A heavy set senior man leaned slightly forward on an Eskazu town square bench, as if he was waiting on a friend.
A worn brown sun hat partially shaded his weather mottled complexion.
He wore the signature beige hip pocketed travel shorts, football sized white sneakers and perfectly pulled up white socks.
His Santa like stomach strained against the button holes of his checkered blue shirt.
We figured he might be a fellow traveler, checking out Costa Rica.
So we introduced ourselves as we are- two Canadian travelers. We shook hands. His name was George, from Texas. He invited us to sit awhile and chat.
He began to tell us bits and pieces of his life as if we were old friends.
We settled back and listened.
George and his former wife owned a massive ranch in Texas. Cows, horses. Equipment, country music. It was hard work. A business. Hired hands, accountants, long days spent riding, training beautiful horses, buying, selling. He loved every second of his life back then.
George and his wife had a daughter.
So far, so good.
But then George's daughter was hit by a car, a farm accident. Tears rolled down his face as he explained what happened next.
"I rushed to her, called an ambulance, did not leave her side at the hospital for the three days she was in a coma. I prayed beside her bed. She didn't recognize anyone, but I saw her eyes flick when I talked to her. I cried, asked God to let her live, made promises I planned to keep."
"Back then, I was the kind of man who wanted to do everything by myself. I was too stubborn to accept help. When my daughter was in the hospital, my neighbors offered to do the haying for me. I refused their help, and I regret that."
His daughter survived the accident, and has a scar on her body as a souvenir. That mark, explained George, was meant to remind her that if she survived the worst day of her life, she can achieve anything. George's daughter lives in the USA. He didn't say what she does for a living, and we didn't interrupt.
"I made lots of mistakes in my life."
George wiped his eyes. His marriage exploded, he gave his wife half of everything, meaning, he lost his beloved ranch.
"It was the fair thing to do."
He began traveling to Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica.
He bought and sold horses and land.
He drifted.
Then he went to Thailand.
George had money to burn. No problem with money, even now. He wasn't bragging, simply telling his story.
While in Chiang Mai Thailand, George visited a small school.
The head teacher showed him around. A young partially blind female student needed a complicated eye operation. She and her parents had been saving up for the treatment, which could only be done by a specialist in a certain Bangkok hospital.
George wanted to make up for some of his mistakes. He felt bad about his divorce, selling the ranch, blamed himself for his daughter's accident.
He offered to pay for the operation. The head teacher contacted the student's parents, and once they realized George was serious, they brought their daughter to Bangkok, where she had a successful eye operation, and is now back in school.
George paid for the family transport to the hospital, paid the bill and walked away feeling good.
What makes George happy in his senior years, is giving back. He wants nothing in return.
After visiting many countries, George chose Escazu, CR, where he bought a little house near the town square. He spends part of the year visiting his daughter in Texas.
He then, in his bluesy Texan voice said this:
"Ah swore up down and sahdways Ah'd never marry again, but dang it, Ah met a woman down here and married her. We have a son. She and ah don't speak, even though she lives somewhere close to me. Ah don't care to know where. My son comes over to my house a couple times a week. Ah pay for his schooling, clothes, everything he needs. So far, he's a good kid."
"My body is all messed up from riding horses. Ah need a back operation. Ah saw a specialist here in CR who said he could do it. The pain is bad. It takes me dang forever to walk anywhere. Ah like to sit here in the square and think."
He looks me square in the eyes.
"The pain is bad. But what if the operation fails"?
I look into his face. What do I say?
"George, it's your decision."
"Yeah, ah know, ah can afford it, but what if it turns out bad?"
I held his hand.
The hand of a stranger.
George
Me
Mister GPS
The three of us watched a boy chase a runaway basketball across the square.
Two public buses rolled by.
A short legged dog wandered along the street, nose down, heading toward something good.
Somewhere.
