The NUMBER 2 can mean a pair, a duo, a couple, a duet, a double or even a deputy boss.
For Pablo de Ronda the number 2 has been and still is a significant digit in his life.
He was one of TWO SONS born to Vera and John. Pablo had TWO CHILDREN, of his own, Amy and Tom. Each of them, in turn, has TWO SONS; Amy has Felix and Jude while Tom has Wilbur and Buckley.
[Copyright: Freepik]
Pablo de Ronda gained a joint honours degree in TWO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, Spanish and German. He was awarded a TWO.TWO (2.2). This choice of languages proved to be prescient, since he now lives in Spain and his second wife is German, meaning he uses both on a daily basis.
Pablo had TWO CAREERS in a working life which lasted 30 years and has had TWO MARRIAGES, one before retirement and one since.
Pablo writes here about the significance of this numeral in his past and current life here in Spain, where he has clocked up almost 16 years as a resident.
Life in Andalucia
I’ve been here nearly sixteen years and have lived in TWO HOUSES, one in Montejaque (Málaga) where the German lady, Rita, who is now WIFE NUMBER TWO, was living when I met her in Ronda on 2ND September 2008, and the other just outside Ronda in the pedania known as Fuente de la Higuera.
Rita on the roof terrace of Casa Rita, Montejaque Villa Indiana, nr. Ronda, where we live now
[Photos courtesy of Karl Smallman]
I own TWO HOUSES of my own, my aforementioned domicile and a vivienda rural (holiday rental) in Montejaque, which I have been renovating for the last TWO YEARS.
Casa Real, Montejaque [Photo courtesy of Airbnb]
A previous life
Before my divorce and when I was still working, my first wife and I lived in TWO HOUSES, first in Greater Manchester and then in Cheshire. We also had TWO CANAL BOATS, the first moored on the Bridgewater Canal near our home, and the second on the Rochdale Canal at High Lane, Stockport.
In my second career, I was the NUMBER TWO (Deputy Director) of the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) in St Helens LEA (Merseyside).
***
My first wife and I fell in love with the Ronda area in the year TWO THOUSAND (2000) and over TWO YEARS bought TWO PROPERTIES in Barrio San Francisco, Ronda.
Piso Blanco, Ronda [Photo: Paul Whitelock]
After that major turning point in my life in 2005 (TWO MAJOR EVENTS - redundancy and divorce), I retained the TWO RONDA PROPERTIES and gave up the family home in England to my ex-wife.
Back to Ronda
I met The Meter Maid (Rita - geddit?) in Ronda in TWO THOUSAND and eight (2008), emigrated shortly afterwards and within TWO YEARS we were married.
The nuptials took place in Germany where we had TWO WEDDINGS, one at the Registry Office in Talheim, near Heilbronn, and the other, TWO DAYS LATER, in the Abbey at Maulbronn (Baden-Württemberg).
Our church wedding, 31 July 2010 [Photo: HMR]
We have TWO CARS, both Peugeots, and we have had TWO CATS and TWO DOGS, since we've been together.
The first cat in Montejaque, Cleo, was poisoned by a nasty neighbour; and the second, a rescue kitten called Pauline, who is a recent acquisition and is still with us (she’s trying to bite my toes as I type this!).
The first dog, also Cleo, was a rescue dog, a pedigree, which was stolen and, we think, killed (we know who it was, and José Maria O is currently serving time in Huelva High Security Prison for unrelated offences).
The second, Berti, a pointer, also a rescue dog, was run over and killed by a speeding - we think drunk - driver, who didn’t stop.
Berti, front, with Hungarian pal Cocoa [Photo: PW]
More TWOS
It has recently been reported by Radio Television Española (RTVE) that Spain currently has the NUMBER TWO economy (ie SECOND-BEST) in the world after Singapore.
As Rafael Nadal (Spain) announces his retirement from professional tennis he is SECOND in the all-time list of Grand Slam Winners behind Novak Djokovic (Serbia).
Djokovic is still active and has 24 titles to his name. Nadal has 22. Third is Roger Federer (Switzerland) with 20. Federer is also retired.
After that it’s a long gap down to 14 titles won by Pete Sampras (USA), also long retired.
Rafael Nadal [Photo: El Confidencial]
© Pablo de Ronda
Photos:
Airbnb
El Confidencial
Freepik
HMR
Karl Smallman
Paul Whitelock
Tags:
Airbnb, Baden-Württemberg, Berti, Bridgewater Canal, canal boat, Cheshire, Cleo, Cocoa, El Confidencial, Freepik, Fuente de la Higuera, Grand Slam Winners, Greater Manchester, Heilbronn, High Lane, HMR, Huelva High Security Prison, José Maria O, Karl Smallman, Maulbronn, Novak Djokovic, Pauline, Paul Whitelock, Pete Sampras, Radio Television Española, RTVE, Rafael Nadal, Rochdale Canal, Roger Federer, Ronda, St Helens LEA, Singapore, Stockport, Talheim, Technical and Vocational Education Initiative, TVEI