Multiple candles lit the room that night as Larry knelt naked with his face turned downwards to avoid the smelly concoction from entering his eyes and nostrils. The curandera was pouring this brew over him from a jar, this originating from a huge cauldron she had boiled for over an hour. The broken leaves of various plants and petals of white flowers adhered to his skin. This brew felt sticky and smelled heavily of wine, cologne, and some strange shit.
Larry wished Juan had stayed and not left to return the following morning. Not that he was scared, but you never know what designs an old woman will have with a naked younger man.
When she had finished pouring the contents of the cauldron all over his body from the top of his head, she motioned for him to stand up. She then grabbed a bushel of herbs which she called ‘ruda’ and commenced hitting him with it all over his body, as if using that as a fly swatter while chanting in a foreign tongue.
After this ordeal, she motioned for him to drink a brew she held in her hands; it was dark and smelled like tea. What’s next? He thought, as he obediently drank the potion. Then she led him by the hand to the back room. This seemed to elicit an optical illusion. The shadows of the multiple candles lighting this small room, seemed to expand and attain life of their own; these taking the form and contortions of dancers. What did he drink?
He was led to lie down on the cot, and he seemed to be in an altered state of mind. He actually understood what this old woman said in a foreign tongue!
Larry clearly understood that he had to make an introspective journey down the lane of his life and recall events of his life, and see where he could still make amends. This would make help him tremendously to reach an elevated level when he parted. Larry’s subconscious understood this, and knew this to be true.
For the rest of the night, the curandera stood vigil at his side and prayed over his prone form; her hands hovered over his skin, while not touching his body.
Larry embarked on a long journey of a lifetime of joys, triumphs and failures, good deeds, and sins committed. He was able to see clearly how he his actions had affected, and sometimes hurt others, although perhaps not intentionally. Particularly came to mind an older employee who was always very polite to everyone. He had been given the pink slip, just before the holidays. Larry was able to see the despair this generated which had a deplorable domino effect on Joe, even causing marital problems for him. Larry had devised the plan to cut overhead to stay competitive, while enjoying a handsome Christmas bonus that same year.
With the potions the curandera had sent him with, Larry was able to control the pain and feel less fatigued.
He made the effort to enjoy a nice dinner with Lupita, even though his appetite was non-existent now. They simply held on tight to each other and to each day they embraced together, that was simply enough. They felt gratitude for yet another day that they were in each other’s arms.
On one such occasion, as they snuggled while listening to soft music, something seemed amiss. Larry sensed that something was bothering Lupita, and asked her if anything was the matter. She replied that yes, look around, obviously there is something the matter.
She apologized for the abrupt response, and then changed her tactic. She mentioned that he was not well to live alone in this fancy hotel room. He should live with her, and she would see to his care, as well as her mom and grandmother would help too.
- “What? Your grandmother?” he asked incredulously.
- “Yes, I live with my parents and my abuelita. If we marry we could move in together into my parent’s house.”
- “What? I’m sorry I don’t feel like arguing right now. Let’s not talk about it.”
- “Why? You don’t care enough to marry me, to let me take care of you until the end?” she said with tears forming in her eyes.
- “Please, please don’t cry…o.k. we will do it. Arrange everything.” He relented.
Lupita broke down and cried anyway.
- “OK, I will make the arrangements to get married next week. By the way, I’m pregnant.” She said as a matter of fact.
Larry tried hard to see how this could have happened, as they had always used protection. Well, always except that evening they went skinny dipping in the ocean and got carried away, that evening as the sun set, he had wished that moment would last forever…
It’s funny how nature works in its infinite wisdom. He had noticed how frequently when someone dies, a friend, or someone he knows has or is about to have a child. Life is a cycle of renewal.
If a fortune teller had foreseen that on his wedding day he would be wearing khaki shorts, huaraches, and a white embroidered shirt typical of the region, he would have said that she was smoking too much pot.
Yet that is how it came to be. A judge who was a personal friend of the father of the bride, married them in the dinning room of his newly adopted family. The bride wore a simple white cotton dress, and looked radiant from her pregnancy, while tears streamed down her cheeks when it was announced they were husband and wife.
