Popocatepetl's Son

~~~~~~~~~~

Manuel and I had to work even harder, as now payments to the convent for Sor Inocente's services and to Señora Aquino for keeping mi Princesa well-fed were taking their toll on my cashbox. In addition to shoeing horses and mules, I started making iron gates, grilles, railings, to sell to the land-owning burguesía. This provided income enough to cover Manuel's pay and the new expenses, while still earn a miniscule profit.

Over time, our lives developed a rhythm and things began to flow more smoothly, and the days passed quickly. The first thing in the morning, I made sure Adoncia had her breakfast, sent over from Señora Aquino's cocina, usually tetelas, (Mexican bread shaped like triangles and stuffed with refried beans), or huevos rancheros (fried eggs on a tortilla and topped with home-made salsa fresca), and washed down with a hot cup of the spiced Mexican coffee café de olla. Manuel and I would then work while Adoncia sat to the side of the shop doing needlepoint or sewing up damaged work clothes.

In the heat of the afternoon, Manuel and I would take a short break, eating flautas or burritos. While we worked in the afternoons, Adoncia would take short walks, accompanied by Sor Inocente keeping a watchful eye on mi Princesa. In the evenings, Adoncia and I would take a light supper together -- courtesy of Señora Aquino's cocina, as always - before retiring for the night.

Perhaps it was just me sleeping on the floor in close proximity to Adoncia, but a few weeks in, I began to have dreams involving her. In the early weeks, she would reach down from the bed and shake me when she needed me to empty her bedpan in the night. In my dreams, though, I would feel her hand reach down and soothingly caress my head, my shoulders, even my hip. If I did happen to awaken, when I sat up, all I saw was Adoncia sleeping, at times also snoring lightly.

~~~~~~~~~~

Manuel and I had just finished shoeing four horses for the local concejal's carriage. Adoncia, wearing a plain yellow dress given to her by Sor Inocente, was sitting to the side of the shop doing needlepoint as was her habit. It was then that a woman walked in. She was tall, with a dress that exhibited far more cleavage than a respectable woman would, and too much face paint for the daytime.

This made sense, because she was Consuela, a woman of the night I had done business with several times at the burdel known as the Taverna Casa Verde. The only modest thing about her was the parasol she carried to shield her from the sun.

Acting shocked, she cried out "El Popo, is that you?"

Consuela had seen me naked plenty of times, she knew damned well who she was speaking to. I replied, "Yes, Señorita Espinoza, it is I."

She came up close to me, and I caught the smell of her perfume. It was even cheaper than the last time I'd visited her; the quality of her clientele must have fallen. "Please forgive my intrusion, but I was so worried about you, it compelled to seek you out! We haven't seen you at Casa Verde in such a long time. Why, Madame Barceló herself asked about you just the other day, in fact. She'd grown fond of you, you know, and misses seeing you."

I knew this was a fiction; Madame Barceló was Casa Verde's owner and proprietor, not fond of me nor any other man. It was El Popo's money pouch she missed. She wouldn't know me even if I planted my boot firmly in her oversized ass!

"I beg your pardon, Señorita, I've been preoccupied as of late," I explained, "My shop has been very busy, and I've also been taking care of a lodger. Allow me to introduce Señorita Adoncia Inés Madera. As a favor to her father, she is staying with me while she recovers from a near-fatal illness."

I then turned to Adoncia and said, "Señorita Madera, this is Señorita Espinoza. She is an acquaintance of mine who is employed at the Taverna Casa Verde. That was a tactful way of putting it; saying 'She sold me her body on several occasions' would not have been nearly as diplomatic.

Consuela walked up to Adoncia, extending her hand. "Pleased to meet you," she said coolly, running her eyes over mi Princesa as if she were assessing a piece of livestock for purchase.

Adoncia shook her hand and nodded her head in acknowledgement. I explained, "You must forgive Señorita Madera's silence. She lost her speech to her illness, and cannot reciprocate your greeting."

Consuela smiled grimly. "I see. Your lodger appears to be having a slow recovery, El Popo, there's nothing to her! She's so flat I can barely tell if she's a woman or a schoolboy. A strong wind could easily blow her away, I daresay."

