▸ a lamentation to the churro stand

I thought he would be there for us.

It was June 12th, 2025. A perfect, sunny Tuesday evening. Following some finangling with the virtual ticketing agent for the trip we had laid out that next day, we had decided to return to our beloved churro stand. It had been a little over two years since we last paid him a visit. The rails have changed since then. The same trains don't go there anymore. The station, though, is still in its slightly decrepit status. From the bustling mainline station of Atocha, we went to where our savior resided. Four zone ticket, Two euro sixty.

There was a slight feeling of hope and excitement on that train that couldn't be described discretely. Stop after stop, we continued to draw nearer and nearer.

Las Matas. In English, "The Bushes." That was our stop. The faregates unforgivingly released us into the open. Climbing up the parking lot, into the street, we saw his stand.

We saw the shutters.

We thought he was just done for the day. We thought we could come back tomorrow.

But then we read the sign.

"Cerrado por temporada hasta septiembre."

Closed temporarily until September.

Churro guy, as we affectionately call you,
why did you leave when you did.
When we came back for you
you had already decided to leave us.
We didn't have until September to wait for you.
And now, I don't know if I'll be back again,
if you might not be there too.