One of the first things I do when back in the barrio is visit my favorite corner store for the ambiance, jokes , laughs and copious amounts of cerveza. After a two year absence I walked in to find the owner had installed another member of the extended family to take care of the place in the evenings .
The gang introduced him to me as Mario ….. Mario Brose …. and I instantly had the feeling that I recognized Mario. The fact that he had recently arrived from a small town outside of Medellin far to the north however, meant it unlikely we had ever met …. but I was certain I knew the face .
Mario proved interesting in that he holds an unshakable belief that one night he witnessed an apparition, a ghost. His trust in the Shamans ability to heal is equally profound and after a week of similar stories he informed me his name isn’t really Mario, but Carlos.
” I don’t know ” he answered when I asked why they all call him Mario so I asked someone else.
” Because he looks just like Mario on the Nintendo Super Mario Bros. game series ” was the answer and it is so ….he’s spitting image . I just knew I saw that face somewhere .
So it would seem that not only is Carlos unaware of the existence of Mario everyone else is unaware that in English , Bros. is short for brothers and not a last name, hence Mario Bros .
