Anastacia watched her granddaughters slip off their sandals as they entered her home. They lined the shoes neatly and ran to greet their abuelita.
“What did you make today, abuelita? Menudo? Pozole? It smells sooo good!” Isabella, the youngest at eight years old was too hungry to be polite. The older girls, Natalia, twelve, and Valerie, fifteen, asked Anastacia if she needed any help in the kitchen. The girl’s parents, Mary, who was Anastacia’s eldest daughter, and her husband Eduardo, made their entrance, stopping to take off their shoes and add them to the neat line.
“I made you mole and rice mija! I want you to eat a big, big plate, okay? And then you can have some flan, but only if you eat a big, big plate.” Anastacia grinned at Isabella and led the family into the kitchen.
Sundays were Anastacia’s favorite day of the week. Her four children would come by, sometimes all at once, sometimes in pairs, but always hungry for her cooking. As their families grew, Anastacia grew dependant on an afternoon siesta, after cooking in a hot kitchen, to make it through the day. After Mary's family had eaten, Anastacia followed the children outside and sat in her favorite chair, under the pecan tree, with a big glass of icy lemonade. She drifted off to sleep as she watched her grandchildren run in the yard chasing her dog, El Spot.
~~~
The maize fields were scorched and the cows could not produce much milk. Anastacia had led some of the younger children to the well, but no one had filled a cantarito. Upon returning to their clay house, they saw Papa Elias walking towards the donkey pulled cart and set off towards town.
“Todos se bañan hoy. Mañana nos vamos en tren. Tu papá vendió el rancho. Ayuden a empacar.” Mama Mari said as she walked out of the clay house, “Everyone bathes today. Tomorrow we take a train. Your father has sold the farm. Come help with the packing.”
~~~
“Abuelita, Abuelita! Look how fast I can run! I’m faster than El Spot!” Isabella’s excitement awoke Anastacia from her memories.
“Si mija, you are very, very fast’” She smiled at the sweet energetic little girl. She remembered having that kind of energy, long, long ago.
“Mami, en que piensa” - “Mom, what are you thinking about?”, Moises, her youngest son at twenty-five, had finally arrived. He was the bachelor of the family and usually the last to stop by on Sundays.
“Oh mijo, your abuelitos and the big move to the city. Those memories will always come to me in my sleep. I like to see them there, now that I can’t see them alive.”
“I miss them too, Mami. Mama Mari never let us get away with anything! I remember her chasing us from her fruit trees with a broom. I just wanted some figs! And Papa Elias, with his little corner store on the house porch. He’d always sneak us paletas. Oh man, I could really go for a watermelon paleta right now. Was he always so quiet though, even when you guys were kids?”
“Oh si, mijo. Your Papa Elias was a man of very few words. But he was a very loving father and a great provider for his family. Imagine, walking the streets of the city pushing that heavy cart full of paletas for 18 hours every day! I lost count of the times he was robbed at knifepoint. He would come home empty-handed, we older girls would fix him up, and the next day he was out there again.”
“Do you think he missed the farm?”
“Maybe mijo. But the city didn’t depend on rain or a good growing season to provide for a family. And with 10 kids, your Papa Elias couldn’t let us stay at the farm, we’d starve.”
“Oh Mami, you guys had it tough. I’m gonna go make a plate. It smells so good!”
“Si mijo, and make a plate to take with you too!” Anastacia took a long sip of her icy lemonade. She hadn’t remembered it being so tough, after all, they always had shoes...
~~~
Papa Elias had the mecate (twine) stretched out under Anastacia’s barefoot. She was 15 now and her feet had stopped growing, but he wanted to make sure her knot was in the right spot. It was. Then came Digna’s turn. Papa Elias stretched out the mecate under her foot. Oh, her foot was half an inch bigger now - he made a new knot. After all ten children had their feet measured, Papa Elias rolled up his mecate, with its ten knots, and left for the city center. Everyone washed their feet while he was away and ran to help him with the heavy bags when he returned.
“Este nudo es de Anastacia. Aquí tienes tu zapatos hija.” - “This knot is Anastacia’s. Here is your pair, daughter” Papa Elias announced each child’s pair of shoes.
“Gracias Papa” each child said.
“Papa, y usted? Que se compro?” - “Dad, what about you? ” Anastacia asked.
“Mis hijos primero. Ya Dios dirá para mi y tu mama. Te gustan tus zapatos mija?” “My children first. God will provide for your mother and I. Do you like your shoes, my daughter?” he always responded.
~~~
“Mami, we’re leaving now, Isabella is tired out!” Mary, gently nudged Anastacia awake.
“Oh, si mija. Let me walk you out.” Anastacia rose from her chair and walked the family through the house and to the front door. She watched everyone put on their shoes before they walked out. Isabella ran back to her abuelita.
“Abuelita, thank you for my shoes! I forgot to tell you before I ate. But I remembered now! They’re my favorite! You always give me the prettiest shoes for my birthday.” Anastacia smiled.
“I’m so glad mija. God willing, I’ll give many, many more pairs of shoes.”
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| Holidays 2015 |
