Saying: Caras vemos; corazones, no sabemos       

                           (We see faces, but not hearts)

This story is part of My Taos, Stories and Sayings, based on Mary Flossie Ocañas’s collection of sayings. This bilingual book was co-written by fifth-grade students from the Ranchos de Taos Elementary School in Taos, New Mexico, their teacher, Joella Apodaca, and creative writing instructor Teresa Dovalpage

Christmas was approaching. After three years without family reunions because of Covid, everybody wanted it to be a special celebration. Everybody, and particularly Carmela, who barely remembered any Christmas past. Things that happened when she was seven years old looked very, very far away.

Since that wasn’t going to be an ordinary Christmas, Abuela Zenaida had decided to cook not just the traditional turkey with mashed potatoes and pecan pie, but also empanadas. Pork empanadas, to be exact. Carmela had never tasted empanadas, and she was quite excited about it.

She got even more excited when Abuela Zenaida asked her for help in the kitchen.

“Make sure to season the pork with salt, cumin, and pepper, and later I will sprinkle it with raisins and nuts,” her grandma said while she was preparing the pastry dough. “Now pay attention to my instructions.”

Abuela Zenaida showed Carmela how to measure the proper amount of seasoning and how to mix it with the shredded pork. Carmela seemed to be paying close attention, with her brown eyes fixed in her grandma and a focused expression. But, actually, she was planning how to steal a few pecans before Abuela Zenaida started making the pie.

After a while, Abuela Zenaida went to check on the turkey. Carmela grabbed seven pecans and gobbled them down. Then she ate five more. Ha! Finally remembering her grandma’s instructions, she took one big spoonful of sugar, believing it was salt, and sprinkled the shredded pork with it. And then she put in another, for good measure! She dutifully added cumin and pepper too. Abuela Zenaida came back and was pleased because the pork seemed perfectly seasoned.

“You’re amazing, helping me make dinner for all the family!” she said.

Carmela smiled.

Abuela left again and Carmela ate a few more pecans. When she licked her fingers, they tasted sweet. She looked at the salt and sugar containers and realized her mistake, but how could she tell Abuela Zenaida after she had just praised her so much? She decided to keep quiet, hoping that no one noticed the sweetened taste of the empanadas.

Dinner started. The empanadas dough was ready. Abuela Zenaida deep fried them and served them piping hot before the main dish of turkey.

“Carmela helped me make them,” she said.

Everybody clapped. But when Carmela’s mother, Mercedes, took the first empanada bite, she exclaimed,

“They are good, but too sweet!”

“How could they be sweet?” Abuela Zenaida asked, confused.

She also took a bite and glared at Carmela.

“Did you add sugar to the empanadas on purpose, niña?”

“No, abuela,” Carmela replied. “It was a mistake.”

Everybody else was chewing the empanadas, not minding the sweet taste. Carmela’s cousin Roberto declared them extra yummy.

“But why didn’t you tell me?” Abuela Zenaida, who was still annoyed, asked Carmela. “I was praising you and you were there looking so innocent, knowing full well you had done something wrong!”

Fortunately, the empanadas were delicious, despite, or maybe thanks to the sugar seasoning. But from then on, Abuela Zenaida didn’t trust Carmela too much when they were in the kitchen. Above all, she learned that the girl’s focused expression didn’t always mean she was paying attention. Caras vemos; corazones, no sabemos indeed!