Grama Cuca was looking at the calendario de los santos that she had hanging on the wall de la cocina next to the store un día in the middle of summer. She turned to Canutito, who was comiéndose los corn fleques, and said, "Mañana is the feast of Santiago."

"Who is Santiago, grama?" Canutito asked as he poured more leche en los corn fleques, since que he liked to eat them todos soggy.

"Santiago," Grama Cuca began, "is the santo patrón de Taos. He is Saint James the Greater and tomorrow is his feast day. Él y Santa Ana watch over las Fiestas de Taos."

"¡Cómo me gustaban a mí las Taos Fiestas when I was a little mocosito!" remarked Grampo Caralampio as he came into the room descalzo. He sat en la silleta to sobarse los cayos and put on his medias. Canutito watched as he massaged his bunions and put on his socks. "Why did you like to ir a las fiestas when you were all chiquito, grampo?" he asked.

"Pus, es porque I used to love to watch a la Ginger bailar en el stage en el medio de la plaza," he replied.

"¿Quién era la Ginger, grampo?" asked the little boy.

"She was a wonderful mujer who really was el espíritu de las fiestas. She was tan joyful siempre bien dressed con su blue velvet gown y straw hat. She was una cultural icon para mucha gente."

"What is a cultural icon, grampo?" Canutito asked.

"It is alguien whose life reflects las acciones de todo el poblado. A cultural icon reflects the village's hopes y dreams y reality."

"That sounds como un heavy burden to carry," Canutito remarked.

"Most cultural icons aren't even aware of it," Grampo Caralampio said. "Pero la Ginger was delightful to watch."

"Gee, grampo," Canutito ventured, "parece como que you had a crush on her."

"Viejo recalentão," Grama Cuca muttered under her breath con los dientes todos clenched.

"Yes, she was wonderful," Grampo Caralampio said, ignoring grama's remark. "There were many cultural icons en la plaza en esos días. "Who will ever forget al Felipito y al Pauly vendiendo el newspaper y paseándose en el fire engine? Or a la Noula toda dressed up en su turban. O al Doncito con su estrella pinned to the inside of his papel y al Saki con su colección de zapatos todos bien shine-aditios? -Todos éstos defined Taos para la gente por muchos años."

"They certainly sound como gente that were bien interesting, grampo," said Canutito.

"There were even more cultural icons," said Grampo Caralampio pouring himself una copa de café. "There was Joe who helped the merchants take out el trash y la Jenny, la Hattie y el Nat who played the old time música y el Señor Egri who would componer the vivorón every year so that los chavalitos could get under it en el parade. Why, there was even un hombre dressed como Jesús in a long robe y sunglasses who would walk through the plaza. Muchas personas no sabían who he was pero they would kiss his manos or bow adelante de él. And of course también había el Cheetham."

"It sounds como que las Fiestas de Taos were really interesantes cuando you were a little boy," Canutito said.

"I miss a toda esa gente," Grampo Caralampio reminisced. "They made a todo el condado feel like una grande familia. And let us not forget a la Brett y a la Mabel and their exotic amigos."

"Uh, grampo," Canutito began after a moment's pause, "do you think que Usted will ever become known como un cultural icon?"

"Ay m'hijo," Grampo Caralampio exclaimed, "Yo creyo que la gente will only remember me como el viejo who used to tell historias de más antes and trot detrás de tu grama en el supermarket annoying her." He got up de la mesa and went to asistir las gallinas outside.

Canutito turned to grama and said, "I think que he will be remembered for a lot more than that."...

¿Le gustaría compartir sus propias anécdotas o comentar con Torres sobre esta columna? Envíele un correo electrónico a lartor@unm.edu