Blue

Pablo is on a long journey through the mountains and forests of Southern Mexico, searching for his lost Mama….

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Ola my friends, it has been a long hard journey for me these weeks. For many days I have been without my underpants and my singing monkey. Some nights I get so cold and lonely I think of all the friend I am leaving behind in my kneepit, the fun I had with my potatoes in the fields, and the fiestas I would make for everyone come stuff their fat faces. Pablo feel very sad for himself, wishing I had my dead doggie back to lick the tears from my face, or that my papa never sell my legs in card game to the gringos long time ago, so I could walk proper to where my heart it lies by the waves in the sea.

Most of all I miss the sweet smell of my mamas long black hairs, the sound her singing and screaming in the night, and the bitter hot taste her special mole.

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One morning I wake up and find I am not too far from a big village, bigger and stranger than I ever see before. I notice everything is so very quiet, even the birds have gone away. This make me scared, so I make my way slow past the crushed trees and broken rocks until I see a place so beautiful – I think I must be dreaming!

All the walls are painted blue and red and yellow and green and the roads are smooth and clean. It look just the same like something from a photo I find one time when the big truck crash and kill many chickens and peoples some years ago. I kept this photo under my pillow for many years, until it disappear one night, same time my mama she go away.




So I look inside the houses, thinking that maybe I find someone there, or maybe some clue why everything so empty and sad here. But inside is empty too, and dirty with dust, and old, so much older than the world outside the village.

Too scared to stay here long time, I decide to move on as quick as I can. I keep on going and don’t look back until I am back in the forest and the birds are singing again.

Its funny, but as a bambino I always dreamed to visit this place, but when I got there I found I did not want to stay. I am wondering what this mean when I fall to sleep.

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Later that night I dream of a big jaguar, who carry a baby in her teeth away from big forest fire.

When I wake I find the tip my fingers blue because of some long black hairs twisted round them.

It is then I start to smile again for the first time in many weeks.

My mama, I know, she cannot be too far away.

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Adios amigos. Come join me again soon!

My friend the singing monkey

Pablo make many friend on his journey to find his Mama. Like the shy singing monkey who follow me a long time from Palenque through the jungles of Chiapas.

I never see him, but I know he there because I hear him singing from the tree tops just above my head. When I look and call out for him he hide away. Maybe he shy monkey? I dunno. Pablo not mind, am just happy to know I am not alone.

One time I am tired and sad. I was stuck, cleaning my underpants by the magic lake in the mountains, eating some nanbannas, wondering how I can get across the other side. This is when I hear him start singing some very sad song, the kind that make your eye tickle and your ribs ache with longing for some warm arm huggings.


I cry for some long long time, and finally, when I run out of eye water I see my hat has gone. Just when I think I may cry some more, I see my hat peeking out a small wood boat behind where the tree the monkey was singing from before. A boat!

Pablo very happy! Now Pablo can get across the lake!

But what about my friend the monkey? He help Pablo with his singing and his magic, what can I give him to make him happy?

Pablo know what to do. I take out the freshest avocadoes and nanbanas, and the chica from the Lacandon Indians, and make for him a beautiful salad. I move away so I cannot see and sing to him one of my fiesta songs for that he can eat and make happy.

When I finish my singing I see that all the food has gone. Happy, I get ready for the boat.

But wait, where are Pablo’s underpants?

“The cheeky monkey he take my underpants”, I am thinking and laughing, as I get into the boat. I laugh for a good long time, which give me strength to go fast across the waves.

It is only when I am nearly the other side do I stop laughing long enough to hear the silence, and that I realise that my friend he has gone, and I am alone again.

Without my underpants.

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Remember friends – take good care your underwears, or maybe the cheeky monkey will take them.

And you will lose a good friend.

Adios amigos!