Below are passages from two separate stories, featured in the quarterly journal Acentos Review. One of them is a piece about my grandmother, originally intended for Dominican Mother’s Day. A few lasting memories of who she was and what she meant to our family.
The other is an excerpt from a collection of short stories I am working on, a representation of the social dynamics of life in the Dominican Republic. Each story will be through the eyes of a different character, connected by their brief interaction at the beach.
I hope you enjoy them!
Mamita
I was so accustomed to calling my dad’s mom, Mamita, that I seemed to forget she had a real name. I once hailed a motoconcho in our little town of Castillo.
When he asked where to, I said “adonde Mamita Suárez”
Instinctively he responded “¡a la casa de Doña Lupe!”.
Esa misma.
Maria Guadalupe Suarez, Mamita as we called her. A diminutive and soft-spoken woman, with a mind as sharp as any I had ever seen.
A Day At The Beach
Every morning Miguel rises at 5 am to prepare for the day. He tries to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Ana, but she’s already awake.
“Sigue durmiendo bebé,” he says lightly.
“It’s no use, it’s running on its own schedule. Kicking all night.” She responds.
While getting breakfast ready he envisions what life will be like in a few months and what the future holds in store. He can’t allow his thoughts too much time to wander because he has to get ready for a two-hour ride to the beach. Gathering all the things he’ll need to take, outside their little shack, he can hear the streets of Santo Domingo come alive as vendors start to arrive. Selling fruits and vegetables, cleaning detergents, and clothing. The hustle and bustle remind him that he doesn’t have much time to spare. He runs to the room to kiss Ana and wish her a good day, making sure to rub the belly on the way out while whispering “te quiero, mi cielo”. By the door are two big bundles tied to a hand cart. They’ll make the trip with him by public car, he has to pay for two seats just to be able to bring them on with him. Normally the trip would cost him 100 pesos, but he’s friendly with the driver now and he lets him on for just 80 pesos.