The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! Quince, Part 2...
The sharp, pungent smell of smoke woke Sara from her deep sleep. Her nose twitched, and she sneezed, once, twice, three times. Rubbing her bleary eyes, she finally opened them well enough to take in the thin film of smoke pouring through the open window. She heard shouting from somewhere outside, and when she drew close to the window, she saw the sun shining fiercely down on two men clad in shorts and long-sleeved work shirts. Between them, they carried a rack of meat that they placed over a waiting grate. Sara drew in a deep, smoke-filled breath, filling her lungs, closing her eyes and smiling widely. The big day was here.

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! Quince, Part 3...
He wore his favorite cowboy hat, with the brim wreathing his features in shadows. He had an air of severity about him, seen in the thin, firm line of his lips as he stood, concentrating on the task at hand. Next to him, working side by side, were his four sons. Benjamin, Julian and Mauricio chose to stay home and work the land and animals with their father. They were joined by Antonio, and all together they made progress on the pibil. Two whole pigs had been buried underground, wrapped in layers and layers of plantain leaves. The deliciously spiced pork was being slowly pulled out of the hole where it had lain slowly roasting over its underground furnace. Using the metal hooks that came in handy for just such occasions, they pulled out the entire grate, slowly and methodically, ensuring the precious cargo would eventually land safely in the waiting containers.

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! Quince, Part 4...
While Sara and Luciola stroked the soft, cool satin and scratchy lace on her grand dress, everything else was coming together. From the kitchen, Vilma called to Sara, telling her to put out her bath things and prepare herself a bath. The ceremony would start in a few hours, and from the moment she took her bath, she would no longer linger outside. Instead, she would get her hair combed, braided, curled, twisted and decorated. Her face would get its first full makeup treatment. The beautification process would be lengthy, but it would not be tradition if she didn’t go through it. She would wait till the very last moment to slip into her flouncy, lacy confection of a dress. From there, she would head out and meet Fabian, who would walk her to the spot where the pastor would wait and hold the official blessing.

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! Quince, Part 5...
She was in the plastic pan, half crouched, with towels spread all around the floor to absorb the splashing water. Vilma poured lukewarm water over her daughter’s head, scrubbing soap and letting the suds run down her back. While she poured, she spoke softly to her daughter. There were reminders of how to behave, now that she was fifteen, and of age to be courted.

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! Quintessentially Belizean - Part I - Politics
Nothing good was going to happen today. Somebody would get in a fight, somebody would get hurt – something, something bad was going to happen today. Miss Lacey knew that as she slipped her stockinged feet into her sensible black shoes. She had on her nice flowered dress, which would look good with one of her favorite hats, but today was not the day to be prettied up. No sir; she had to go vote.

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! Quintessentially Belizean - Part II - Saturday
Waking up early to the sound of the rooster’s incessant call was an everyday occurrence. By the time most children started attending school, the roosters’ calls were merely a reminder that they were on schedule. For most, waking up at five was the rule, not the exception. By the time their bottoms slid onto the long benches where groups of eight or ten gathered during the week to learn, they had accomplished a lot.

For some, it was to chase around chickens, searching for the early eggs, so fresh the slime had to be rinsed off, and sometimes, darker streaks wiped off with a wet rag. Boys usually took corn, mash or scraps to the pigs. More ambitious, older boys would slide onto their horses bareback, riding off to the closer home farm, picking fruit or whatever vegetable that their mother needed to prepare their noon and night meal. Their fathers would then saddle up the horses again, taking them at a slower but still clipped pace to the mountains where they grew acres and acres of produce to sell. There they would remain all day, and into the late evening when the last rays of the sun led them back home.

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! Quintessentially Belizean - Part III - Sunday
The first to arrive at the Mai house was Aunty Rose. The children heard her all the way from the road side, calling out her usual jolly “Diiiiiiiiaaaaasssssss!” Following her trail was her little girl – half naked already with just her skirt on, hem stuck in the waistband and frilly lace underwear showing who knows how far down the road. She twirled her shirt in the air, dropping it every so often, and then picking it back up to toss back up in the air. Rose had given up on her child looking presentable, choosing her laughing, happy four-year-old over the sulky, screaming nightmare she could be. Bertha, the eldest girl went out to greet her aunt, who was precariously balancing a covered pot and extra-large purse. With the pot safely ensconced in Bertha’s hands, Rose reached out to fix her Benita’s skirt as they headed into the house.

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! Quintessentially Belizean - Part IV
“Guinea, G-U-I-N-E-A, guinea.” The voice came across tinny and high pitched, as did the smattering of applause that followed the correct spelling of the word. The radio crackle and hiss as interference jumbled the sound brought a thwack from gray-haired Grandma Anastacia, who could not bear to miss out the sound of her grandson. He had won a spot in the National Spelling Bee Regionals, and of course, everyone was tuned in to Radio Belize, listening closely to see if one of their own village boys would make it. She wished she could have gone on the bus excursion to the capital city of Belmopan, adding to the cheers, but with all the other grandchildren needing lunch and attention, she was left to listen in for his voice on the radio.

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! The Wait
She walked all the way home for lunch every day, accompanied sometimes by her cousin, but most often by herself. Today, Zoila held a very important piece of paper in her hands. Every so often, she would glance down at it, smile, then put it back in her uniform breast pocket. The long strip of stiff report card cardstock held wonderful news, and every time she saw it, she would remember how hard it was to get those beautiful grades. She saw a row of nines, and even a one and two zeros (together of course) – and for the first time in her short school career, she had topped her class....