A Story of Mexico Ch. 02

The next morning, a knock came on Vanessa's door. Groaning, she crawled out of bed, walked across the room, and opened the door a crack. It was Maria.

"There is breakfast downstairs, and fresh coffee," Maria announced brightly. "Come down, before it gets cold."

How could she be so cheerful this early? Vanessa wondered. But as she left the door and picked up her wristwatch from the dresser, she saw that it was nearly 9:30. She felt like she had just fallen asleep an hour ago.

Still, the allure of coffee was enough. "All right, I'll be down in a minute," she told Maria. Maria smiled brightly as she continued down the hall, and Vanessa closed the door after her. She changed clothes sluggishly, grabbing a pair of jeans and a tank top that she had placed in the dresser the night before. Then she brushed out her long, reddish-blond hair, and pulled it back in a ponytail with an elastic hair-tie.

Before leaving the room, Vanessa walked over to the window and opened the shutters. She gasped at the beauty before her. From high atop the hill, she could see for miles. A small town stood only a few miles away, but beyond that was vast countryside. A tall mountain range lined the horizon, and the sun shone brightly in the east.

Vanessa had not realized that Mexico could be so beautiful. She had been reluctant, in fact, to go except that it might help her career. And she had never been one for hot weather and sandy beaches. But in this seemingly remote part of the country, Vanessa was starting to think that maybe this trip hadn't been so worthless after all.

At the bottom of the stairs, Vanessa was met by the wafting, familiar scent of eggs and pork. Her mouth began to salivate, and she followed the fragrance until she came to a small breakfast nook by the kitchen. A round table was set with mountains of food, from bread muffins, oranges, and grapefruit, to a heaping pile of bacon strips and a plate of pork steaks as big as her hand. There were two pitchers, one filled with orange juice and one with milk.

"I hope you are hungry," she heard Maria call from the kitchen. "I tried to make an American breakfast. I made omelets, too."

Vanessa's breakfasts usually consisted of a bagel and a cup of coffee, or maybe some cereal with milk if she had the time. "It looks delicious! Although, I don't think I can eat all of this . . ."

Maria turned from the stove, holding a plate with a large, fluffy omelet. "Oh, well, eat what you like. Would you care for some coffee?"

"That would be great," Vanessa replied, as Maria set the omelet down on the table for her. Vanessa sat down in front of the plate, and immediately began to dig in, taking a little bit from each plate, although she had to cut one of the pork steaks in half. All of it was delicious, and Vanessa felt like her stomach was going to explode, even though half of the food was still on her plate. She sipped on the coffee that Maria had set in front of her, and her mouth puckered at its bitter taste. When Maria wasn't looking, she poured some of the milk from the pitcher into the strong coffee.

"It is so nice to be able to cook for someone again," Maria said, sitting down with Vanessa at the table, holding her own cup of coffee. "Years ago, we used to have quite a few visitors to Los Veritas. But now, everyone wants to go to the beaches. Ah, well, that is how it is."

"What does that mean?" Vanessa asked. "Los Veritas?"

"City of truth," Maria replied. "Many, many years ago, as the legend goes, a traveler came to this small village. He was weary and near death, when he came upon a well. The people of the village told him to drink, but be wary, for the well had mysterious power that would cause any man who drinks from it to tell nothing but the truth. So the traveler did so, and found that his thirst was satisfied, but suddenly he felt a great desire to speak to a priest. When the priest came to him, the man confessed all of his sins, every one that he had committed throughout his life. After the priest had granted him redemption, the traveler was in awe at what he had just done. He left the village, but not until he swore an oath before God, never to tell another soul about the well.

"Not a day after he left the village, the man came upon another traveler, who was weak and in need of water. The traveler took pity on the man, and broke his vow, telling the traveler where he could find the village with the well. The second traveler followed his advice, and he found the village and drank from the well. What the first traveler did not know, however, was that the man was really a Spanish soldier, and when he drank from the well, the soldier was also awed by its powers. The Spaniard was overcome with greed, and he sent for his fellow soldiers, who came in by the hundreds, and massacred the people of the village, taking it and the well for their own. But, as soon as the deed was done, the well crumbled to the ground, and its powers were no more."

Vanessa was captivated by Maria's story, hanging on her every word. "That's so sad," she whispered.

Maria smiled, and shrugged. "Well, it is only a legend. My grandmother used to tell it to me when I was a little girl, as her grandmother told her." With that, Maria stood up from the table, and began to clear off the plates. "Well, I shall have to take this food down to the gas station. I'm sure Johnny and the others will enjoy it. Paulo's dog loves my pork steaks."

Vanessa finished off her coffee, and helped Maria to clear the table, even assisted her in wrapping the leftover food. "Is it far to town?" Vanessa asked.

"No, not far," Maria replied. "Once you get down the hill, it's about a five minute drive. Would you like me to give you a ride?"

