Ramifications
- 176 pages
- 7 hours of reading
In July 1994, Teresa leaves her home in Mexico City for Chiapas, drawn by the emergence of the Zapatista National Liberation Army, leaving behind her sixteen-year-old daughter, a ten-year-old son, and a husband she regrets marrying. Twenty-three years later, her son, the narrator, reflects on that transformative summer while confined to his bed. He recalls his struggles with origami, interactions with his sister's friends, and his quest to find his mother, guided by the children's books he reads. Forming an alliance with his sister's dubious boyfriend, he embarks on a bus journey to locate Teresa. Along the way, he confronts the duality of human nature, experiencing both evil and the kindness of strangers. Through premonitory dreams and flashbacks, he begins to understand the complexities of adulthood. As the summer unfolds, so does the narrator's current life; his father has passed, he is estranged from his sister, and he alone can piece together the painful secrets surrounding Teresa's disappearance. This narrative explores a child's awakening, the power of memory, and the paralyzing impact of unresolved family trauma.