…After awhile the stories became unbearable and I walked home thinking of a night when he had shown up at the house with six Coronas Familiares. ‘Family Size’ beers, not quite 40’s, more like 32 ounces of local brew, bottled on the edge of town. The other edge. It seemed like any other visit: out of the blue, at a random time, and never to occur in the same manner again. 

It was late but we were still up when he knocked. He always knocked the same way and I knew it was him, but I popped up to the lookout anyway, taking two concrete steps at a time, barefoot and silent, and peered down from the tall window. Long linen curtains allowed me to look out and down with a clear view of the entire doorway without being able to be seen by anyone from downstairs…

94 Quebrada 2019 20 pages