"We will meet again!"(PS: Robert De Niro in The Mission was a big visual for Gonzalez, uh, that's why he's posted here... you should probably just keep reading now.)
For now, let’s check out Padre Alvarelo, the young priest that was sent from the mission to retrieve Carmen and Nieve. I wanted to add a little more to this first encounter, so we have him discussing events prior to Carmen and Nieve’s arrival, as well as being a little more verbal on the ride from port. He is one of those characters who writes himself, so revisiting him and creating more of a first impression has been a happy breeze.
"Just imagine me a little more Spanish. And not spittin' while droppin' sick beats."(Joaquin Phoenix in Quills)
This chapter will also see the exclusion of the “stranger” that Nieve encountered in her past when she was lost in the woods. This stranger was meant to be an early visitation from a demon, and was also meant to be a nod to the play Vinegar Tom which begins with the devil more-or-less raping/seducing one of the characters. Excellent play, by the way, check it out. As much as I love The Crucible, I find Vinegar Tom much better.
Kitty's Question: Why aren't you running out and reading this play right now?Anyway, the point is that this shady figure in Nieve’s past not only seemed over-kill on the wow factor, but also eclipsing of other events. I did not want to devalue those events just because I felt like grossing someone out. I have other moments that can do that.
I can only hope this will be the face you make.Also, when I saw Paranormal Activity, I did not like the whole idea of the heroine being the center of some demon’s attention since she was old enough to enter her first spelling bee. That is one bored demon, and there is a certain “chosen one” factor to the heroine that I did not want to see on Nieve. So, the stranger has been eliminated completely, and what demons Nieve has are her own, at least where her past is concerned.
Bored Demon is nostalgic as he watches your parents take off the training wheels from the tricycle. D'awwww.4
Dear Adan, what a lovely person!
Carmen and I sat with the deacon at Padre Alvarelo’s table. Though the padre smelt of smoke, and most unwelcoming smell, I found him an otherwise refreshing man. He removed his hat and smoothed away rough tangles of short, sandy brown hair. He resurfaced with the kindest of smiles. He asked Carmen and myself about our trip, marveled at our courage in the face of the fearsome storm, and was quick to welcome us once more to our destination. We ate a modest meal, but I was more interested in my new company than the dish cooling in front of me.
“How long have you been here?” I inquired.
“Going on five years.” He said before dunking that amiable smile into the drink he had lifted from the wax dotted table.
“And you?” I faced the deacon.
“The same,” he agreed. “Through rebellion and peace.”
“Amen,” Padre Alvarelo chuckled, and bowed his head to the grinning deacon.
Carmen was not as amused. “You were here when the Tairona rebelled.”
“That was years ago,” Padre Alvarelo soothed, aware of the thoughts racing through Carmen’s mind. “The Tairona are peaceful now, we have achieved a balance with them. We live very harmoniously with them here.”
“So,” I said, “you like it here.”
He marveled at my statement. “I love it here.”
We left once our meals had settled in our demanding stomachs. I must confess, Adan, the meal was light, but better than anything I had eaten on the ship. The fruit was exotic, so peculiar and sweet. The bread was soft, the crust was crunchy, dusty with flour. The rice was spicy, but like nothing I had had back in Spain. I would need the energy from this satisfying, slight meal; I was about to learn how to ride a horse for the first time. When Padre Alvarelo informed us of this, Carmen and I stopped in our tracks. We were unprepared for such an announcement, but there was no time to waste!
The deacon accompanied us to the stables at the border of the port to see us off. Heavy hooves were clapping against the stable’s hay strewn stone floor. There were stablemen huddled near a rack of saddles, smoking and discussing something quietly. Behind them, bridles dangled across a wooden wall. They greeted us with a wave, and pointed us in the direction of the horses waiting in their pens. The horses shifted their weight, and their ears swiveled as they heard our advance.
I took a deep breath, and approached the horse that Padre Alvarelo indicated would be mine. He pointed out the another for Carmen and the deacon was quick to assist her. Padre Alvarelo was patient as he helped me into the saddle, and led me out to the stone path leading away from the port.
“You hold the reins like this. Now, give him a light kick with your heels. Not too hard now. Good. Like that. Now, if you pull on one rein - pull it out to the side. Gently, he does not need much,” he laughed gleefully, and watched as I became more comfortable in the saddle. “Good. Yes! Just like that. He will turn in the direction you pull. Give him one more kick, Nieve. Do not be nervous. This is just a trot. Find the rhythm. Good, very good. Can you feel that? Up. Down. Up. Then down. Just like that. Easy, easy, all right, now, slow down. Ease back.”
