Margarito and Me

Shortly after his mother's death in the early 1970s young Ricardo Deveaux, with no idea why or what might lie in store for him, hitchhikes to New Mexico and the home of his maternal grandmother... whom he hasn't seen in twelve years. Things don't always go smoothly for a young man raised in the city and Ricardo soon finds that he has a lot to learn. What he never could have imagined is how his life changes when he meets musician, mentor, and storyteller Margarito Montoya. Everyday people inhabit these pages. From the mundane, extraordinary, humorous, and sometimes sad circumstances of daily life in a New Mexico mountain village, Ricardo learns that things, and people, aren't always what they seem. With the help and complicity of Margarito he soon discovers that legends not only wander through daily life but lie waiting to be made. Come along with Ricardo and hear the tales of a man cursed by a snake, the demon that fled from being buried in holy ground, a grandson who refused to give up hope, and how a mysterious violin played by an elusive musician not only make for a sleepless night but herald the arrival of a shaggy gray dog. Meet a santero of exceptional skill and learn how a cow becomes the unwitting main attraction in a Holy Week miracle… and so much more. David Kyea draws from a rich life in New Mexico and the people he knows so well to bring us these fourteen interconnected tales suitable for anyone from Junior High to ninety+.

Shortly after his mother's death in the early 1970s Ricardo Deveaux leaves college and walks off his job. Without knowing why or what lies in store for him, he packs a few clothes in a backpack and hitchhikes across two thirds of the country to the only destination he can think of… New Mexico and his maternal grandmother. Whom he hasn't seen in twelve years. Things don't always go smoothly in an isolated mountain village for a young man raised in the city. Ricardo soon finds that he has a lot to learn but what he couldn't have imagined was how his life changes when he meets musician, mentor, and storyteller Margarito Montoya. Everyday people inhabit these pages. From the mundane, extraordinary, humorous, and sometimes sad circumstances of daily life Ricardo discovers that things, and people, aren't always what they seem and there are exceptional people and animals—past and present—to meet. With the help and complicity of his friend Margarito he soon discovers that legends and miracles not only wander through daily life but lie waiting to be made. Come along with Ricardo as he hears the tales of a man cursed by a snake, the demon that fled before he could be buried in holy ground, and a grandson who refuses to give up hope. Learn how a cow becomes the unwitting main attraction in a Holy Week miracle, and meet a santero of exceptional skill. Whenever this man is around everyone makes the sign of the cross. Is it because he was cursed by a snake? Have you ever wondered about ants in a jar or just how tedious, or dangerous, shearing sheep can be? An ancient trash heap grudgingly reveals its "treasures." Creatures seen in clouds can change quickly and a simple comment made in the post office can be the beginning of an amazing friendship. Things like getting a phone installed or making a knife don't always go as planned and a mysterious violin played by an elusive musician not only make for a sleepless night but herald the arrival of a shaggy gray dog… and so much more. David Kyea has drawn on his rich life in New Mexico and the people he knows so well to share with us these fourteen interconnected short stories suitable for anyone from Junior Hight to ninety+.

David Kyea came to New Mexico in the early nineteen seventies. He and his wife met on a ranch where he worked as the cook and she was a horse wrangler. From there they moved to a small mountain village where they rented a three room adobe house with no plumbing and wood heat. They knew no one in the community and work was hard to come by. David worked as a farmhand, ranch hand, wood cutter, silversmith, ski lift operator, shepherd and adobe brick layer. He cleared trails in the Pecos Wilderness and planted trees at altitudes of ten thousand feet. In short, he has done whatever was necessary to make a living. He enjoys playing his guitar, violin, mandolin, viola, and tin whistles and is particularly interested in traditional New Mexico music. David begin a career in law enforcement that lasted nearly twenty six years. He started as a Taos County Deputy Sheriff in nineteen seventy seven and went on to become senior investigator with the District Attorney's Office and a Deputy Medical Investigator. He retired from a position as Union County Magistrate Judge. His writings have been published in the on line e-zine Lunarosity and in two anthologies published by the New Mexico Book Coop; Voices of New Mexico and More Voices of New Mexico. He and his wife currently live on their ranch in Union County and in 2020 published his first anthology, KITE and Other Short Stories of New Mexico to five star reviews.