Eternity

Four years have passed without the echo of your contagious laughter, without your occasional Donald Duck impressions that filled our hearts with joy, without your warm arms embracing your grandchildren, without the delightful aroma of your lovingly prepared meals wafting through our home. Today, we find ourselves lost in thoughts of you, reminiscing about those serene moments in our beach house, where we would dream of a future filled with promise and hope, a future where we would finally receive that cherished inheritance, and each family member would have a home of their own.

The pain of how our homeland failed to uphold our rights lingers in our memories, forcing us to break our promises and seek a better life far from your comforting presence. As we look back, regret floods our hearts for the time we immersed ourselves in our studies and ambitions, neglecting the chance to return to you, to hold you, to kiss you. Today, the ache of your absence is profound. Those buñuelos, always waiting around the corner, and your playful inquiries about our hunger—even when we had just eaten—are the essence of those blissful afternoons. We would gather to watch the limited animations permitted by the government on national television, finding joy in simple pleasures amidst the chaos of a troubled nation.

Being your granddaughter was a source of immense comfort, a privilege, and an honor. How can we forget our dances to the rhythm of any music that played, or those mystery movies you urged me to watch until the end, teaching me to perceive the world’s truths? Your presence was a constant, a pillar of unwavering support.

Today, our hearts are weighed down by sorrow. Losing a loved one is not a wound that heals; it is a burden we learn to carry, with memories serving to immortalize the images etched in our minds. As we reflect, we cherish every magical moment we spent together with deep devotion. When I close my eyes, I can still see you, always cheerful, calling out to your “Viejo” from afar to fetch a new ingredient you were experimenting with. If I close my eyes, I see your beautiful blue eyes, brimming with joy and a zest for life, your unspoken words conveying warmth and laughter. If I close my eyes, I can feel you, hold you, smell the essence of your presence, which will remain with me as long as I walk this earth. In those moments, with my eyes shut, we are together, and the pain of missing you lessens.

I am confident that one day, not too far from now, I won’t need to close my eyes to see you. My heart rests assured that we will create even more beautiful memories than those we hold dear today. "Mis ojos bellos," I miss you today, no more than yesterday or tomorrow, for you will forever reside in the chambers of my heart.

Loving you eternally,

Your granddaughter