Christmas Time
Christmas time arrived on a day warm like any other. In Curva del Río where electricity is readily available, some houses were decorated with festive lights.
In Lado Oeste, celebration meant going to days-long church marathons in Curva del Río in the days leading up to, and through Christmas. I assumed the same happened in Ladera as most of the people there were of the same religion.
Only a skeleton crew, so to speak, remained in Lado Oeste, keeping watch on the homes. Add to that, a storm passed through and the flooded river made crossing alternately dangerous and difficult.
Prior to Christmas time, I had begun experimenting with making flour tortillas. My first attempt at them resulted in tortilla-looking pancakes. Corn tortillas were easier to make, as one only needs Maseca (brand corn-flour), water, and a small tortilla press as well as plastic to keep the masa from sticking. Flour tortillas are more finicky requiring a good ratio of water, flour, and vegetable shortening. Add to that, they're more of a pain to roll out.
On the eve of Christmas, a family from elsewhere who was temporarily staying in Lado Oeste invited me over to eat and watch a movie. I agreed, and got to work on some tortillas as my contribution. I recall that while I was rolling out tortillas so that they would be ready to cook, Kobäre ran into the house and started playing at my feet. I was mildly annoyed at first, but then I looked down and realized he was playing with his prey.
Blood was streaked across the floor and my foot as he decapitated a mouse and began consuming the body. I quickly went to wash my feet vigorously before returning to clean up the blood left over. At the very least, Kobäre didn't leave left-overs. Now I know why no mice were stirring the night before Christmas.
Morbidity aside, my Christmas miracle came in creating an item of food that could be defined as a flour tortilla.
First Batch of True Tortillas
For those who might be interested in making flour tortillas for themselves, I used the assistance of Mely Martinez's website "México en Mi Cocina". Information on how to make flour tortillas can be found here.
While the website sets you on the path, it ultimately takes practice to start making good flour tortillas.
Anyways, I contributed these tortillas when I arrived later in the night. I was offered a plethora of "unusual" fruits such as a pear, some grapes and an apple. On top of this, they gave me rice with chicken.
On their phone, set up across from the seating on a table played the movie Falcon Rising (2014). Why that movie? No idea. But a movie is a movie.
The following morning, Christmas morning, we got more rain. I suppose it was the closest we could get to a snowy Christmas.
New Year's Eve
I had been invited over to Bernardino's home during the day in Ladera. His family had prepared a small feast and also offered gifts for the children. As for the gifts, I cannot remember if the tradition is to give gifts during this time, or if they were supposed to be given at Christmas but delayed for other reasons.
I recall feeling a little queasy after eating, but I suppressed any urge to vomit.
I was surprised when suddenly they pulled out a piñata for the kids to hit. Unlike the ones I've seen in the United States and México, these ones were filled with flour as well as candy. The result was a powdery mess all over the floors and the children who scrambled to collect the candy. It may well be that the flour is intended to be fun and/or part of tradition, but it also had the effect of marking those adults who intervened in the fray.
The event wrapped up in the afternoon. Most people, including Bernardino had plans to be elsewhere. As did I. I had been invited to spend the night with Nelly of Curva del Río. She owned a home in Ladera, and was listed as my back-up host family. However, the fact that she never got to be my host-mom didn't stop her from referring to me as monso tikwe (my son).
Come dinner time, I had to refuse food. My digestive system was not being agreeable. Then the diarrhea hit.
Remigio, Nelly's husband, suggested I may be suffering amoebas. His treatment: down a bottle of Seco (Herrerano), and clear them out. Such a thought nauseated me further, but maybe that's what the amoebas, acting in sel-preservation, had wanted me to feel.
2020 arrived when I was on the can. I would get up several times that night to visit the toilet.
The first day of 2020 I only ate some toasted bread and ended up utilizing some oral rehydration salts. A good start to a good year.
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