Things were quickly going from bad to worse, and by the pained look on Adoncia's face I could see Consuela's unkind words were causing her distress. In the past, I'd visited the Taverna Casa Verde every three or four weeks to relieve my manly urges, but with Adoncia under my care, I had not done so in many months.

It was plain Consuela resented the fact my interests were now focused exclusively on Adoncia; I needed to make clear to this puta exactly where my loyalties now lay.

"Señorita Espinoza, while Señorita Madera's health is improving slowly, I can easily vouch for her gender." As I was speaking, I turned so Adoncia's eyes were locked on mine. "The fact remains, her presence in my humble home has enlightened me as to how perfect a woman can be."

Hearing this, mi Princesa blushed, modestly looking at the floor. It appeared she was flattered. Good.

I turned back to Consuela. "I'm sure you'll understand when I tell you my priorities at present are far removed from the Taverna Casa Verde. As I have pressing business, unless you have a horse that requires shoeing, or you need an iron gate installed, it will be necessary to bid you buenas dias."

Once upon a time in the desert, I'd accidentally rousted a sleeping rattlesnake. The deadly look in his eyes as he lunged at me matched the current look in Consuela's eyes. Choosing not to reply, she turned and stormed out of the shop. I breathed a sigh of relief that the invader had been repulsed and the crisis averted.

Being a curious fellow, Manuel had many questions. "Who was that woman, Tio Enzo?" The boy had recently started calling me 'uncle', I suspected the sisters at the convent school had taught him that, damn them. But he was a clever boy, so lying to him was useless.

"She is a woman I used to associate with when I was lonely."

"Did you want to marry her?"

"Absolutely not. She was a temporary companion for a few hours, that was it."

"Why does she paint her face like that? And why was her bosom so exposed?" Like I said, Manuel was a clever boy. I had to come up with clever answers.

"When a woman is not completely beautiful, whether it's her face or her heart that's ugly, she may compensate by using face paint and bare skin to distract men." I walked over to Adoncia and picked her up out of her chair.

"Women like Señorita Madera here," I continued, "they're saturated with beauty externally but, more importantly, in their loving hearts. They never need to use such distractions. Compare her to our visitor. Wouldn't you agree that Señorita Espinoza can't match the beauty of Señorita Madera?"

"Si, Tio Enzo," he fawned, knowing I was the one who paid him, and the wrong answer could hurt his money pouch. As I said, Manuel was clever.

~~~~~~~~~~

One day I was walking through the marketplace and spotted a vendedora ambulante with a cart, selling finer things that clase alta women would buy: ivory hair combs, hand mirrors with pearl inlays on the back, and mahogany-handled hairbrushes. I asked the prices, and what the vendedora named was far more than even a moderately successful blacksmith could afford.

The look on my face must have told a story, because the woman looked at me with pity.

"You seem a hard-working man, Señor," she said, "You do not have the fine clothes or the soft hands of a useless sangre azul. Why is a man such as yourself looking at such expensive trinkets? Is it for a wife?" I shook my head 'no', and she leaned forward, as if conspiring with me. "Is it for an illicit lover, perhaps? The wayward wife of some nobleman?"

I chuckled, "Good lady, your vivid imagination gives me far too much credit. I am no Don Juan, I'm just a simple blacksmith. I have taken a sick woman under my care, and the nun who assists me suggested that brushing would be good for restoring the thickness of her hair. When I saw your offerings, I hoped they would bring this woman some joy. I see now that the money in my pocket does not match my hopes."

The woman snatched her hand away, crossing her arms over her ample bosom, declaring "I do not believe you, blacksmith!"

Feeling challenged, I angrily countered, "Why do you claim I lie, Señora? What advantage would I gain by doing so?"

The woman snorted derisively. "I did not say you lied, Señor. On the contrary, I'm positive you told me the truth, just not all of it!"

She held up one of the hand mirrors. "Look at your face when you talk about the woman under your care. Any idiota can see that there is much more to the story. It's plain you wanted these fancy trinkets not merely as a caretaker, but as a gift from a lover! This woman's health may not be well, but your love for her is thriving! Now, how much money are you carrying in that pouch of yours?"

I reached into my bag of coins and poured all the pesos it contained into my hand. Given the prices she'd initially indicated, I could not afford even one of the pretty things I was looking at.

The woman gestured at the mule that was tied to her cart. "Blacksmith, you are in luck. Just today, my mule Normando was complaining my cart was far too heavy, and that I should sell more so as to make his burden lighter. To make my mule happy, I will sell you a comb, a hand mirror, and a hairbrush for the exact amount of coins in your hand."

I was stunned by her generosity. "Señora, I don't know how to thank you."

She scoffed, her hand waving me away. "Foolish man! Thank Normando, not me. Frankly, you are doing me a favor, as I grow weary of his constant complaining."

