El Varadero

by Brenda Chávez Altamirano (Mexico)

Making a local connection Mexico

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I’m awake, something covers my face. I think is a paliacate. I can see the sunlight seeping through the strings, so I keep my eyes closed. I listen to the sway of the sea and squeeze my eyes. I have a headache. Did someone have the nerve to kick me in my sleep? Why can I hear the sea that closes? I uncover my face and the sun blinds me. Suddenly I notice the sweat running down my hundred and I begin to regain my vision little by little. I'm not in Mina anymore. I look around, I have no idea where I am. I look for my cell phone but I just find a pocket full of sand so I look for my backpack, it's not here. The air abandons my lungs and I feel the worst dizziness of my life. I get up as I can and let out a frustrated scream. I can say I'm still in Mexico, I walk away from the beach and I hear people speaking in Spanish. I approach the raft of an old man and as soon as he looks at me I greet him somewhat abruptly. He looks at me puzzled and says something I don't understand. "I lost my bag, I’m looking for two people", I point at my hair. "Tourists" I finish. "Ah! Turista, sí."He points at a restaurant, his voice is so deep and clear." Muchas gracias" I said with a dusty Spanish. When I arrive, a woman comes to me and says something about the breakfast menu. She uses some words in English. She says "food" and "cheap" and I ask her about two people, "Tourist" I said. She says no, no, and asks me again about the food. I look around and notice the empty tables so I take a sit. I feel the soft air from the fans hanging from the ceiling and listen to the radio, playing out loud. I still don’t know where I am. The woman brings me coffee and I try to ask again "Hay un algo importante en la maleta", I said really worried. She looks at me sadly. She doesn’t even know me and she really feels bad for me. Suddenly it strikes me: I have no money. I stand up and apologize but the woman tries to calm me down. A young girl brings a dish for me and the woman, I assumed her mother, makes me eat. After some eggs and tortillas, I feel better but I still don’t know where I am so I ask the woman when she comes to pick up the plate. Veracruz? I ask pointing the place. She laughs really hard and finally she said Sí, Veracruz. Boca del Río. I need a phone, so I kindly ask for one and they bring it. Julia answer me worried. She is in Mina with Tom. They tell me I took a walk last night and then disappeared. "Did you take my bag?" I asked, the say no. God, I don’t understand. "I’m in Boca del Río, pick me up, I have no money", I look for the name of the restaurant "I’m in a place called El Varadero" and then I hang out the phone. The woman asks me to stay so I take a closer look at the place. The girl explains to me -with some English words- some curiosities about the place, she says the radio is older than her mom so I laugh. She says that her grandfather used to be heard on the radio and that his voice was great. I’m sure she is lying but I smile. She gets angry and she runs away. Her mother looks at me with a funny smile. The girl comes back and carries a bag with her. My bag. I freeze. "You stole my bag!" The woman looks perplexed, and the kid looks scared but says, " Abuelo!" I don’t understand so she takes out the music sheets and some old records I also get from an auction. It was him, the guy of the deep voice I saw in the morning, the greatest musician I ever heard and I didn’t recognize him.