The Engagement Party

I’m not sure when exactly all the festivities happened but Pedro did come
back to Margaritas pueblo with all that he had promised and then some. I myself
was not present but I was told that the engagement party lasted all day and all
night everyone was invited there was food and beer for everyone. Pedro’s family
did not hold back on any expenses. Cases and cases of beer where delivered,
gallons of aguas de tamarindo, de melon, de orchata,  wagons of bread, ladies
making hand tortillas all day, beef , chicharron, carnitas, salsas, beans and
rice for everyone! No one went hungry that day as the Marichi played people ate,
drank and danced.

It is said that Margaritas engagement party was even bigger than the town’s
church annual fiesta. It turns out that on that day also everyone was in one way
or another now related to Margarita.

And just as quickly as the engagement was planned so was Margarita’s and
Pedro’s wedding.

Pedro & Margarita (The marriage deal)

Pedro spoke to Margarita that day and told her he wanted to marry her.
Margarita made him aware that she could not marry him for she was only 14yrs old
and even if she could marry him what was in it for her? Pedro promised her a
better life, there would be no more worrying about where her next meal would
come from, she would never want for anything, she would be treated like a queen
or so he said. Margarita again reminded him about her age he said not to worry
he had friends in city hall who could get her a fake birth certificate.

Margarita left him to go home to speak with her father and brother. But in
the back of her mind she already knew that she would accept Pedro’s offer.  Her
father and brother both thought it would be wise for Margarita to accept the
marriage proposal after all she would be getting  the opportunity to get out of
the pueblo and live a better life.  Knowing that she could help her father and
brother if she was in a better financial position Margarita would sacrifice what
little childhood she had left.

2 weeks later Pedro returned to the pueblo in search for his answer.
Margarita told Pedro that yes she would marry him but she wanted her father to
receive cows, sheep, goats, cheeses and meats as  a gift offering for her hand
in marriage. Pedro laughed whole heartedly, picked her up, spun her around and
said “Whatever you want chaparra” (Shorty)

Quickly Margarita scolded him “Oye! put me down, you still haven’t asked for
my hand officially, what will the people say the last thing I need is for my
reputation to be tarnished”  Pedro set her down and explained he would be back
within a month to ask for her hand and to publicly announce their engagement to
the pueblo.

As Pedro rode off Margarita yelled “Don’t forget the gifts for my papa”

Pedro & Margarita (River Gossip)

Margarita now knew and had noticed herself that El Ranchero Pedro continued to visit her pueblo.  But she was not interested in him at the time nor did it concern her what people said after all it was just chisme (gossip) Pedro himself was yet to approach her or speak to her.  The town’s people obviously had nothing better to do with their time then make stories up.

Then one day Pedro did stop her and asked for directions, Margarita was no fool the pueblo only had 5 streets, he could have found where he has was going after 4 attempts, but she pointed him to the right direction and walked away.  And so Pedro would come up with a new excuse to talk to her every time he’d show up at pueblo and this went on for a month or so. During this time Pedro also was getting more background information on her and checking to see what kind of a girl Margarita was.

Then one day Margarita tired of the town’s chisme,  decided that this Pedro guy  had to stop he was given her a bad reputation in her town.  So the following time she ran into him she told him “Oye tu Pedro, why don’t you just tell me exactly what you want I have no time to play courting games” Pedro was not shocked he had been expecting this for awhile now.  So they walked to the plaza and sat on the only bench there, Margarita made sure that he did not sit too closely to he, for this would only cause more chisme, she could already  feel everyone’s eyes upon them. She knew for sure that they would be tomorrow’s topic at the river, where all the women gathered to wash their clothes.

Pedro & Margarita

 

Pedro was not easily discouraged by Margaritas lack of attention on the contrary; it was now a new challenge for him.   Pedro being accustomed to getting everything and anyone he wanted was amused and excited to start a new game of cat and mouse.

That very week Pedro road into Margarita’s pueblo on his trusty horse La Negra and started asking around about her. He was not surprised to find out that a couple of months before Margarita was almost stolen (in
pueblos pretty girls where sometimes taken from their homes and made into wives; sort of like eloping but without the girls consent) He couldn’t stop laughing when he was told that Margarita had chased the thief down the streets with sticks and stones. The thief, a local boy, was so embarrassed that he left the
pueblo for some time.  Many years later when Margarita visited her pueblo she ran into the boy who was now a grown man with a family of his own, and he apologized for his actions.