"Oh, if you could just drop me off at the edge of town, I can walk the rest of the way."

"Well, if you insist. What are you looking for in town?"

Vanessa smiled. "I think I'm going to do a little shopping."

Los Veritas was a lost town, short of modern technology, a place where time had stopped. Vanessa wandered the streets in amazement, gazing around at the little shops and old theaters, and the variety of merchants with booths set up like the old marketplaces.

Young children played and kicked around soccer balls in the streets, with no danger of being hit by cars. In fact, there were little to no cars at all. The few cars Vanessa did see were old, beaten up cars from the sixties, and she even saw an American '56 Chevy. But they were all parked at the side of the road, their drivers walking around on foot. Vanessa felt like she had gone back in time. It was surreal.

Vanessa stopped at one of the merchant booths, eying a beautiful set of handmade scarves and shawls. She sifted through one of the piles, and her eyes widened at the sight of a gorgeous red shawl, decorated with silk tassels. It was made of the softest material, and Vanessa indulged by lifting the fabric to her cheek.

"I guess the stereotype that American women love to shop is true," came a deep voice, and Vanessa whirled around, quickly lowering the shawl. There stood Johnny, smiling at her, and Vanessa felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. He looked handsome as ever, still wearing his white cowboy hat, now in a deep blue button-down shirt and a pair of khaki slacks.

"Oh, well, I just thought I'd come and check out the town," Vanessa only half-lied. "You know, as long as I'm stuck here."

Johnny chuckled, moving in closer, and causing Vanessa's heart to quicken its already erratic pace. "You're stuck, huh? Doesn't sound like you're too happy about it."

Vanessa laughed breathily. "Well, I'm warming up to it. It's a lovely town, and Maria has been so nice, and I just found this beautiful shawl. Maybe my luck is changing, after all." With that, she turned away from him to talk to the vender. "How much?" she asked, indicating the shawl.

"Twenty pesos," the vender replied. Vanessa began to reach into her purse, but Johnny stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"No, no," Johnny protested, directing his gaze towards the vender. "Siete pesos."

The vender and Johnny argued back and forth, as Vanessa waited in the wings, confused. They were speaking in Spanish, but Vanessa was able to make out a bit of the quarrel. The vender offered seventeen, but Johnny demanded nine. Then the vender went down to fifteen, and Johnny insisted upon eleven. Finally, the merchant agreed on eleven pesos. Vanessa paid him the money, and shrugged in apology to the cross salesman.

"How do you do that?" Vanessa asked him, as they stepped away from the booth. "I've never been good at haggling."

"Merchants like to trick foreign women out of their money," Johnny replied. "Especially American woman. He was asking for much more than the shawl was worth."

"I don't know," Vanessa said, looking down at the shawl draped over her arm. "I would be willing to pay twenty pesos for such good workmanship as this."

"Trust me," Johnny insisted.

Vanessa shrugged. "Well, thank you." She paused thoughtfully, looking down at the shawl. Finally, in a bold move for her, she looked up at Johnny and said, "Could you help me do a little grocery shopping?"

Johnny grinned. "Sure. There is a grocery just down the next street."

They walked down the road, side by side, and Vanessa inwardly squealed with delight. Having him so close to her made her feel extraordinary, and she realized that she hadn't felt this way about a guy since high school. Maybe it was just a stupid crush, but she was enjoying it while it lasted.

When they came to the grocery, Johnny opened the door for her, and Vanessa walked inside. It was a very small store, and the shelves were haphazardly organized. Vanessa told Johnny what she was looking for, and helped point her in the right direction.

As they stood in front a shelf with canned fruits and vegetables, Vanessa held a can of peaches, and Johnny translated the label for her.

Suddenly, a female voice called his name, and Johnny turned his head. Vanessa followed suit, and her heart jumped in her throat at the sight of a lovely woman. Her skin was a golden brown, her hair deep auburn, and she had a meticulously perfect body that she showed off with a low cut halter dress, her full breasts peeking out of the top.

She smiled coyly at Johnny, her hands on her wide hips, her brown eyes sparkling. She wore long, colorful earrings, and a pair of silver bracelets on her wrists. Vanessa stood by self-consciously, and lowered her head as the two of them conversed. She couldn't understand them, but their discussion went something like this:

"Hello, Johnny," said the exotic beauty.

"Hello, Rosita," Johnny replied evenly, giving her a polite nod.

"You have not come by to see me," Rosita went on. "I wonder, what's been keeping you?"

"I've been very busy with work."

Rosita pouted out her thick bottom lip. "You can make some time for Rosita, can't you? I miss you, Johnny. I miss our . . . time together."

"I apologize, Rosita. Perhaps I can come visit your family when I have the time."

That wasn't the answer she was hoping for, but it was good enough for Rosita. She smiled widely at him, but her smile fell when she saw the blond woman at his side, who was staring stupidly at a can of peaches. "Who is the white woman? What are you doing with her?"

