Winter’s Mermaid

It is better to look after a thousand goats than one curious girl.-Tican Proverb

My name is Pluma de la Oso and I am almost seventeen years old. I was born under the sign of the mermaid on the coldest day ever recorded in Tica. Tonight is a big night in our family. We are hosting a dinner for El Diego, our leader and unofficial king, at our house. My maid, Neptuna, reminds me that I have less than a year before marriage as she washes my hair and rubs an herbal paste on my round face. Mother makes her do my two sisters and my hair before functions so the photographers can capture us at our best. Ticans obsess over marriage, social standing and our dual religions: one from the Vatican and the other from the sea. Read More