Your Poetry Dot Com - Margarita LII

1
" Mamacita, have you seen El Vicioso? He is so big he fills the cart. They have put
Don Huerra's saddle on him and Pepito's riding him like a horse. It is funny, Mamacita."
" Where are they?"
" At foot of the hill. Papa is going to skin Vicioso there."
" Let me see." Luisa went to kitchen window throwing back the shutter, looking down the hill.
Pepito was sitting in Don Huerra's saddle thrashing the dead bear's rump with a switch. His shouts reached her ears.
" Arre Vicioso! Arre!"
Children danced around the cart in excitement. Miguel, Jose, Father Cheliso, and several vaqueros stood by laughing. They laughed at the small boy who played his game of thinking he was riding "un caballo". The dead bear had drawn flies. The oxen swished their tails dumbly against the flies. The animals shivered because of the flies. The flies made them swing their heads back and forth in misery. Luisa saw how the weary beasts spewed out mouth-foam.
" Where is Pedro?"
" He has taken Don Huerra and Segundo to see Senor Copeland's fence, Mamacita."
" When did they leave?"
" Three hours ago."
" Perhaps Don Huerra can help your papa. Perhaps he can get Senor Copeland to take down fence."
" Why do we need help from Don Huerra? Papa's never needed help from anyone. Why does he need help from that man now?"
" Don Huerra is very influential, very persuasive. When Senor Copeland was Jose's agent in Santa Peralta, Don Huerra did much business through him. Because of business, the yanqui has been his house guest at Rancho de Oro often."
" In the coach, Don Huerra said he thought the yanqui wouldn't listen to a Californio. He said that he and Jose could not be an arbiter. Mamacita, why does that old, bald-headed man go to the fence now and make us more trouble?"
" Don't talk about Don Huerra that way! It's discourteous. He is one grand vaquero and is very rich."
" He gives me lecherous stares."
" Tho? Maybe you ask for it."
" Mamacita! I do not! He is not a good man. He shouldn't look at me like that. He always looks at me with desire in his eyes."
" Tho? He loves you. It ith good he loveth you. He will make you a good huthband."
" I don't love him. I don't like him. I hate him. He is old and bald. He makes me feel dirty."
" You would rather have the gringo. You would rather have the gringo and run off with him."
" That' is all past, Mamacita. That was three years ago."
" Don't think I don't know how you feel. Maybe Thpain might be a good place for you."
" Aunt Theresa told you what I said, didn't she? I wasn't serious, Mamacita. You know how talkative she gets when she is all worked up. I was joking with her, Mamacita. I wanted to see her get all sober and flustered."
Luisa's round-black eyes considered her daughter. Her round-black eyes saw the fright behind Margarita's smile. Her round-black eyes did not believe Margarita." You do not plan to thee the gringo? You do not plan to run away with him?"
" No mama. All that is past."
" Good! Papa'th thaid your wedding will be at Christmath."
" Please, Mama. Please don't make me marry Arracho. I'll marry anyone else you want, but
please don't make me marry that man."
" You don't know what ith good for you. You jutht do what you want. Your papa hath already thet that date."
Margarita saw that it was useless to argue any further. She pretended to accept the inevitable.
" I only want to make you and papa happy. Maybe it won't be too bad living at Rancho de Oro."
Mamacita's round -black eyes smiled in triumph. Mamacita's round-black eyes were deceived. Mamacita's round-black eyes didn't consider that Margarita had complied much too quickly.
11
" The flies are bad Miguel. Maybe you should think about skinning Vicioso now."
" I think you are right, Jose. I will get the boy down from Vicioso."
Pepito cried when Miguel lifted him down to the ground. He wanted more ride. He did not care about the flies."
" Hey, Pepito," Father Cheliso chucked boy under the chin, " we need to remove Vicioso's heavy coat. He is too hot. What do you say? Will you help unbutton his coat?"
Jose, Miguel and the vaqueros watched the priest talk with the boy. With big smiles they followed his words.
" Si, Padre. What do I do?"
" First, `hijo', you must stand out of the way while the vaqueros lower Vicioso from out of the cart."
" Over here, Padre?"
" That is right, Pepito. Way over there."
" What do I do now?"
" You sit on the ground and watch. Make sure your Patron does the job right."
" When do I get to help unbutton Vicioso's coat?"
" Have you a knife?"
" No, Padre."
" Miguel, do you have a knife for this vaquero?"
" I think I can find one."
The priest continued his jocular instructions to the boy -- jocular, but very important in the Mexican boy's life in becoming an useful vaquero on the rancho. " Pepito, when your Patron gives you the knife, you must do exactly what he says. Will you do only what he tells you to do?"
" Si, Padre."
Father Cheliso turned to Miguel and asked him an important question. " Is the boy's father
here?"
A vaquero stepped forward. " Si, Padre. I am his father."
Father Cheliso spoke to him." Will you allow this?"
" Si. If the knife is not too sharp and I can help him."
" Miguel?"
" Both must do only what I say."
Priest Cheliso spoke to the boy's father. " Is it agreed?"
The vaquero lowered his eyes in respect. " Si, Padre. Si Patron. I will only do as you tell me to do. I will be very careful and help Pepito. I swear by the Virgin, we will not hurt the skin." Miguel spoke. " This skin is a present for my daughter and her `novio'. It must be done with care. Have you ever skinned a bear before?"
" Si, Patron. Twice."
" What is your name, vaquero?"
" Alfredo, Patron."
Meguel considered the vaquero's response. The man look capable and seemed able to keep his promise. He gave the vaquero important words. " I am depending on you to do a good job. Will you do a good job?"
" Si, Patron. Pepito and I will take good care of the skin. We will cut it just right and not put any bad holes in it
" Do it!"
" Si, Patron."
Several men began to lower the bear down from the cart. Alfredo talked with his son. They went together to get a dull knife from Alfredo's saddlebags. Alfredo put an arm around his boy's shoulders and led him back to Vicioso.
Father Cheliso talked to Miguel. He introduced a new subject, diverting his prior conversation away from the bear to the ranchero's daughter. " Margarita is more beautiful now than when she left. What is to become of her?"
The sudden question surprised Miguel. " Why, what do you mean, Father?"
" Jose tells me she is to marry Don Huerra. Is that the best thing for her?"
" You don't think so? Why?"
" We both know the answer to that."
" You are over my head, Father. They are to be married this Christmas. It will be a good marriage. Don Huerra is an honorable man."
" That gives us time to clear up certain difficulties."
Miguel drew back in surprise. " What difficulties?"
" Things that should not be discussed at the foot of a hill next to an ox cart with vaqueros and children listening."
Miguel looked at Jose with suspicion. He spoke loud words to his brother. " You told the priest about Edwardo?"
Jose said nothing.
Miguel's horn-hooked scare became red and inflamed. Much anger came to his eyes. " You could not keep your mouth shut, could you?"
Jose said nothing. Father Cheliso spoke quietly to Miguel. " Please, Miguel, can we not talk about this in private?"
Patron turned to the listening vaqueros. " You," he spoke savagely to Alfredo, " Get busy with the bear. You others, take this cart and the animals away. Get busy! Children, go play some other place!"
He watched the men obey him quickly. They goaded the oxen into movement. Alfredo went down on his knees with Pepito at his side. He began working on Vicioso. The children ran after the cart. Miguel turned back to the priest. " Yes, Father," he said with control. " We can
talk about this thing in private. Come up to the house."

This poem is Copyright © ramfire