The Legendary Captain Magic and his Exploding Cigar
Chapter 13. About how cigars and how they explode
San Lucas del Pulque, Estado de México, México
As time went by, his fame became legendary. Due to his extraordinary ability to dodge bullets, and ultimately, death itself, Grandfather was christened as The Wizard. Among the troops, his feats and prowess were embellished as their narrations spread amongst them. Finally, these stories were gradually transformed into a myth: The Captain Magic and his Exploding Cigar!
Each war comes with its own heroes and legends tucked beneath its arms. In my family’s case, both of these were true. My father, Darío José, was a hero. He received his first military award when I had still not reached my second birthday. His duties in the armed forces led him to relocate to Estelí and Matagalpa in the country’s northern region. He would secretly return to Leon whenever possible. Both my mother and I agreed that those visits were always too brief. During his absence, my Grandfather Jairo would keep me company. In those long intervals, he would do everything in his power to fill the gap that my father left behind him.
It has been said that legends describe ordinary folk, to whom extraordinary circumstances and their surprising capacity to overcome them have converted them into exceptional characters. That was what my grandfather represented to me. He was that great man, always loving, cheerful, and with a smile, forever placing his trust in life and his destiny. And, of course, invariably hiding a sugarcane or coconut candy, somewhere in one of the pockets of his officer’s uniform, making it appear, together with his eternal smile, from nowhere, by artful magic and deceit, right in front of my eyes. At the end of the day, for all those people that never got to know him as I did, in the intimacy of his love and affection, he was that hero, Captain Magic. But, to me, he will always be that presence, that by closing my eyes, I can evoke:
“Kiddo, where are you hiding that I can’t find you?”
“Haha, right here, behind you, Grandpa!”
“You scoundrel! What are you hiding inside that elephant’s ear of yours?”
“Wow, gramps. Mmmm, what delicious sugarcane sweets. They must be magical. How is it they come out of my ears? And these…? They’re coconut flavored?”
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