Dia for Maria

Dia for Maria

Having a cat named Mouse sounds like a joke. Ratona was small and gray, and her meow was a tiny squeak. She liked to sit in a hole in the wall of our shed.

Ratona lived for a long time. Eight months ago, she died. I'm not sad anymore, but I think about her often. One day, Mamá was setting up Tía Teresa's ofrenda, a special altar, for Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Teresa passed away when I was a baby. “ MamÃ, can we also celebrate pets?" I asked.

“ Día de los Muertos is mostly for family . . . " Mamá said. “ Though I suppose Ratona was part of ours. " " We can celebrate her the day before Día de los Muertos, " I suggested. " That's a nice idea, María, " Mamá said.

Later that day, Mamá and I went to the market in Puebla. I held her hand so I wouldn't get lost. We got paper banners, marigolds, and three candy calaveras, or sugar skulls.

On October 31, my friends Adriana and Gloria came over. Adriana brought her dog, Sal, or Salt. She had a photo of Sal's sister, Pimienta, or Pepper, who died last summer. Gloria also had a picture of a pet she had lost-Raúºl the rooster. We hung paper banners and scattered marigolds where Ratona used to sit. Then we set up our photos in the flowers.