Margaret and Enrique got married, had a child, and that's when the marriage fell apart. Margaret was too tired with the baby to attend to Enrique and because of the lack of attention he was getting, he had an affair. All these are just too familiar isn't it? We hear these stories all the time- that women focused all their attention on their children and then the men get up to some monkey businesses, just because he doesn't get as much attention as before. That is pretty unfair. Given all the hard work a woman puts into bearing and raising a child (not forgetting getting fat), a man should chip in his efforts and stop being a selfish, attention-seeking child. And that was exactly what Enrique was.
Enrique thought he did not love Margaret anymore and told her about the affair. They went for marriage counselling and Margaret broke. That surprised Enrique. He had thought Margaret did not love him anymore as well. They decided to give the marriage another go and later, when Margaret was diagnosed with cancer, Enrique then realised how much he loved Margaret and could not bear the idea of losing her. That was pretty sad. You only realised how much you love someone when that person is dying. By then, things could be a little too late but perhaps, not that late as well.
Enrique put on his best behaviour, caring for Margaret, becoming her nurse. In sickness, there is often very little dignity. Because you have lost the ability to care for yourself, you have lost the ability to project the image that you want others to see. People see you for who you are, in all your nakedness.
This was a simple yet compelling read. Everything was about ordinary people, ordinary lives, even their love was ordinary yet exceptional at the same time. It hits very close to home and makes it all very real.