Tío Crecenciano AFTER MY MOTHER left, Carlos became terribly ill. Abuelita Chinta said he was suffering from sorrow. He had fever, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. He lost so much weight he really did look like a skeleton now. I thought about that song Élida liked to sing for him, La calaca, tilica y flaca. La calaca tilica y flaca. While Mago and I sat around his cot, watching him wither away, all I could think of was the empty road where my mother had vanished. I wondered if Carlos was thinking about it, too...