Cuento

Canela and Her Girls
by Déborah L. González (This story is based on true events, but the line between reality and fantasy is blurry, so do not be fooled and most importantly, judge only if you are ready to throw the first stone).
Once upon a time there was a girl with brown curly hair and skin of the color of cinnamon who always dreamed about flying where white snow falls every winter. Shegrew up in a tropical island, where sand is soft and also white, where her feet would have to run fast for the sea water to cool them off.
One day the little girl grew taller than all her peers. They called her little giant, and since she felt out of place because no one would dance with her at parties, and because dancing was one of her favorite activities, she wished upon a star to give herwings to fly to a place where she would not seem so tall, a wonderful place where she would be asked to the dance floor whenever her eyes decided.
And so, after years passed her father whom she adored, with his big hands and his soft voice gave her a token for one free ride to the land where white snow falls every winter. He said he had won a big wagon full of gold coins and that he had traded it forthe token. He wanted his daughter to be happy, so he did what he could.
The little girl’s name was Canela.
And she flew to the land where white snow would fall every winter, and she entered the university. She buried herself in books about food and she made sure that she traced everything she could about why the women from her tropical island and their ancestors used it in their songs and theirstories every time they could.
The winter came again, and Canela stepped outside her door, fighting the snow that had accumulated at the entrance of her little cottage. She saw a face, and the face smiled at her. She was so lonely she though of it as the friendliest face she had ever seen so she invited it to come closer realizing it belonged to a young man who had just moved next door. Heneeded some coal to make his cottage warm for that night. Canela always gave, even from what she did not have, and she gave with her heart, so from the coal, she managed to make two bunches so her new neighbor would not be cold or worse, die that night.
The neighbor was so grateful, he never forgot the favor and promised he would be a good friend to Canela. What she didn’t know was that her new friendNaerok had being very hurt in the past and any transgression anyone would dare do against him would metamorphose him into a ferocious dragon no one could tame.
Naerok and Canela became such good friends their love for each other transformed them into a very lovely couple. They married and they were happy for 364 days. The day before the end of that year, Canela traveled where words become foodand people vote for their favorite dishes. She traveled because she loved to fly and her hard work had paid off and she knew that her words could become food, and her food and her dishes would be appreciated by others. She liked to give, so she did and her husband Naerok was happy for her and let her go the day before their first anniversary.
In her stay she was so happy she made food that wasappreciated by others like never before. She was so comfortable in her own skin that for the very first time she even allowed other men to talk to her, without the fear of being rejected for what her eyes would tell them. That is how she met Taibo, a handsome young man with hair like gold who showed her the rodeo and took her to a walk made of cobblestones and fragrant breezes. They had a wonderfultime, but for Canela it was time to leave. She understood that her eyes would have to see Naerok in a completely new way, after discovering how they could talk to others.
On her way back to the land where white snow always falls in the winter, Naerok found out that Canela had walked with Taibo on cobblestones and that fragrant breezes had made their company happy. He got so angry when he saw...