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Inspiration

When my mother was teaching school in a Mexican community between 1910-14, the civil war was raging, causing great upheaval. Poncho Villa’s rabble and other revolutionary armies had at one time or other encamped in the local plaza with their soldaderas (camp followers). For the young women of the community, shopping under those dangerous conditions was a terrifying experience. My mother’s description of the perilous events with fear still etched in her eyes came to mind when I wrote this short narrative.

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Inspiration

In 1945 when World War Two had ended, my mother, father, my sisters Helen, Mary, Adeline and I, traveled from Port Chester, N.Y to Mexico City to visit our mother’s family. During the journey the fan belt broke in our 1937 Chevrolet sedan high in the desolate mountains of Mexico about 11,000 feet in elevation. My mother’s unique idea, which I’ve described in this story, saved the day. Luckily, we found a service station with a replacement at about the 9,000 feet level. While in Mexico City we saw a bull fight in the main arena that I’ve also included in the story.

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Nick and Knobby Series

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Click here for print editions of your favorite stories.

Inspiration

In 1942 when I was 12 years old, I was walking home from school when a dog ran passed me, carrying a baby chick in its mouth. I took after it and the dog dropped the chick during the chase. The bird had lost all its feathers and was shivering from the early fall weather. The chick was also weak from fright, and when I took it home my mother fed it, then covered her with a warm cloth. My mother realized the little animal would perish if she were put outside, so she decided to keep it in the house. She made a few diapers so Chiquita’s (as we named her) droppings wouldn’t soil the floor. It wasn’t long before Chiquita adopted my mother and followed her around the house like she was the “Pied Piper of Hamlin.” Before Chiquita came into our lives, my mother had planned that she and I would visit her family in Mexico City. My oldest sister Celia volunteered to take care of Chiquita while we were gone. At that time we were in the midst of the Second World War, and Celia was temporarily staying with us while her husband Sam was fighting in Europe. When we returned from Mexico, my sister conveyed the sad news that our coal furnace had gone out one night, and little Chiquita had died from exposure to the cold.