Song of the Mockingbird: My Journey with Josefina

I ask Josefina if she can show me the altar cloth. A smile lights up her face and she disappears through the doorway. In a few moments, she comes back holding a folded white cloth. The sisters gather around and Josefina shakes it out. My breath catches. Richly colored flowers are scattered across the top and embroidered around the edges. Green leaves are sprinkled throughout. Josefina says they put their love for Mamá in every stitch. I hear she is holding back tears.

Tía Dolores looks over at us all, sitting still. Then, she goes back to the piano bench and begins a quiet tune that winds through the room, swaying and rocking us with its melody. Then, the tune picks up speed and she throws us a teasing look over her shoulder. Josefina’s face lights up and the melancholy thoughts in the room scatter.

Josefina takes my hands and pulls me up from the banco. Clara and Francisca get up to dance, too. We all spin with our skirts flying out. My heart is full, and somehow talking about what she’s lost, and thinking about what I’ve lost, has made me feel better.

I whisper to Josefina that after tonight, I know my way home now. She slows down and asks if I’m sure. I nod. Mom, Dad, and Henry have been waiting for me back in my own time, ever since we moved. Maybe I had to lose them first before I could find them again. And I know where to look now: Santa Fe, our new home.