Some years later, one morning when Mr. Barceto went to open his religious store, he found a truck parked right in front of the store. In the back, the truck had a very tall wooden box that looked like a shipping container but with an open roof. He thought he heard chickens clucking, coming from the truck, but he discarded the thought.

A dark-skinned man got out of the truck and told Mr. Barceto that somebody needed to see him. Mr. Barceto asked who. He was taken to the back of the truck. A ramp was lowered and a door opened. Inside the big box was an older Filomena, seated on a rocking chair and surrounded by some chickens. On the floor was some straw and corn kernels, rapidly disappearing.

When they moved Grandma to Santiago, they had to do something to make her happy. In the apartment, there was no place to put plants, nor trees nor chickens so they decided to make a portable countryside for her. In the truck that had been used for parcels, they put big flower pots with roses, hydrangeas, alelies and even an acacia. Then they put in a chair with grandmother, and everything else, along with Toby, the fox terrier that grandma adored.

It was not uncommon to see the high-walled truck wandering through the center of downtown. From a second floor, you could see grandma weaving and rocking in the middle of her portable countryside.

Filomena greeted Mr. Barceto and picked up a good size box. She said that she was here to thank him. She opened the box and showed him the Saint Anthony image standing on his head, propped with newspaper so it could not move.

To cover all bases, as soon as her granddaughter had turned 3, she had placed the saint on his head. Then all had changed for her and her family. The old pharmacist died and, since he hated his lazy relatives, in his will he left the pharmacy business to Filomena’s daughter. (Clarita propmtly hired a professional pharmacist.) The dark-skinned “good for nothing” who was driving the truck learned that his wife had died in Santiago. The woman owned 3 trucks that then became his. He soon put them to work in the small town making good money. Then he married Filomena’s daughter and they had another baby. This time a son that, at Filomena’s suggestion, they named Antonio.

After 3 years they were doing so well that they decided to move to Santiago.

Filomena needed to be near her grandson so she agreed to move with the condition of having this truck with an open sky, chickens and, she signaled to a corner, an oven to make bread and empanadas. In the other corner, a small child slept on yet another box. Antonio.

About the chickens, “These chicks”, Filomena told Mr Barceto, “are very good. I’ve had them since they were eggs. Thanks to this technology, then, I am happy here in the capital.” With ‘tongue in cheek’, she added, “The Bible says that when Santiago cannot go to the countryside, the countryside has to go to Santiago.”

Filomena was so grateful to Mr. Barceto that she wanted to return the image. He could sell it to another woman and bless her as Saint Anthony had blessed her.

Mr. Barceto could not say anything. He was asking himself if all these happenings were related to this image or the one that broke in 3 pieces. Was there any connection between the two saint images?
Or was it the result of prayers prayed in faith?