Look Who Visited me in Calpe, Spain—Frank Garcia

Have you ever experienced a character simply popping into your head after you've read a story—maybe they say something or do something original and take on a life of their own?

If you have, congratulations that's hyperphantasia, and a common gift (or affliction) among many authors, me included.

The Spanish Steps in Calpe Old Town on the Costa Blanca in Spain & Frank Garcia

It usually happens when I'm doing something that doesn't require my full attention. This time, I was thinking about whether we could navigate the sparse public transport in Calpe, Spain to have dinner uphill in the old town.

My family and I had traveled to Calpe on the Costa Blanca (the White Coast) of Spain, from Scotland where we were visiting family. We were taking advantage of the northern hemisphere summer in a town rich with history, beautiful beaches, and a very large rock called Peñon de Ifach, having a wonderful time.

Then grumpy ol' Frank Garcia showed up and told me we needed to eat more fish.

Frank's the grocer on Jackson's Bridge Main Street, who will only stock whole foods in those large bulk bin arrangements and a few jars and cans if it can't be helped—but he'll source them from small-time producers, not the big corporate chain stores (which we call supermarkets).

Calpe, Spain—The ancestral home of Frank Garcia

If you buy from Frank's store, don't bother crossing the threshold with plastic bags—it's sturdy brown paper bags all the way. And if you come looking for supplies during peak tourist season, you can either buy a bag full of essentials that he prepared before opening, or you can travel half an hour to Spring Creek to take your chances on a wider variety. Or an hour away to the only chain supermarket store in the wider area. As Frank sees it, it's your choice if you want to be picky.

I like Frank. He's that part of me that says and does the things I wish I could get away with in everyday life without upsetting anyone.

So, I was trying to make head-or-tails of the bus schedule into Calpe old town when I hear his gravely voice say "If you go to the old town, you need to eat fish". And with a little prompting, his whole backstory eventually poured out in a colorful but heart-wrenching tale that he wanted me to write. I quickly outlined the details and have added it to my list of ideas sometime in the future.

Frank's backstory is an epic to rival El Cid, with many of the same story beats. The influence is not surprising, since we'd been immersed in it in preparation for our adventure in Guadelst: a loyal and valiant man, an unexpected tragedy, exile to faraway lands, reconnection with loved ones, a beautiful family wedding, and finally a happy-ever-after that Frank needed, even if it took him right outside his comfort zone.

To get the picture more fully, think: the slow, wholesome small-town Mediterranean lifestyle and disruption due to war in Captain Corelli's Mandolin, meets the colorful and drama-filled family wedding saga in Mamma Mia. With fish, and here's why ...

Frank's family were fisher-people, casting their handmade nets off the coast of Calpe, Spain. His mother ran a small tapas bar in the old town, serving delicious small dishes based on the produce Frank's father grew at home, and the fish he and his family caught in the bay each day.

It was a simple, wholesome life, living with the seasons and Spanish traditions—but impacted by the introduction of tourism, the second world war, and the death of Frank's brother who was lost at sea.

Following his brother's death, Frank left Calpe under a self-imposed exile, taking his mother's recipes to the United States, and eventually finding his forever home in Jackson's Bridge, Colorado.

Frank had made his peace with never setting foot on his ancestral homeland again, until fifty years later when—under considerable duress—he returned to the Costa Brava to face his past and give his youngest daughter away in the wedding she'd always dreamed of, with coral oceans, the bluest skies, white-washed buildings, and the family connections he had left behind as a young man.

I have added Frank's story to my growing list of ideas for short stories to accompany the Jackson's Bridge Series. I wish I could simply think-up these stories and have them instantly appear on my computer screen!

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