Short stories of a long journey

Month: December 2015

  • About how to move around

    “I believe that I have journeyed and wandered over the most part of the planet. In large and very modern airplanes, and as well, in the most rudimentary, antique and quite worn out ones. Yes, I have flown in tiny, small airplanes that took off from state of the art airports with amazing concrete runways,…

  • My poor broken down worlds

    Chapter I    My poor broken down worlds Grandfather Jairo was the comet that suddenly appeared or disappeared from the skies of my childhood. Constantly travelling, Grandfather was born into this world, bearing the gift of being present in different places at the same time, tucked neatly under his arm. Even when he was far…

  • The García girl’s wedding

    Chapter II  The Garcías girls wedding He was the third of five brothers, and she was the third of five sisters. At the time, the main church of Chinandega, the beautiful parish of Our Lady of Santa Ana was going through repairs. Sadly, the church had sustained heavy damage during the main earthquake of 1925.…

  • Baptizing the celebrities

    Chapter III:  Baptizing the celebrities Grandfather was baptised in a small town called El Viejo, which literally means The Old Town. The old church had a well-known baptismal font, and it was quite famous as a matter of fact, as it dated back to the year 1560. The beautiful font’s antique base had been completely…

  • The Chinandegan Magpies

    Chapter IV   The Chinandegan Magpies “When I was a child, I learned an important lesson, and I believe it’s helpful still. I discovered that we all need our own personal space, to be alone with our thoughts, our feelings, and with ourselves. The bicycle ride, to the port, in the mornings was my personal space.…

  • Of poor lovesick poets

    Chapter V:     Of poor lovesick poets Grandfather was about to become twelve years old, and in those days, he was considered young but of age. As it happened, don Ernesto, his grandfather on the maternal side, was not growing any younger, and, more to the point, his health was slowly failing. For that…

  • Manuela and eternal love

    Chapter VI:  Manuela and eternal love It could, or not, be said, that in the life of every great man, there is a great woman to be found at his side. In a few words, Grandmother Manuela was certainly an extraordinary woman, and Grandfather Jairo was also a great man. Her sweet disposition and the…

  • About the trenches and the multiplication tables

    Chapter VII:  About the trenches and the multiplication tables A few years after their marriage, Grandfather Jairo bought the stately and colonial mansion from his mother. She had inherited the house from her parents after her own marriage. The house was in the historic center of the old colonial city of León, and it was…

  • When older brothers marry

    Chapter VIII:  When older brothers marry Talking about large families, my father was the apple that fell close to the tree; or if you prefer: like father, like son, as you will. My name is Francisca Díaz, and I am the eldest of five brothers and four sisters. Ten siblings may sound numerous, but my…

  • The little girl and the mango tree

    Chapter IX  The little girl and the mango tree At the time I lived in León, and I happened to be at home with Grandmother. We were both outside on the beautiful southern patio of the house. Though the day had been unbearably hot, it was cool in the shade, amongst its many trees. Some…