’Buela Belen (Grandma Belen)
Startled from sleep, I heard my cellphone ringing. I reached over and squinted at the name of the caller. It was my sister. It was dark out and the house was quiet. I knew why she was calling at such a late hour.
“Hey,” I said in a sleepy voice.
“She passed away. It happened around 3:45 (Texas time),” she said.
I let it sink in for a second. We all knew it was coming for at least a few weeks. But when it actually happens, there is a moment of shock. A finality. Someone’s life is over. In this case it was my maternal grandmother, ’Buela Belen (Grandma Belen). She was ninety-five years old and residing in a nursing home. She was my last living grandparent. She died Friday, July 25.
So besides the finality of life of my beloved ’Buela Belen, also there is an end to that generation that is my grandparents. My paternal grandfather, Teodulo Garcia died in 1976 and his wife, Josefa Vela Garcia died in 1980. My paternal grandfather, Octavio, died in 2009.
I shared memories with all my grandparents. My first life memory involves my father and grandfather at the ranch. That memory is special to me.
I have other memories of my grandma Josefa and my other grandfather, Octavio. But let me focus on ’Buela Belen. She lived a long life and was part of my own life until I moved to Michigan, when then I only saw her when we visited family in Texas.
Who was ’Buela Belen?
My memories of her span decades. My earliest memories include Saturday nights at her house after she returned from the weekly church bingo. My brother and I would lie down in the bed while she told us ghost stories. These stories were enthralling and captivating. I’d like to think that maybe those early ghost stories helped spur my interest later in life when it came to horror movies and writing my own stories. ’Buela Belen was a great storyteller.
But besides these stories ’Buela Belen was a wonder in the kitchen. She had her staple of foods she made or baked that I can still taste today.
My favorite food she made was flour tortillas. She used Crisco shortening, which made the tortillas flaky and after adding butter to the finished product, they were mouth-watering. Her fideo, a small type of pasta, was a dish I loved to eat while at her house. I’d sop up the fideo juices with her flour tortillas.
Another kitchen delight ’Buela Belen baked was cornbread. Again, she used Crisco oil and that cornbread was delish. Sometimes she’d add jalapenos to it and they gave the cornbread a zing I loved. Now my wife has that same cornbread recipe.
And though a mostly calm woman, content to listen, in her older years, ’Buela Belen got feisty. My grandfather would sometimes rile her up on purpose and laugh. He’d say, “Se le subio lo Ramirez.”
I last saw her December 2012 and I did what I used to do all the time. I ran my fingers through her wavy hair. She just grinned. That was her grin, wily with a touch of mischief in it and in her blue/green eyes.
I will miss you, ’Buela Belen. Te amo.
- Roel -
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