~~~~~~~~~~

Still not able, or perhaps unwilling to speak, I wasn't sure which, Adoncia nonetheless exhibited her delight when I presented her with the presents I'd bought. The vendedora ambulante's suspicions were right, of course. I didn't just want mi Princesa healthy, I wanted her happy as well. The way she clapped her hands in delight when I placed the items on her bed warmed my heart. I stood back by the door, enjoying her reaction. Then she stopped, put her hands down flat and looked at me quizzically.

I guess over the weeks we'd developed our own way to communicate, because I immediately knew what she was asking, and I answered. "Yes, they were expensive, but you are mi Princesa, deserving of them as any aristócrata!"

Adoncia sat quietly for a moment looking down at the gifts, then raised her head and held up her finger, gesturing me not to leave. I watched in amazement as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood! But she wasn't done. Taking several shaking steps, she walked the few feet across the bedroom and into my arms!

Holding on to me for support, Adoncia angled her face upwards, an inviting look on her face. I didn't need instructions to know what she wanted, and kissed her lips for the first time. It was soft and tender, and my heart felt fit to burst. After the kiss, I held her to me, my face buried in her sweet-smelling hair.

"Mi Princesa, it has been many years since I've seen the inside of a church," I murmured, "but every night as I lay on the floor next to you, I've been praying for your recovery. For whatever reason, God has chosen to answer my prayers!" Picking Adoncia up, I carried her to the bed and set her down on the edge, her thin legs dangling.

I handed her the mirror and picked up the hairbrush, brushing her hair until it shone. "Señorita Adoncia Inés Madero, you are the most beautiful woman in all of Mexico City. May I brush your hair like this every night?"

In a voice so faint it might have been a breeze, she responded, "I would like that very much, Señor Enzo Quijano."

~~~~~~~~~~

Good fortune came my way one day when an elderly aristócrata, pleased with the work I'd done on her iron gate, had presented me with several bottles of fine tequila while paying her bill. After our evening meal, Adoncia and I had taken to sitting at the small table and talking, while I drank it. Since mi princesa was still underweight and recovering, I told her tequila would not be good for her health, but reassured her once she was strong again, we would drink together.

Adoncia's voice still had not fully returned, so I filled in by talking enough for the both of us. Mi Princesa did not seem to mind, but kept refilling my cup as I rambled on about this and that. By bedtime, I often had more difficulty walking than my sweet guest! After Adoncia retired in the bed for the night, I clumsily disrobed and slid under my blanket, quickly embraced by unconsciousness.

Sometime in early morning hours, the dreams involving Adoncia returned. They started as always, with her gently caressing caress my head, my shoulders, and so on. But then it transitioned, and I felt her thin naked body join me under the blanket, pressing against me as a hand continued to caress my chest. I then felt her lips pressed against mine, and I rolled onto my side to face her.

"You saved me," her voice whispered, "I am yours forever." The dream was so real I detected the floral scent of her hair. I felt her thin fingers wrap around my rigid manhood, gently stroking me. Unable to hold back for long, I would shudder as my loins released. As I felt her lips press on mine, everything faded away.

The first time I had the dream, I awoke to a feeling of dampness under my blanket. Fearing the tequila may have caused me to wet myself in the night, I lifted the blanket. Instead of the stinging scent of urine I expected, I caught the distinct odor of sexual release; to my shock, the front of my pantalones bore a wet stain. I was chagrined, not having had a dream like this since I was an adolescent! It was clear that mi Princesa was affecting me in unexpected ways.

I sat up and saw she was still asleep, her blanket rising and falling in a slow rhythm. I quickly rose and went to get a clean pair of trousers. What would this innocent angel think if she woke and saw me in such an embarrassing state?

After changing my trousers and shaving my face, I tip-toed back into the bedroom. As always, in sleep her innocent face was even more beautiful. I kissed her on the forehead, then turned to head into the shop. Since I'd awakened early, much to Manuel's delight, I fetched the wood and lit the forge.

That's when I noticed Adoncia's white shift in the corner, crumpled in a small ball. Surely my modest guest would not sleep unadorned! Had she developed a fever in the night? I laid the back of my hand against her forehead, but it seemed normal. I reasoned it must have been a soiled one, awaiting Sor Inocente to take it away for laundering.

Throughout the next few weeks, the dream would recur; it seemed to coincide with my excess tequila consumption. In my heart, I knew these dreams were sinful, yet they gave me such joy that I welcomed them.

