The Other Side of Lomas Verdes (Eng/Esp)
Published on HivePostify by @popurri · Mon Sep 07 2026
[source](https://pixabay.com/es/photos/vaca-monte-verde-meadow-enojado-992940/)
After the birth of our second child, my husband Juan died in a work-related accident. So far, only his mother had come to visit us in the city.
My husband’s family was from a mountainous region, far from the major population centers. Juan had left that place many years ago, like many young people, in search of better opportunities, but he rarely told me about his past life.
I was very excited because Juan’s mother had told me so much about how beautiful “Lomas Verdes”—as the place was called—was, and that name spoke volumes to me about what it was like. I loved nature, and I was thrilled by the invitation his mother extended to us. I felt very lonely in the city, and juggling my daily work with caring for my children—Ana, 15, and Francisco, 6—had left me completely exhausted. So I asked for a two-week vacation to visit them.
We took the train at 7 a.m. on a rainy day. The trip to the town of Las Truchas took five hours, and from there we took a bus. The road was winding and uphill. It was a sunny day. We arrived at a stop along the way where we got off to stretch our legs.
"Look at that beautiful view Mom!"
My daughter was fascinated; she had recently finished a photography course and was taking the opportunity to snap photos of the beautiful mountains. Her black, curly hair peeked out from under her knit hat. It was cold despite the midday sun.
"Let's go get something to eat," I said, to make the most of our 15-minute break.
"Yes, Mom, I'm really hungry." Like any child his age, Francisco had a voracious appetite, even though he was thin. He ran off to sit at one of the empty wooden tables.
After eating, we continued up the road toward a peak, and from there, the road began to descend, and the bus turned right onto a side road.
“We’re almost to Lomas Verdes,” the conductor told us.
We got off the bus, and there was Mrs. Luisa, my mother-in-law, accompanied by another tall, slender woman with her hair pulled back into a bun on top of her head.
“Welcome!” My mother-in-law hugged and kissed me, and then my children, who were happy to see their grandmother again.
“Let me introduce you to my sister Claudia. She’s your great-aunt.”
Claudia was just as warm and welcomed us with hugs and kisses.
They took us to the family home, a beautiful, traditional house with a tiled roof and a porch. Inside were all the uncles, nephews, and grandchildren, along with Grandpa Julio, an 80-year-old man whose body was still strong from working in the fields. His long white beard and potbelly made him look just like Santa Claus.
“Welcome, dear Sara! We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
Night fell quickly, and everyone went home. Mrs. Luisa showed us to our rooms. My children were in the room next to mine.
"This is Juan’s room. I’ve kept it just as he left it."
When she left, and after blessing my children, I went to bed and fell into a deep sleep.
A loud burst of fireworks startled me awake. I got up and looked out the window. Sure enough, the burst of colors and the sound kept repeating over and over.
Maybe they’re having a festival in town, I thought, and after a long while—I don’t know how many hours—I fell asleep again.
When I woke up, I went to the kids’ room, and they were asleep. I went to the kitchen and saw a note on the table. The freshly brewed coffee smelled wonderful.
Hi, good morning. I left breakfast for you in the oven; there’s juice in the fridge and coffee in the coffee maker. I’m at my sister Claudia’s house. See you at noon. Feel free to make yourselves at home—it’s your house, too. Kisses.
After breakfast, we explored the house and its surroundings. I felt wonderful in that peaceful setting. In the distance, I could see cows in the pastures. The children were playing nearby. We could hear a river nearby.
At noon, my in-laws arrived. We had fun listening to their stories.
At sunset, we sat outside the house, but it was very cold, so we went inside. My in-laws said goodbye until the next day because they were going to visit some relatives. They told us again to make ourselves at home.
At night, we were once again awakened by people shouting, loud music, and fireworks; by day, the calm of the mountains returned. We were visiting family and staying alone in the house. My children and I had stayed up late and woke up very late.
When I asked Mrs. Luisa what was causing all that noise at night, she replied,
“Oh! those are just some neighbors who like to throw parties. It’s not every night.”
But it had been happening every night since we moved here.
I talked to my kids, and we decided to find out what was going on.
When we heard the music, we got up. We grabbed some flashlights and went outside. It was a full moon, and we could see by its light illuminating the path.
We made our way toward the place where the music was coming from, and when we reached the middle of the meadow, we couldn’t believe our eyes: they had set up food and drink stands. People were dancing and shouting, waving their arms from side to side.
“Mom, look over there. It’s Grandpa and Grandma and our uncles and aunts.” My daughter had spotted them among the other people from the community who were also there.
I looked over toward the food stands, and there they were, running them. Now I understood why they’d left the house so early and returned at noon. I couldn’t get over my surprise.
They, of course, saw us too, and when they did, they burst out laughing.
They motioned for us to come closer.
"My dear Sara, I imagine you must be wondering. Well, I’ll explain it to you. The community of Loma Verde has been facing financial difficulties. The cows aren’t producing milk like they used to. Feed is expensive. Cheese isn’t selling very well, and the drought affected the crops. We had to find other sources of income.
"That’s how it was, until the young people in town came up with this idea." My father-in-law went on to explain. "People are looking for a quiet place like this to hold their celebrations: weddings, birthdays, and even Christmas parties. Why do you think I’ve let my beard and belly grow?"
He looked at us and rubbed his belly as he laughed.
"Ho ho ho, I’m Santa Claus."
We couldn’t help but laugh.
"Sorry, dear Sara, I know you need some peace and quiet, but this was unexpected. Don’t worry, though—it’ll be over today, and everything will be back to normal tomorrow."
And that’s exactly what happened. The week after our vacation, we were able to spend even more time with our family and the townspeople and sleep peacefully, listening to the crickets and the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. But I had to admit that the townspeople were quite resourceful in coming up with this way to make a living. They invited us to spend Christmas with them, but I’m still thinking it over.
🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃
Thank you for reading
Versión en Español
Después del nacimiento de nuestro segundo hijo, mi esposo Juan murió en un accidente laboral. Hasta los momentos, solo su madre había venido a visitarnos a la ciudad.
La familia de mi esposo era de una región montañosa, alejada de los principales centros poblados. Juan había salido de este lugar hace muchos años, como muchos jóvenes, buscando otras oportunidades de vida, pero poco me contaba sobre su vida pasada.
Tags: #inkwellprompt#theinkwell#fiction#writing#spanish#hispapro#entropia#waiv#neoxian