It was obvious, wasn’t it? she thought, on the verge of crying. Aki didn’t want to go back home. She had preferred to stay on in the castle than return to the reality of her life. Even if it was suicidal, even if it meant dragging down the rest.

"I don't know, Juan Preciado. After so many years of never lifting up my head, I forgot about the sky. And even if I had looked up, what good would it have done? The sky is so high and my eyes so clouded that I was happy just knowing where the ground was. Besides, I lost all interest after padre Renteria told me I would never know glory. Or ev

Participating in the human condition can be bewildering. It is just not always cozy and easy—rather, it’s humbling at best, downright humiliating when it’s not flowing.