Just For You
“Senora, what do you need? I can hunt and
fish. I can work hard for you. I am strong.
Tell me. I do not want my sister to die.”
The woman shuffled over to her sleeping platform and stretched out upon it. “All my family is gone. People die every day,” she said, closing her eyes. “It is the filth and the air of this place. What I want you cannot supply. I want to return to my home. It is too far a trip for an old woman to walk.”
Tomas stepped closer. “I have heard you are from the mission, San Juan del Puerto. It is twelve leagues from San Agustin, at the mouth of the great rio. That is a long way.”
“And yet, that is where I wish to be, among the spirits of my family when I die.”
Tomas nodded. “My sister and I are the last of our family in San Agustin. We are bound to no one. If I find a way to get you back to San Juan, will you give me the beans?”
The woman waved her arm at the boy. “Go. Do not speak nonsense to me. I will never get home again. I will die here, like your sister.”
Tomas turned slowly toward the door. He stopped in front of the shelf lined with jars.
“Senora,” he said, “you do have cacao beans, do you not?”
The woman shuffled over to her sleeping platform and stretched out upon it. “All my family is gone. People die every day,” she said, closing her eyes. “It is the filth and the air of this place. What I want you cannot supply. I want to return to my home. It is too far a trip for an old woman to walk.”
Tomas stepped closer. “I have heard you are from the mission, San Juan del Puerto. It is twelve leagues from San Agustin, at the mouth of the great rio. That is a long way.”
“And yet, that is where I wish to be, among the spirits of my family when I die.”
Tomas nodded. “My sister and I are the last of our family in San Agustin. We are bound to no one. If I find a way to get you back to San Juan, will you give me the beans?”
The woman waved her arm at the boy. “Go. Do not speak nonsense to me. I will never get home again. I will die here, like your sister.”
Tomas turned slowly toward the door. He stopped in front of the shelf lined with jars.
“Senora,” he said, “you do have cacao beans, do you not?”
- 3 -
The woman raised herself on one elbow
and peered at the boy. “I do,” she said. “And
I know how many. If any should go
missing, I know who to send the guard
after, heh?”
Tomas whirled around to face Rossa. “I am not a thief,” he said. “I will find a way to get you what you want.” He ducked back through the doorway into the putrid smell of the alley and made his way home.
Tomas took the pot of sassafras tea and poured a measure into a cup. He held the cup against his sister's lips as she sipped the tonic.
“The tea will help, Luiza. Drink all of it.”
Luiza slumped against her brother’s shoulder and fell asleep. Laying her gently upon the deerskin that covered her sleeping platform, Tomas whispered a silent prayer the friar had taught at school. He crawled onto his own pallet and stared wide-eyed at the smoke hole in the roof. He had to find a way to get the cacao beans.
The bell for lauds woke Tomas. Luiza slept peacefully. He decided to put the plan he had formed into action. Slipping out of the hut, he made his way to the wharf. The ferry for Anastasia Island was pulling away as he jumped aboard.
Senor Juan Romo kept a donkey at the rock quarry on the island. With a donkey, Tomas could take the old woman home. They could travel up the coast in comfort.
Tomas whirled around to face Rossa. “I am not a thief,” he said. “I will find a way to get you what you want.” He ducked back through the doorway into the putrid smell of the alley and made his way home.
Tomas took the pot of sassafras tea and poured a measure into a cup. He held the cup against his sister's lips as she sipped the tonic.
“The tea will help, Luiza. Drink all of it.”
Luiza slumped against her brother’s shoulder and fell asleep. Laying her gently upon the deerskin that covered her sleeping platform, Tomas whispered a silent prayer the friar had taught at school. He crawled onto his own pallet and stared wide-eyed at the smoke hole in the roof. He had to find a way to get the cacao beans.
The bell for lauds woke Tomas. Luiza slept peacefully. He decided to put the plan he had formed into action. Slipping out of the hut, he made his way to the wharf. The ferry for Anastasia Island was pulling away as he jumped aboard.
Senor Juan Romo kept a donkey at the rock quarry on the island. With a donkey, Tomas could take the old woman home. They could travel up the coast in comfort.
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