An enigmatic smile ….. Chapter IX: The girl and the mango tree      At that moment, I caught this exquisite fragrance in the air. For some reason or other, it reminded me of Christmas. When I told Grandmother she listened very seriously and for a short while was very thoughtful.      After a…

Black rain ….. Chapter IX: The girl and the mango tree      While Grandmother and I were decorating the altar (which had a small-scale replica of the Cerro Negro), she began to talk about the ash fall-outs. It seemed like ancient history, but even so, I was interested in what she had to say.…

Who causes so much happiness? ….. Chapter IX: The girl and the mango tree      And it was to the shout of:      “Who causes all this happiness?” when performed at the top of their lungs that these groups would stop at an altar, crying out loudly from the street. Everybody carried bags;…

Explosions from another time and another moment of life ….. Chapter IX: The girl and the mango tree      Helplessly I submitted, relishing the shear chaotic noise, instant by instant. I drank in the anarchic uproar of sounds and explosions, as they ultimately surrounded that city and finally ensnared it in its grasp. And…

A city caught in an undying moment ….. Chapter IX: The girl and the mango tree      For sixty minutes on each occasion, the city was covered in the most incredible, ear-splitting and totally deafening uproar that I have ever experienced!      It was an unbearable pandemonium, unleashed between the churches of the…

Streets that taste of gunpowder ….. Chapter IX: The girl and the mango tree      For sixty minutes on each occasion, the city was covered in the most incredible, ear-splitting and totally deafening uproar that I have ever experienced!      It was an unbearable pandemonium, unleashed between the churches of the city (ringing…

Festivities, altars and shouts ….. Chapter IX: The girl and the mango tree      Towards the front of the patio was a huge, bright green, metallic gate. It opened precisely across the street from doña Martina’s store, where we bought the corn tortillas; though perhaps not as fresh as the street vendor’s, still they…

Trees and unforgettable memories ….. Chapter IX: The 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…