El Duelo (The Duel) Av Eduardo Saldani¿a Cantu

There comes a time when you must put things in writing before they are forgotten and lost forever. That even applies today in spite of the highly advanced society we live in. In this rural community on the river banks of the Rio Grande in the early 1900s when illiteracy predominated, the history and identity of its residents were preserved by story-telling. These "cuentos" often left much to the imagination but still were very entertaining, vivid and memorable (not to be confused with tall-tales). One of the very first stories that I remember hearing was that of a bigger-than-life character who happened to be my grandfather, Don Juan. We were all fascinated by how this man was able to win the admiration and respect of his neighbours at least enough to have stories told about him. Although they were all survivors, they were also all interdependent, and looked for an orientation that could make them believe in themselves. In spite of the many and varied challenges they confronted, many l