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La Família : | 5

Tila and daughter Lula.

Hello, and welcome! This is Song Stories, Quiet Stories podcast episode, La Familia,  number five in the series from the new musical, Tales of Tila. This is your host, Carolyn Murset. If you haven’t yet listened to Episodes Zero, and One through Four in this series, it might be a good idea to do that now, then come back. No worries if you don’t listen in order.  The stories might make more sense if you did, though. 

Thank you, Carlos, Lynn, Irene, Sam and  Mary for sending me your story contributions. Don’t be surprised if they show up in a later episode! I’m now also looking for Christmas stories at Grandma Tila’s house. Remember the wall to wall kids sleeping on the floor in the living room? The empanaditas?  Are you ready to get your Spanglish on? 

Hola!  This is Tila Miera Trujillo.  Not really, it’s her granddaughter, la Carolina pretending to be me. I don’t mind. One of these days, she’s going to  be brave enough to be herself and use her own voice. But because of her, some of you have listened to my other stories and wondered, “Why in the heck would she do something like that?”

I was only seventeen years old when I married, and eighteen when I had my first baby. Nothing prepares you for the loss of a child.  Those of you who have had that happen to you, will know what I’m talking about. Have any of you lost more than one? More than two? It doesn’t get any easier, does it?  If you haven’t written about it yet, you might want to give it a try.  No matter how long it’s been since it happened, writing about it could help ease the pain.

Nora.

So, listen now and learn how Trujillo and I kept the kids, even the little ones, occupied inside and outside of the house.  Learn which child the kids thought was their father’s favorite, and what he brought home from work for that child. When your parents came home from work, or from a trip away from home, what special things did they bring you?   They didn’t bring you anything?? Not even a penny candy? Think harder, while, you listen

Closing tag:

Thank you, Señor Strang for playing the conga once again. Me gusta mucho. I’m afraid you were born a few decades late. I would have enjoyed listening to you while I chopped all of those cabbages.  

Lorraine, age 12.

Oye, listeners, do you like my soundtrack? I do, too. It would have been wonderful to have musicians like these ones you’re now listening to while I talk and sing,  playing outside my window all the time. Yes, my Trujillo was a musician too, but he had other things to do besides serenading his vieja all the time. If you could have a soundtrack for your life, what kinds of musical instruments would you want? Violin? Guitar? Conga? Mandolin? Accordian? De veras? Really.  Well, I’m not surprised. I like it too!

 

Lorraine, age 32, right before her open heart surgery. 1966.

Come back next time to listen and find out where Trujillo and I went on the weekends. Learn about the next  devastating worldwide event and how it affected our family. Learn how my Trujillo, our older sons and nephews became involved.

Do you want to hear my other musical stories?  La Carolina would be so grateful if you’d listen to them!  She wants you to subscribe, either here at this website, or at iTunes or Google Play.

 

 

(Somebody, please write to me and tell me about all of these new inventions.  I’ve been gone since 1971, and I have only used the radio, the telephone, the camera and what was that other thing…. Oh, We got a TV right before my Trujillo left. Black and white picture.  Someone told me there would be televisions with a color picture someday. Is that true?)

That little square photo of meon the store page is a good one,  isn’t it? That was taken when Nora was a baby, in 1930. My hair is combed, nicely, and I’m pretending she isn’t screaming her head off while my mother bounces her, off to the side of that backdrop.   Hasta luego. Until later!

You’ve just listened to Song Stories, Quiet Stories podcast, Episode 5, La familia, from the new musical, Tales of Tila. Contact me and let me know how you’re doing with the writing prompts. You can find them in bold lettering in the notes for this episode and the others here on this website. You can also subscribe to this podcast, and check out my events page. Thanks for listening. Thanks for writing. This is your host, Carolyn Murset, aka, la Carolina. 

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