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And to die… nobody’s in a hurry
Chapter 3… The Chinandegan magpies “But I don´t remember any aunties with such strange names; did they die already?” “They´re dead all right, you can be sure of that!” he replied with a huge grin. “Look, this happened when I was around seven years old. Miss Clarissa, at the time, was probably close to ninety.…
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Two soft-boiled eggs in the mornings
For him, his routines were the spiritual equivalent of praying in church, and so, he avoided the possibility of novelties, surprises or improvisations penetrating the comfortably absolute emptiness of his life. “Bearing that in mind, I’ll briefly describe one of his morning routines… As I mentioned, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, he had two…
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Corporals, Sargent and Grandmothers
He liked to have others do his thinking for him, felt secure when obeying orders, how he rejoiced when on parade, as they marched on time, his companions of arms in perfect and synchronized order, never stepping ahead of them, and much less, falling behind, carrying the waving flag on his shoulder with pride… …
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And the cheeks too
Chapter 3… The Chinandegan magpies “Yes and no chile. In my case, and not feeling at all like a hero, I had to pay with a peck on the cheek! And right on top of that silly makeup, they plastered their ugly faces with.” “Wow! That sounds more like a scary tale than a fairy…
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Spinning routines
From her vantage point, in a beam of the ceiling high above the room, the spider silently spun her web, while observing the humans that below her, went about their incomprehensible daily routines “There’s not much to be said about my grandmother. Her life was as sparing as her conversations. She spent her days in…
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Life’s dreams
Chase your dreams, before they slip away Ruby Tuesday, The Rolling Stones “Of course, when I found out that I would be moving to Rugby and live with my grandparents, I received those happy tidings most cheerfully. It’s not easy to imagine the relief I felt. I would then leave Mary Louise behind and her…
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The quest for candies
Chapter 3… The Chinandegan magpies “This will give you an idea, of what life was like back then, when I was growing up! I would walk from my house to a store, called ‘Hope Store’ (La Esperanza). The owner, doña Lencha sold all the available candies in the world. Well this store was maybe, eighty…
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Unexpected changes
How hard it must be… to leave everything behind in the search of a new life “Outside my prison, the world was moving on, yet, at home, everything remained immobile, the shadow of a dying absolute truth with nothing more to add. I was a forgotten prisoner, left behind, living in a static, stagnated universe.…
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A world without laughter
In her bed, she tossed around, turning over and over, anguished and afraid that somebody might be having a good time… From Foundation, by Issac Asimov “You did not get to know my custodian and thank heavens for that blessing! It is an experience I would never wish for any other unfortunate to experience” he…
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The town’s bicycles
Chapter 3… The Chinandegan magpies “My honey chile when I was, more or less, your age, I grew up in Chinandega. You could say, I knew everybody that lived in that flea-smitten town (if not, at least, everybody knew about me!). I knew the newly born babies, whose faces were all wrinkled up, and I…