yellow

A short story by Ernio Hernandez

My mom cooked for us kids all the time when we were growing up: arroz con pollo, ropa vieja, picadillo and more, all flavored with her beloved Bijol.

We would laugh whenever she’d — without fail — answer the phone “¿Dime?” (Though we’d turn right to her if someone started speaking Spanish to us.)

The youngest of six herself, she had four children of her own with my father. Big on family and from a big family, like most “Cuban mothers” were.

It was funny to watch people be taken aback when they’d discover she’s a blond, green-eyed, US-born Polish-Irish-German woman, despite her fluency.

Bijol, when added to white rice, provides a flavor and the yellow color usually associated with traditional Cuban dishes.

If you enjoyed this, read more by Ernio: Blackout | Life and The Inevitable. | The Green | Me and My Moon Man