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Home Again

The past is never forgotten

By Claudia RodriguezPublished 2 years ago 9 min read
1
Pictures of Guatemala

I finally had a chance to make my way back home, so much time had passed, yet the town was still pretty much the same as if time stood still, a few things were different like the grocery store, it was a national company that had arrived in town yet still small, there were 2 more gas stations and the end of the road was extended by a few more blocks to make way for a few more local shops, and exactly 25 new houses, My father said that was the agreement only a small number of houses, a few more stores and that the main road that led back to the highway would not be overpopulated.

I was home, all the familiar faces that greeted me with a smile made me feel warm and welcomed, so different from the city, no rush, no loud noises, As I woke up to fresh-brewed coffee, and warm homemade cinnamon rolls, I made my way to the kitchen, and there she was my abuelita getting ready to go to the market for the daily fresh picks, I hugged her and she handed me a big cup of coffee with a splash of fresh milk, yes as fresh as about 20 minutes from barn to table. At the ranch everything was fresh, homemade, and delicious, I'd forgotten how simple life was.

I had spent 5 years away and had gotten used to the city hustle and bustle but here. oh no! here you had to stop and slow down to enjoy life. I came home to work, I finished my degree and as soon as I was done I packed my bags to come back here, I did get an offer to stay in the city and begin working at a hospital, but as good as the offer was I couldn't stay away another day.

My friends thought I was crazy: not to accept the offer, or the opportunity to maybe make a life with the coveted Dr, Leandro Cartagena. We dated a few times, but nothing serious, I was not ready. Spring is here and the work is constant. I am happy I was able to convince my friends Mary and Celeste to come to San Felipe to spend a few days here before heading back to their career and plans for the future. ;

We all made our way to market with abuelita, and the day began; so much to show them, and as we went from store to store they fell in love with how friendly everyone was, and all the antiques and handmade items they found. We headed back home and began helping in the kitchen to make a meal that would feed all the 27 people now working at the ranch, most of them related family. And even the ones who were not blood-related were considered family, they had grown up in the ranch or nearby. Mary and Celeste were so excited to be a part of something so big, they never really had something like that they grew up in the city.

Dinner was ready by 5 pm, and everyone made their way into the dining room which housed 3 very large dining tables, the tables had been hand-carved by my grandfather one at a time in a 20-year span, I loved being there in the barn with him, he would take a piece of wood and create this beautiful pieces of furniture that filled the main house. And at Christmas time he also had some toys that he had made for the kids.

Thinking about that got me curious about the barn, and after dinner, I made my way over to the end of the field to the old barn now used as a full woodworking station by my brother, a new barn had been built further out, where the horses and other animals were housed, I reached the barn just at dusk, and there in the quiet evening I heard that familiar rustle of feathers, I made my way up the rafters just like before and to my delight, they were there, four beautiful owls, they had expanded their living space, could tell they were different, but related possibility to the ones from my childhood, they looked happy and curious as they looked at me invading their space, I could not help but smile. Grandpa had made several wood replicas of these owls and had claimed them to be part of our family.

I came to this barn so many times, to hide from a chore, to do homework or to spend time with the one boy I had hoped would be my one and only. We were just kids growing up together making plans that would not solidify because at 15 life is not secure yet.

As I made my way back down realizing I had been lost in thought for a good hour, I heard a voice from the past call out to me, and as I reached the floor, there stood Frankie Torres; arms crossed, looking at me as if I were a 10-year-old who just cheated in a game. My heart sank to the ground, my mouth went dry and all the memories of days gone by came flooding back, including the day I said goodbye. Before I knew it I was in tears and yelling at him “ I hate you I hate you”

He let me break down and let it all out, and finally said “I have been back for a month and came looking for you but was told you were still in the city, I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me again, so I waited. I can leave if that is what you want?” I looked at him and all my resentment from back then dissolved, we had never spoken about what happened the day he was taken away from me and I was left to go thru high school alone, with no one to give me hope about the future,

At 15 you feel so many emotions, that it’s hard to see anything past the events of what you thought was going to be your life.

He was taken away for the murder of a family of horses, five of them that lived in the wild, I knew he was innocent but he stayed silent to protect my honor. That was the night of the winter dance, we left the school early and he walked me home, it was quite dark and cold, snow had started falling, Frankie gave me his jacket and we made a run to the barn, looking to spend some time to ourselves, after a couple of hours while we roasted some marshmallows that we always kept hidden with some other goodies, and siped some apple cider, the strong kind, we heard a commotion, grandpa got in the truck and drove off as my brothers took off too. Frankie told me to go home and stay quiet while he went to find out what was going on. As he reached the north end of the ranch he got on his truck and followed the others, but as he got there, he was attacked by the Galicia Boys, they drenched him in whiskey, and threw him out on the field near the dead horses, he was passed out, when my father and grandfather got there, the rifle lying by his side. No other witnesses, I had left for the dance with my cousin but she had ditched me for her boyfriend, which is why it was so easy to go with Frankie back to the barn, he had parked away from the main house so we could walk quietly and unseen.

3 years locked up, trying to convince them that he was innocent, that he was attacked, that his attackers were the Galicia Boys. no one listened until it happened again 0ne year later, and this time it was a human life left on the field too. Frankie never spoke about it, he enlisted and left town, sure he would never come back.

As he told me all about that night I felt chills down my spine, I should have spoken up, but he swore me to secrecy. I was young and scared. I said nothing. I never knew what had happened to him just that I saw him in the clinic the next day, then they sent him away to detention in another county, and once he turned 18 he was out he enlisted and left without a word. I graduated high school and left for college. Never fully recovered from what had happened that night.

As we stood there talking about the events of so long ago, I began to feel the same emotions of long ago, and I realized I never stopped loving him, I had gone away but he still lingered in my head. Before we knew it was almost midnight and we had been talking for hours, so much to catch up on, he apologized for keeping me out so late. We both also realized that we are grownups now, and laughed out loud. He walked me back to the main house, we said good night, with a silent promise of tomorrow.

The next day came, to my embarrassment my abuelita was ready to talk about the late-night walk with a gentleman caller. I turned red but faced the music. She was teasing me of course and said that he had actually asked them for their permission to spend some time with me in the barn. Oh my abuelita, I love her so much. Afterward, we had coffee and talked about the owls, she said that they were the same couple from my childhood and the other two were their children. How beautiful a family of owls lived in our barn.

It's been ten years since my return, and Frankie and I have children of our own, we have built our own barn and we wait for an owl family to adopt us. The town has grown another 10 houses, and 3 more ranches, one of them ours, I joined Dr. Bertolo in his practice but still make my way to grandmas house for coffee every morning, she hasn’t slowed down, and know owns a bakery in town, and my grandfather's wood pieces sell at the Torres trading post.

Short Story
1

About the Creator

Claudia Rodriguez

I am a nature loving person who finds the indoors quite suffocating after a while, I find inspiration in the beauty of a mountain, the flight of a bird or the soft swaying of a flower in the wind.

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