Summary

Homeward, p. 198 – 215. When Eusebio cuts into the foot, he is surprised and amazed when a lumpy, yellowish substance oozes out. Maria comments that it is vomit and, again surprised, Eusebio agrees. Maria then speaks at length of how the grief deep in Rafael became vomit, describing how the sudden, accidental death of their son left a great, sad space between them. Maria then describes how Rafael coped with his grief – specifically, how he began to walk backwards in a way, he said, that made carrying his grief easier. She describes how he started walking backwards after seeing a visitor to the village do it, adding that she saw the visitor as well and revealing that he left the village on foot to return to where he came from. She then goes into more detail about her and Rafael’s grief: “it ate at...