It all began in my first Linguistics class, Professor Oscar was talking to us about language dynamics and the brain areas involved.
- Good morning, welcome to the Linguistics course. As an introduction, I will talk to you about two important brain areas that allow speech and hence communication.
The enormous blackboard began to fill with endless data; I remember watching with passion the speed at which he wrote, everything came out of his hand without hesitation.
- The Brodmann areas allow us to see in detail the cognitive areas of the brain, where I want to highlight that it is the left hemisphere that contains the areas involved in language articulation; the Wernicke area, the angular gyrus, and the Broca area are connected through the arcuate fasciculus...
I tried to write along with him, as everything related to neuroscience fascinates me.
- Knowing this, I will start with the Wernicke area, which allows language comprehension, semantic processing, language recognition, and interpretation, and the Broca area is responsible for language production, recognition of grammatical structures, language comprehension, and speech rhythm regulation.
He talked about diseases that damage those brain areas, treatments, brain structure; I felt like I was in another dimension when suddenly the bell rang, and recess had begun.
Since it was the first few days, I didn't know anyone, so my favorite place to be after lunch was the library.
- Good afternoon,I greeted and looked around.
- Good afternoon, the librarian replied kindly.
There was no one else in the aisles within my reach, so I decided to walk to the back where the biology books were and found a neuroscience magazine.
- Different brain regions are infected with fungi in Alzheimer's disease, I read, amazed.
It wasn't about language, but it was about an affliction in important mental functions, which includes speech. I was so happy with all the information I was receiving that day.
- Hello. Someone whispered behind a shelf.
I decided not to turn because maybe they weren't talking to me.
- Hellloooo, it went from a whisper to a rather loud tone for being in a library.
I looked around; the tables were empty, so they were talking to me after all. I laughed and turned around.
- Hi. I replied and I turned my gaze quickly.
The person behind the shelf was a girl with super long curly hair, square glasses like those worn in the 80s. She had a UNAM archaeology magazine in her hand talking about sacred mushrooms. Was it a coincidence? Me, pathogenic fungi, and her hallucinogenic fungi.
- Look, I'm also reading about mushrooms. Can I sit and read with you? she said, pointing to the chair next to me.
I just nodded and continued with my reading, although I was already quite distracted to continue, I pretended to keep reading.
-By the way, my name is Xochotzincatzin, she said with a smile.
-Pleasure, I've never heard that name before. Nahuátl?
Yes, my dad is an archaeologist, and my mom lived for a long time in northern Puebla, where everyone spoke Nahuatl. She told me that when she didn't know she was pregnant yet, she saw a pear that seemed to have a nipple and it made her nauseous. Since that event was quite strange for her, she decided to investigate more about it, and voilà, I was inside her belly. My mom went back another day to apologize to Mrs. Juana, who owned that fruit stand.
- Oh honey, don't worry, right away I thought you were pregnant, you had eyes like a sheep ready for sacrifice. Mrs. Juana said.
-"Xochotzincatzin " Mrs. Juana added.
- What?" my mom said.
- It means fruit nipple in our language.
-And that's how my name stayed. She blushed as the recess bell rang.
- Sorry for not letting you read.
-Don't worry, it was a pretty interesting story. My name is Amelia.
We left the library, and when we said goodbye, we followed the same path.
-What class do you have?
-Physics, and you?
- Me too!
We walked together to the classroom, and there was a sign made with notebook paper that the teacher wouldn't arrive, so we would have a free hour. Xocho and I looked at each other with complicity because we could continue talking about the origin of our names or who knows what, but I was excited to have made a friend.
-Great, do you want to go to the cafeteria?
- Sure, let's go.
Upon arrival, Xocho pulled out a container with tangerines and offered to me as she began to talk about mushrooms.
- Do you like mushrooms? I saw you were reading the magazine about parasitic mushrooms; don't think they're all bad. I am doing a documentary research on those that affect the central nervous system due to their hallucinogenic effects.
- No, I actually find them very tasty in quesadillas; it was today that I found out that there was a relationship with pathologies like Alzheimer's. I laughed and took a segment of tangerine.
- Yes, I like those too, but also the teonanacátl."
When she said that, her eyes were like an owl's, and she stared at me waiting for my reaction.
-It sounds familiar, but I'm not sure; they are hallucinogenic, I suppose.
-Yes, they grow in the regions where the great Shaman Maria Sabina was, in Huautla de Jimenez. But they also grow here in Puebla. In fact, I'm planning a trip with my friends who are from anthropology and ethnobiology to search in Cuetzalan. Do you want to come?
Her proposal took me by surprise because I had only known her for about an hour. Although I trusted her, I limited myself to telling her that I would ask my parents for permission, although I really didn't want to go.
-I'll tell my parents; are you going on behalf of the university?
-No, it's a trip we're organizing ourselves; I hope you'll be interested; we already have accommodation and the sampling areas.
Her phone rang, and with an apologetic gesture, she walked away from the cafeteria. I was stunned; it was quite an incredible day for only being my third day at university, everything was going well.
-I have to go, Amelia, but I'll give you my number, write to me if you decide to come with us. She gave me a piece of paper with her number and kissed me on the cheek and left.