It was in the film All About My Mother. The mother, Manuela, had her Esteban, who was killed by a car on his birthday. Esteban had wanted to write a novel about his mother, but Almodóvar made a film about the mother's mourning for her son. I saw the film at the Meeting Point Cinema. That evening I went home right after. I hiked up the street in the old part of town, toward my motherless house. The figure of Esteban vibrated before my eyes. I saw him there, drenched in his jeans and windbreaker, clutching his soggy notebook. The street I was trudging up was called Sirokac, and it was incredibly steep. At the top I paused to catch my breath, and turned to face the valley. The city below was sinking into darkness, and it occurred to me: What if my mother were still alive today, and it had been me who'd died that faraway night seventeen years before? -- Excerpt from short story "Call me Esteban" Excerpted from Call Me Esteban by Lejla Kalamujic All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.