His day starts early. His shift at the Post Office, where he has worked since 2002, begins at seven in the morning and finishes at half past two in the afternoon. “Whether I’m delivering letters and parcels or out on the bike, I realise that we all need someone to listen, really listen, to us,” Fernando says. “Naturally, when I deliver post to businesses or farmhouses, I’m on the clock; but sometimes the neighbours stop you, and you can tell they need a moment’s conversation. They appreciate a few minutes of unhurried chat, even if it’s just to get something off their chest or to feel like someone is paying attention. A smile goes a long way too. That’s why I try to deliver the letters in a friendly way and spread a little cheer. People always appreciate it, and the neighbours have thanked me for it on more than one occasion.”
When the working day is over, the routine moves home: “When I get back, I have lunch and wait for my father, who is looked after at a day centre because of his illness. In the afternoons I usually care for him myself, taking turns with my sister, who comes round on certain days, especially on the weekends.”
Friends on wheels
Before joining the Post Office, Fernando worked as the personal chauffeur of a distinguished lady from high society, driving her for family and personal trips. He recalls with a smile that, that period of his career had the charm of the film Driving Miss Daisy, transformed in his case into a trustful, understanding relationship that left him with many fond memories.
Sometimes, for instance, his “boss” would ask him for ideas to organise a special celebration or one of her grandchildren’s birthdays. Fernando recalls that on one occasion he invited a surfer friend of his who designed boards along to have tea, and on another he suggested hiring a magician who was a former pupil of his school. These events were always a success: “The lady’s grandchildren were delighted with the results,” he recalls. “In that household they thought I had a very wide social circle, and it was true... though it’s more accurate to say that they were a very varied group of people I knew through going to the Opus Dei centre.”
That same spirit of encounter carries over into his weekends, when he usually goes cycling with a group of friends. “We cover between 70 and 100 kilometres around the Bilbao area, trying to vary the routes. When a cyclist falls a bit behind, you notice that perhaps they’re tired that day or simply need some company. We also stop halfway through the ride for a drink, and that’s the perfect time to keep the conversation going, and above all to listen.”
The roots of a vocation and a book club
Fernando studied at Gaztelueta, a school that celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. That’s where he first encountered Opus Dei. When he finished his secondary studies, he asked for admission to Opus Dei as an associate. He remembers the day, while he was still in school, when someone from the centre came to visit his parents to explain what Opus Dei was, and how his mother casually interrupted to tell them she already knew about the Work.
“The story goes back to the time when my mother was caring for my grandmother in a very small village, ten kilometres from Aguilar de Campoo, in Palencia,” Fernando recounts. “At that time, a new doctor arrived in the village and was assigned to care for my grandmother. He did so with exceptional care and professionalism. He even had her transferred to the provincial hospital so she could receive better follow-up treatment. My mother heard a rumour that this doctor belonged to Opus Dei. So one day she asked him directly, and he confirmed it. No further explanation was needed.”
Today, the bond with his former schoolmates lives on through another of his great passions. “Some time ago, a group of us former Gaztelueta pupils got a book club going,” Fernando concludes. “We meet once a month to present the book we’ve read, discuss it together, and enjoy a small glass of something local. It’s an hour of warm, cultural conversation, and, once again, the perfect time to listen.”