Johnny's expression was calm. "She is a friend."

"A friend? What are you trying to prove, Johnny? You decide to fraternize with white women now? We full-blood Mexicans not enough to satisfy you anymore?"

"Rosita," Johnny continued calmly, "She is just a friend."

Rosita frowned dubiously, looking over the blond, until she finally decided that this plain, pale girl was not a threat to her. Her smile returned, and she place a flirtatious hand on his arm. "Well, I hope to see you soon, Johnny. Give me a call, won't you?"

"Goodbye, Rosita."

Rosita gave Vanessa one last condescending gaze before sauntering off, leaving Vanessa seething. Trying her best to sound nonchalant, she asked Johnny, "Who was that?"

Johnny turned back to her. "An old friend."

His vague description infuriated her, but she told herself to stay calm. "An old friend, huh? What's her name?"

"Her name is Rosita," Johnny replied, and pretended to busy himself by picking up a can from the shelf and read the ingredients.

"Rosita," Vanessa repeated. It even sounds like a slut's name, she thought, her anger building. Even more frustrating was that he seemed to think it was no big deal. A woman had basically thrown herself at him, nearly shoved her big breasts into his face, and he was completely unaffected by it. Vanessa felt like crying, she was so mad.

"Well, I think I've got all that I need here. I'd better get going."

All that she had in her hand was the can of peaches, and Johnny lifted a curious eyebrow. "That's all you need?"

"Yes," Vanessa insisted, a little too firmly. "That's all I came for. I've got to go." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away. She didn't even pay for the can of peaches. Instead she slammed them down on the counter and stormed out the door.

Luckily, Vanessa was an avid power-walker. The long walk out of Los Veritas, and the steep climb up the hill to Maria's hacienda barely took any breath out of her. Through the long walk, she cursed and muttered out loud to herself, some of her menace directed at Johnny, but mostly toward that stuck-up, forward woman, Rosita.

She wasn't an idiot. She knew that the relationship between Johnny and Rosita went further than Johnny had let on. No woman talked to an "old friend" like that. Strutting around like a rooster in a cock fight, in that short dress, with her tits hanging out like that. Oh, how Vanessa had wanted to smack her smug face when Rosita looked at her the way she did, then turned up her pointed nose, like Vanessa was a pile of dirt.

Her malice surprised even Vanessa. She had never been the jealous type. Then again, she had never had a man in her life to be jealous for. And what right did she have to be jealous, anyway? It wasn't like she and Johnny were together, and she doubted he was even aware of her attraction toward him. Of course, that was her fault for not cluing him in. But that just wasn't the kind of woman Vanessa was.

At last, Vanessa reached the hacienda, and she was rushing up the stairs towards her room when she ran into Maria, holding a basket of laundry.

"Oh, there you are!" Maria said, grinning widely. "How did you enjoy the town?"

Vanessa decided not to burden Maria with her insignificant problem. "It was fun. It's a very nice town."

But Maria was only half listening, because the red shawl over Vanessa arm had caught her attention. "Dios mio, where did you get this lovely shawl?"

Maria smoothed her hand over the soft fabric, and Vanessa proudly displayed it for her. "I bought it from one of the venders. It was only eleven pesos."

The older woman looked up at Vanessa in surprise. "Eleven pesos? Are you certain? This is handmade, and it's worth about fifty pesos. How did you get it so cheap?"

Vanessa was stunned by her words. She didn't tell her that the vender had asked for twenty, and that Johnny had talked him down. Why would Johnny talk the merchant down so low, when twenty pesos was a great deal in itself?

"Um, the salesman was very generous," Vanessa told her.

"Well, I should say so. You should wear it tonight, to the festiva."

"Festival? What kind of festival?"

"Every year, there is a festiva in the town square. It's not really a festival, it is more like, how do you Americans call it . . .? A dance?"

Vanessa's eyes widened in surprise. "A dance? Really? That's interesting."

"Oh, you should come. There will be music, dancing, food . . . everybody in Los Veritas comes to the festiva."

Everybody, huh? Vanessa thought grimly. That meant Johnny and Rosita would probably be there. She had no desire to see them any more today. "I don't know. I'm pretty tired. I don't think I'm up for a dance."

"Nonsense, you should go. It really is a sight to see. They hang up lights all over the square, and a group of mariachis play, and everyone dances until the sun comes up."

Vanessa smiled weakly. She still felt her cheeks hot with anger and resentment towards Johnny, and that damn slut, Rosita. Humiliation always made her stubborn. But the kindness in the Mexican woman's eyes was so eager and optimistic, how could she turn her down?

"I'll think about it, Maria," she replied at last.

Maria smiled and nodded her head in satisfaction. "Good. Well, I'd better finish this laundry, so I can get ready myself." She gave Vanessa one last, warm smile before passing her and continuing down the stairs.