About the Cover

Deb Hall It was a sunny Sunday in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where almost every day is sunny. There, small-town rituals are set and familiar. To every Mexican, smiles are coupled with a cordial “Adios”—saying goodbye yet meaning hello in a polite and provincial manner. For those more familiar, inquiries about health and family are sincerely exchanged without ever glancing at one’s watch. And for true amigos, back-slapping abrazos and lighter-than-air besos are openly shared beneath the brilliant sun, no matter one’s age, gender, or politics. My route that day was familiar, along ever-shifting cobblestones that bring down rich and poor alike with ankle-wrenching thuds. North on calle Hernández Macías, right on Cuadrante, left on calle Jésus, and right again on Umarán, tracing an uphill zigzag on my way to everyone’s favorite Sunday destination: San Miguel de Allende’s historic central plaza, El Jardín. There I knew I would find locals, tourists, families and couples, people of all ages, as well as tethered balloons and a horse-drawn ice cream wagon, seemingly serenaded by the bittersweet strains of mariachis. Aromas of roasting corn, shoe polish and sweet gardenias would mingle with children’s laughter and the ever-present toll of ancient bells. As always, I was looking forward to joining the throng on that bright morning. However, midway up calle Jésus, a familiar face returned my gaze from a puddle of clothing incongruous with the day’s heat.  I bent down to exchange a lingering hug with my old friend, Pueblito, literally meaning “little village.” She was no longer able to stand, let alone climb the remaining cobblestones to the Jardín above. While she recounted how her bones so ached and her chilled legs had weakened, I discreetly pressed a one-hundred-peso bill into her palm. It instantly rose to pursed lips and a prayer, then disappeared under tattered layers to a safe place near her heart.  And in that moment I asked, “Pueblito, can I take your photo?” I framed the picture. Reflected in my friend’s face, I saw an entire village, and also myself. Deb Hall San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, August 5, 2007 • • •