After all was said and done, Larry felt he belonged; he was part of a family now.
Larry wished Juan had stayed and not left to return the following morning. Not that he was scared, but you never know what designs an old woman will have with a naked younger man.
When she had finished pouring the contents of the cauldron all over his body from the top of his head, she motioned for him to stand up. She then grabbed a bushel of herbs which she called ‘ruda’ and commenced hitting him with it all over his body, as if using that as a fly swatter while chanting in a foreign tongue.
After this ordeal, she motioned for him to drink a brew she held in her hands; it was dark and smelled like tea. What’s next? He thought, as he obediently drank the potion. Then she led him by the hand to the back room. This seemed to elicit an optical illusion. The shadows of the multiple candles lighting this small room, seemed to expand and attain life of their own; these taking the form and contortions of dancers. What did he drink?
He was led to lie down on the cot, and he seemed to be in an altered state of mind. He actually understood what this old woman said in a foreign tongue!
Larry clearly understood that he had to make an introspective journey down the lane of his life and recall events of his life, and see where he could still make amends. This would make help him tremendously to reach an elevated level when he parted. Larry’s subconscious understood this, and knew this to be true.
For the rest of the night, the curandera stood vigil at his side and prayed over his prone form; her hands hovered over his skin, while not touching his body.
Larry embarked on a long journey of a lifetime of joys, triumphs and failures, good deeds, and sins committed. He was able to see clearly how he his actions had affected, and sometimes hurt others, although perhaps not intentionally. Particularly came to mind an older employee who was always very polite to everyone. He had been given the pink slip, just before the holidays. Larry was able to see the despair this generated which had a deplorable domino effect on Joe, even causing marital problems for him. Larry had devised the plan to cut overhead to stay competitive, while enjoying a handsome Christmas bonus that same year.
With the potions the curandera had sent him with, Larry was able to control the pain and feel less fatigued.
He made the effort to enjoy a nice dinner with Lupita, even though his appetite was non-existent now. They simply held on tight to each other and to each day they embraced together, that was simply enough. They felt gratitude for yet another day that they were in each other’s arms.
On one such occasion, as they snuggled while listening to soft music, something seemed amiss. Larry sensed that something was bothering Lupita, and asked her if anything was the matter. She replied that yes, look around, obviously there is something the matter.
She apologized for the abrupt response, and then changed her tactic. She mentioned that he was not well to live alone in this fancy hotel room. He should live with her, and she would see to his care, as well as her mom and grandmother would help too.
- “What? Your grandmother?” he asked incredulously.
- “Yes, I live with my parents and my abuelita. If we marry we could move in together into my parent’s house.”
- “What? I’m sorry I don’t feel like arguing right now. Let’s not talk about it.”
- “Why? You don’t care enough to marry me, to let me take care of you until the end?” she said with tears forming in her eyes.
- “Please, please don’t cry…o.k. we will do it. Arrange everything.” He relented.
Lupita broke down and cried anyway.
- “OK, I will make the arrangements to get married next week. By the way, I’m pregnant.” She said as a matter of fact.
Larry tried hard to see how this could have happened, as they had always used protection. Well, always except that evening they went skinny dipping in the ocean and got carried away, that evening as the sun set, he had wished that moment would last forever…
It’s funny how nature works in its infinite wisdom. He had noticed how frequently when someone dies, a friend, or someone he knows has or is about to have a child. Life is a cycle of renewal.
If a fortune teller had foreseen that on his wedding day he would be wearing khaki shorts, huaraches, and a white embroidered shirt typical of the region, he would have said that she was smoking too much pot.
Yet that is how it came to be. A judge who was a personal friend of the father of the bride, married them in the dinning room of his newly adopted family. The bride wore a simple white cotton dress, and looked radiant from her pregnancy, while tears streamed down her cheeks when it was announced they were husband and wife.
After all was said and done, Larry felt he belonged; he was part of a family now.
.
To be continued...