I leaned back in the saddle, I pulled gently on the reins as I circled around to stand in front of Padre Alvarelo. He tipped his hat back on his head, I could see his eyes more clearly. They were full of mirth.
“Good?” I asked.
And he nodded. “Very good.”
We were on our way, the deacon waved at our backs. It seemed Carmen, too, was a fast learner! She took to horse riding very naturally. I must admit, I was a little jealous, but only a little. We traveled up a stone road that tapered into the jungle beyond. The afternoon sun would begin its descent soon, but this did little to cut the thick and wet heat of the jungle. The sun sparkled through cracks in the otherwise lush canopy. I was seized with a sudden memory from our childhood, Adan. We were playing in the woods. You were hiding, and I was seeking, and I could not find you. You played a nasty trick on me—you and your friends. I thought we were playing, but you ran off.
My, but I was alone, and so scared. I remember looking into the peeping eyes of sunlight I could make out through the edges of the leaves above me. I thought I heard you giggling in the bushes under the roots, behind the trees. I thought I heard your silly friends, too. But alas, no one! I thought I would be lost forever. Until the time I had wandered back into our parents’ yard, it certainly seemed that way. Your friends were gone - too afraid to get in trouble - and you embraced me so tightly. You said you were so sorry. How could I have lost my way so easily?
“Enchanting.” Padre Alvarelo’s voice brought me back. “Just enchanting.”
My eyes circled the forest, so unlike the one on our father‘s territory, Adan. Trees reached for the dwindling sun, whose rays could hardly muscle past the wide leaves and woven black branches. What light could be spared came through in smooth yellow beams that kissed the ground. All around me, the bugs were buzzing, and beyond the stone path, there was ceaseless movement in the jungle. Whether this was the wind or creatures I could not yet identify, I did not know. The heat, as a result, was forgotten.
“I have never seen anything like it,” I breathed.
Carmen was anxious, her head constantly whipped this way and that in reaction to every sound. “I feel like we are being watched.”
“We probably are.” Padre Alvarelo wiggled his eyebrows jokingly and slapped a grape-sized fly off his horse’s neck. “There are numerous creatures in these woods.” Carmen watched the fly fall to the ground. Its many legs jiggled as it rocked among the twigs. The insect recovered and buzzed away angrily.
“Are they… dangerous?” Carmen hazarded as she watched the fly take off.
“Some of them.” He looked back to find us both slack-jawed. He winked and moved on. Carmen and I encouraged our horses to match pace with him rather quickly after that. A blur of questions were on our lips, begging to inquire him: What creatures? What did they look like? When did you meet them? Were you hurt?
Our guide turned to us once more, and pointed up the road. “I have arranged lodgings with Captain Alejandro this evening. He and his men are the protectors of our mission.” I could see what he was indicating now. There was a faint, dirt path that led away from the main stone road. “Traveling the jungles at night,” Padre Alvarelo dropped his voice theatrically, and brought his horse around to ours, “can be dangerous.”
Carmen made a face, and I cupped my hand around an unexpected giggle. We left the road, and the winding dirt led among thick roots of towering trees. It was not long before we entered a man-made clearing; there were shorn tree trunks, and the grass was cut close to the ground.
The path was stone again, our horse’s hooves clattered loudly. At the end of the path we found an impressive mansion. Though it was only a couple stories high, the estate was wide. A porch curled around the structure, and local plant life I had seen on our journey decorated this encompassing platform.
The doors opened, and a tall man emerged. Two Tairona men were beside him. They moved stiffly, like military men. My immediate impression of the manor’s master was that of a strict man. Every stitch of his attire was in place, and a beard was groomed close to his jaw, chin and mouth. The image I had of this host was that of a curt man, clean and strict. However, when he smiled I was caught off guard. The expression was warm and inviting, especially after the journey from the port. He opened his arms to our party. The Tairona servants helped us from our horses.
“Padre Alvarelo.” The master of the manor called from his steps. “These must be the sisters from your letter.”
A striking woman came outside to stand beside him. She was quite beautiful, and a proud step guided her poised form. Her dress was a beautifully solid green, the collar a linen pair of wings folded daintily along her throat. I imagined her with long dark hair when it was not twisted and coiled in ribbons, pinned tight to her head. They looked like a pretty match.
“Welcome,” the tall man said through a grand smile, his teeth slowly painted in as he drew his lips into a happy line. “I am Captain Gonzalez Alejandro. This is my wife, Olvida.”
No comments:
Post a Comment