Pedro started making himself known in Margaritas pueblo and he would casually start running into her throughout the pueblo. They would pass each other glance and nod good day.  It was no secret anymore to the town’s people what Pedro’s intentions were.  And the chisme (gossip) one day finally reached Margarita’s ear.

Margarita was not one to beat around the bush. She announced to anyone who stopped her to tell her the Chisme about Pedro that next time she saw him she was going to put an end to his shenanigans and show him what HER intentions were.  She said all this while waving her fist in the air to show how exactly she was going to punch him.

Pedro

Pedro was tall and lean his hair  and eyes pitch black. It was no surprise to
any one that he was his mother’s and father’s favorite son. Pedro could charm
his way thru any situation, he had a way with the girls he was the town’s own
Don Juan.  All the girls in his town would giggle in excitement  when he rode
his horse next to them. His horse “La Negra” knew the routine, he had trained
her well.  She would stop on command and with a second command either bow or
start prancing sideways so that it would look like she was dancing. She then
would  trot off  down the street leaving the girls wondering who that show was
for.

That one summer day that Miguel, Pedro’s best friend, saw Margarita was also
the same day Pedro took notice of her. It is said that all is fair in love and
war and Pedro truly believed this. That is why when Miguel told Pedro “Compadre
she will be mine” Pedro replied “No Compadre, that filly is sure to be mine”.
They made a bet to see who Margarita would notice first not knowing that she was
a no nonsense girl.  She didn’t have time for flirtation games nor was she
interested in men on high horses passing through her pueblo.

After several attempts on Miguel’s part to get her attention with no
results he finally gave up. Pedro noticing that Margarita didn’t once glance
their way knew that he was in for a challenge.  Both young men laughed off the
event and started heading home.  That afternoon as they both rode home  and
while Miguel was busy talking his head off, Pedro was thinking about
Margarita. He had decided that he would take a different approach with her.

Margarita

From Picture Book

Her name was Margarita and she was the toughest girl in the pueblo.
She was well known in her tiny pueblo (Village), for you see she and her older
brother had been abandoned by their mother when she was only 3 years old. They
were left in the care of their father and while he did the best he could when he
was with them he was gone most of the time trying to find work in the bigger cities.
During his absence the kids were left to fend for themselves. The towns
people would at times feel pity for the children and help them out. Some so called
family members would take them in for a week or two  but eventually pass them on
to the next family member or towns people. It was already hard enough for them
to feed their on family so nobody wanted the responsibility of two more mouths
to feed.  As you can see Margarita and her brother learned at an early age that
life was not easy and that you needed to be tough in order to survive. Its was the summer of 1970 and Margarita with her long straight dark hair and big brown
eyes had just turned 14.

It was this summer when she was spotted carrying water  from the pueblo’s  river to her choza (hut). Pedro and Miguel were best friends that got in trouble and went everywhere together. As for their age I don’t really know but they were old enough to drink tequila or  beer and hang out at the town’s local Cantina. On this occasion they had gone several towns over to see about buying new horses for Pedro. Pedro was the son of a  wealthy family in a larger town that was hours away from Margaritas pueblo. His family owned lots of land and farm animals. They were also the owners of the only bakeries in his town.  He and his best friend  Miguel were passing thru Margarita’s  pueblo on their way back home with his newly purchased horses.  They usually didn’t stop here for the pueblo was so tiny that it was really not worth riding through the town. But they were hung over from the night before and needed something to drink.  They stopped at the only store the pueblo had to offer to purchase a refresco (soda). They were enjoying their room temperature soda when Miguel the best friend spotted
Margarita and announced to Pedro that she, Margarita, would belong to him.

Intro…..

Hello world,

This is the first time I’m sitting down and attempting to share my life
story.  I don’t know how well this will turn out or how far I can get. So please
bare with me as I try to share my story with you.  It might not make much sense
at first but I’m hoping that as time goes by I can learn to express with words
exactly how I feel or how things happened.  You can always ask me questions if
you feel that I didn’t explain myself correctly. I’ll gladly answer any
questions you leave in the comments.

Now lets begin this journey, join me as I walk you thru the roads of my life.