My life has somewhat settled now that I have a steady job here in Quito. After an unpleasant incident in Guayaquil, which I’d rather not talk about, my mother and I decided to move to the Sierra. Benjamin is no longer with my mom, but I think she would take him back in an instant if he ever finds us.

I now work at the telegraph office. The days are long and tiring, but I like it, and at least I don’t have to travel anymore. Mamá and I rent a room at a boarding house in the center of the city. The house where we live is surrounded by churches. I’ve never seen so many in one single place! They’re so big, too! Sometimes on weekends, I like to visit them. I don’t pray, like my mother, who takes a list of favors she wants from God. But I find the silence and the smell of all those candles soothing. Mostly, I like to look at the artwork inside and the stunning domes and ceilings. Can you believe human beings can create such beauty?

If you’re ever in town, come see me. (Address attached.)

Elisa.

I skipped to the last letter; such was my impatience.

Papá,

Mamá died last week. The doctor said she had a bad case of pneumonia. I’m not sure how I’m going to go on with life after this. I haven’t been feeling too well myself. I’ve been locked in my room for the last couple of days with a fever and didn’t go to work, even though my boss had warned me that if I skipped one more day, he would fire me. But what was I supposed to do? Someone had to look after my mother. I couldn’t think about work when she was dying.

I don’t care about anything anymore. I wish I could’ve seen you one last time, but apparently, it was not meant to be.

Elisa.

Wait. Was this a goodbye? I reread the letter. That was all. I checked the return address. Elisa had been in Quito when she sent this last letter, but what could’ve happened to her? It had been sent almost four years ago. Had she died?

I skimmed through the letters I’d skipped but they sounded a lot like the earlier ones, where she told my dad about her day to day, the people in her life, etc. Nothing else about the “unpleasant incident” in Guayaquil or what had prompted the breakup between Benjamin and her mother. If I hadn’t been so immersed in resolving things here, I might have been tempted to go to Quito to find Elisa.