~~~~~~~~~~

At supper one night, something seemed to be troubling Adoncia. She picked at her food, barely touching anything. This was not good. If mi Princesa was to regain her health, eating was a necessity!

Finally, I said something. "Adoncia, you're not eating, is there something wrong with the meal that Señora Aquino sent?"

"No, Enzo, everything is fine."

"Then why are you not eating, mi Princesa? Are you not feeling well? Should I summon the doctor?"

"Enzo, I know you care about my health but you do not have to call the doctor every time you suspect I'm unwell. I'm fine, just a little sad is all."

"This is unacceptable! Tell me what's wrong, I shall correct it immediately!"

"There is nothing for you to fix, dear man. The things I'm sad about cannot be fixed."

"Adoncia, I am a blacksmith! Fixing things is what I do. Please tell me what's gone so wrong that it causes you sorrow."

"When Señorita Espinoza visited the other day, it shamed me to hear the things she said about me having a boy's body."

I felt my face flush. It was my own fault that damned puta had visited my shop! "Adoncia, that wicked woman is banned from ever coming in the shop again! I curse myself for the times I laid with her. I was lonely and found temporary comfort at the Taverna Casa Verde. That is no longer the case, I swear! Since you came to live with me, my life is no longer lonely, I'm a happy man!"

"I'm very pleased you find me good company, Enzo, but my body does not compare with Señorita Espinoza's! She has so many curves, I can see why you choose to lay with her. I understand that men have needs. You've taken excellent care of me these past few months. You owe me nothing, it is I who am in your debt. Without you, I would be with my mother in heaven now."

I found myself ashamed and angry, to the point I was almost shaking with rage. But I controlled my fury, because I could no more shout at Adoncia than I could burn down Sor Inocente's convent.

"Mi Princesa," I pleaded, "did you not hear what I said about your beauty, both in your face and also in your heart? I meant every word! Señorita Espinoza has no love in her heart, and what external beauty she may have will quickly fade. Soon, all that will be left of her is a heartless, ugly shell."

Adoncia put her spoon down and sat quietly for a few minutes, deep in thought. Finally, she broke her silence. "Enzo, you say I am beautiful, but am I desirable? Do you feel the same urges for my body that you feel for Señorita Espinoza?"

This was extremely uncomfortable. Until now, my carnal desires were known only to me, and to the sinful women at Taverna Casa Verde. Adoncia was pure and chaste, virtuous to the point she nearly died by ignoring her health while praying for God to find me. Because she had become so important to my life, despite my reluctance I felt compelled to answer her, but tactfully.

"Mi Princesa," I began, "Señorita Espinoza lost her purity long ago, and has sold herself to hundreds of men since. The times I was weak and laid with her, it was empty of love and stained my soul. When I am with you, my soul feels clean. In my eyes, you are womanly perfection."

I thought my answer was a good one, but the sad look on Adoncia's face told me otherwise.

Taking my hands in hers, she looked to the ground in shame and told me, "Enzo, you know very well I'm no maiden. You were there when that brute forced himself on me and took my maidenhead. Why do you carry on as if it didn't happen?"

"Adoncia, you did not freely give up your innocence, it was taken from you by force! You remain pure of heart, a maiden in the eyes of God, and of me. What that man did to you was the same as if he'd cut off your finger, it did not change the goodness in your heart! You grew up pure, and you remain so." Impulsively, I took her left hand and kissed it.

"My story is different. I was born with an angry heart, and have stayed that way. I've never backed down from a fight, and often start them. I've broken many a man's bones for the joy of it, the only kindness I've shown is to the horses and burros I shoe."

"That's not true, Enzo. When I was attacked, you saved me! You took me in and began nursing me back to health when I would have died!"