2014/2015
Vol. 10

The Land

c. 1900–1979; Santa Lucía, Intibuca, Honduras

Decades ago my great-grandpa Lisandro was born. My great-grandpa was the child of a single mother, and she was the poorest woman in the 300-person town where he grew up. My great-grandfather grew up in a hut in Santa Lucía, Honduras. He lived on one of the highest mountains. As he looked down the horizon, he dreamed of greatness. As he was walking back to his hut, he stepped on a smooth, shining pebble. He picked it up and kept it as good luck and to signify hope.

My great-grandfather went to school to learn to read and write, but he had to quit when he was in third grade. My great-grandpa started working early to support his mother. He used to walk around selling women’s hair accessories on the side of the road or in the tiny market. He grew up to be a very smart businessman, and he started trading goods across the border with El Salvador. He became a very wealthy man, and all that land that he used to look at from his little hut became his.

He got married to a woman named Priscilla and had at least eleven kids. The first five kids (including my grandpa Natanael) spent their childhood helping their parents work the fields. None of them wore shoes until they were teenagers. Eventually my great-grandfather became a wealthy businessman and rancher. All of his eleven kids got college degrees and became successful people in their respected fields.

My grandfather Natanael went on to become governor of his state under a military government. (Honduras was not a democracy and was ruled by military juntas.*) After many years of my grandfather being a governor, and under pressure from the United States government, Honduras became a democracy in 1979. My grandfather got elected to a constitutional congress of Honduras. In the current Honduran constitution you can find my grandfather’s signature. So my grandfather was a founding father of the modern Honduras.

How you like them tamales!!!

Camila Isai del Cid; Missouri, USA

Illustrator: Cody Cronk; Colorado, USA

* A junta (HOON tuh) is a military or political group ruling a country, often after taking power by force.

This copyrighted story and illustration may be copied for limited classroom use or reprinted in an article about The Grannie Annie.

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