When Marianne Ferrucci first learned that her husband was seriously ill from a mysterious viral infection, she went out on the second floor balcony of their house in northern Mexico, gazed up at the sky and the mountains, and said aloud to herself, “It is very important to stay in touch with the eternal.” She […]
Continue ReadingThe agent is a point that shifts position. No choice but to run, hide, drift: bus after bus, one last run and goodbye to this country for good – but never the nightmare that encapsulates it. J2191948… J2191948… I’d slurped down some tacos of dubious origin in Magdalena, flipped a coin and called it for […]
Continue ReadingUntil the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. -Song of Solomon Summer day of bougainvillea, wild poinsettia and swaying jacarandas – carefree, carefree – a dry wind carried the restless spirit of the future on its back, fanned by strange […]
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Only the official registration form on file in the archives and my now-aging memory can attest to Celestino’s entry in the 1952 contest, the year of his biggest loss. The neighbors only saw him carry from his workshop a lump the size of a small dog like those that sleep in the street, covered by […]
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The tiny casita glowed in apricot hues and beamed welcoming blue trim around the doorway. The mixed scent of flowers and earth hung in the air like rich incense. Ducking under a brilliant mauve bougainvillea, Sharon Advena pushed open the unlocked door with her patterned sarong and turned to unload the storage boxes on the tile floor. […]
Continue ReadingThe passenger side headlight of the big green van shattered just as the gout of blood hit the windshield. The two animals, together, weighed about a 130 pounds but Sam felt only a slight bump. He slammed on the breaks, swerved slightly to the right and came to rest in a cloud of dust on […]
Continue ReadingT-Boned. Gringos would use the word T-Boned to describe the accident. The police report, in Spanish, would simply say golpe en el lado, hit on the side. When the big diesel water truck slammed on the brakes it was already too late. The heavy-duty grill drove the driver’s side door of the little tan Mexican car into […]
Continue ReadingFrom my seat near the aisle I am so close to the glowing casket that I can almost touch it. Although I was baptized 70 years ago, until I came to this little Mexican town I had only seen the inside of a Catholic church two or three times. But now from time to time […]
Continue ReadingWhen I moved to La Ribera, a small pueblo just north of Cabo San Lucas in Baja California, Martín was already a fixture on my little dirt street. At first, I felt uneasy when I saw this strange Mexican near my gate; but over time I feared him less, then began to expect him, walking […]
Continue ReadingWhen Ramon handed the ball to me, I was pleased to find it was latex, not some synthetic material. It was probably very old, made from raw rubber. This one did not have a human skull inside. As I handed the guy my credit card for the rental car, an ominous voice inside me was […]
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