It's Just Lola (2 page)

“Oh, no
,
Papa
.
”

“Lola, what happened?”

“Nothing.”  The mark faded into Lola’s blush, and Enrique wondered if perhaps he’d imagined it.  No one on the plantation would dare touch one of his daughters.

“Papa,” said Maria, “I
’d prefer
Dolores come to the river with us
.
S
he can help us carry food for a picnic.”  Lola turned back to her plate. 

The smile Maria turned on her father made his breath catch in his throat.  Suddenly he pictured the emerald necklace around her neck.  It was his wife’s image as she’d looked when he fell in love with her.  He felt a stirring in his loins as he
saw
her lips move and watched the rise and fall of her breasts as she spoke.  Enrique took a large swallow of wine. 
H
is eyes moved back to
Maria, but he
saw the bride he
’d
brought to Peru so many years ago, wearing her
favorite necklace—the large ruby in the gold setting that looked like lace.  Incredibly, the heat rose in his body.

“I’ve been thinking.”  Maria’s words began to penetrate his thoughts, “You know I’m quite a good seamstress now.  I could manage the dressmaking quite well, so we really don’t need a seamstress anymore.”  Enrique still saw his wife and heard her voice.  Desire flamed within him.  “Maybe you could send Jacoba to Victoria or Amelia.  They have growing families and have more need.” 

Maria’s voice faltered.
 
“Papa, did I say something to anger you?”

“Sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” he muttered
,
and the passion drained from his body.  What kind of a monster am I?  This is my own child.  It’s time to stop turning away suitors. 

Why had Maria’s words triggered this vision?  Had Virginia also asked that he get Jacoba out of the house?  Had she suspected his relationship with Jacoba?  Surely not. 
He looked up at the portrait of his wife mounted behind Lola’s chair.  Virginia was lovely in the portrait
, wearing
the dress she’d worn at their wedding and the ruby necklace he’d just pictured on Maria.  His anger flared at Maria for
calling forth such vivid memories.

“You presume to tell me how to run my household?”

“Oh, Papa, please,” said Lola, showing spirit for the first time since her mother died.  “Please send Jacoba to Victoria.  She did hit me today, and she said she’d hit me again if I told you.”  The girl burst into tears.  “She said I was lazy and I didn’t deserve to have any supper.”

“And are you lazy?”  Enrique
’s anger rose another notch.

“No, Papa, she isn’t lazy,” said Maria.  “Jacoba ripped out all her stitches saying they weren’t small enough or straight enough, and then said Lola hadn’t done anything all day.  She said we were spoiled.”

“And because Jacoba’s trying to teach you some skills, you want her sent away?  Maybe she’s right
.
” Enrique threw his napkin on the table and went to the library,
slamming
the door behind him. 

P
apa had promised they could go swimming, and then all of a sudden they didn’t have time for
picnics
.
Papa said Maria needed new gowns because she would be having gentlemen callers. 
Then life had turned topsy-turvy.  T
hey
spent every minute sewing new gowns, and even brought girls from the village to help hemming new table linen for her.  Dolores
spent hours
bent over the flatiron
.
  The only good part was that Jacoba was too busy with the new girls to
criticize
Lola’s stitches.

T
he family was still in mourning,
so
a small wedding would take place at the home of the groom.  Enrique would go, of course, to give the bride away, but the rest of the family would remain at home.  Lola wished they could all go, but Maria said it would be disrespectful
to
Mama.

The trousseau was ready
with two days to spare and Maria wanted to spend one last day with her two younger sisters.  When she suggested the long
-
delayed swimming outing, Lola had been delighted.
  Now she worried about Maria. 
Lola thought she had heard Maria sobbing last night, but when she asked her about it,
Maria said
it was
just a bad dream.  Lola did
n’t believe her.

“Lola
, please bring t
he towels
, and
hurry or we won’t have any time to enjoy the water.”

“Yes, Maria.” 
Lola
winced as pain lanced through her tummy, the strongest one yet. 
She w
as
sure to
feel better
soon
.  She picked up the towels and followed her sisters. 

B
y the time they reached the secluded spot where they were allowed to go into the water
,
Enriqueta was so excited she could barely stand still enough for Dolores to unbutton all the little buttons down the back of her dress. 
She
plopped down to take off her shoes and peel off her stockings.
“I don’t know why we have to wear th
e
se hot old stockings anyway
.
”

“
Because you’re not a Chol
a
,
” said Maria. 

“Can I swim in my chemise?  Bloomers take forever to dry.” 

Maria laughed.  “Enriqueta, you are totally shameless.  Do whatever you like.”

Lola spread out a towel and sat down, hugging her knees.  Her stomach was not getting better
,
and she was trying hard not to cry.

“Lola
,
”
said
Maria
,
“
don’t
mope
and
spoil the day.”  Dutifully Lola stood and let Maria help her out of her dress.  Enriqueta had a good idea about not getting her bloomers wet. 
Lola
hiked up her chemise and
pulled her bloomers down. 

“Oh, my God!” Lola exclaimed as she saw
the
blood.  She knew it
—t
his wasn’t just an ordinary
stomachache
.
  She was bleeding inside
and s
he was going to die
.
  She yanked her bloomers back up and her knees felt weak. 

“What?”
Maria
turn
ed
to look at her.

“Nothing
.
”  Lola couldn’t tell Maria that
she was bleeding
down
there
.
  What if she wanted to see?  Even a sister
shouldn’t look
there.
 

“It must be something
.  Y
ou look pale.”

“No.  It’s nothing.  I…I…I
stepped on something sharp
.
” 

“
Come on
,” said Maria.  “I
’ll
hold your hand until you
’
re out on the sand bar.” 

Lola had never known an afternoon to last so long.  She tried to play and splash with Enriqueta, but she was afraid to stand in the shallower places because the blood might show.  When Dolores called th
em
for l
unch
,
Lola
said
she wasn
’
t hungry and
didn’
t get out of the water. 
As t
he afternoon dragged on
,
the pain
got
worse
and worse
.  Maybe
she injured herself
when she
rode bareback
to see Victoria
, or m
aybe it was climbing that big tree by the back door. 

T
he next wave of pain
made her
think of her own death.
 
Lola pictured all of her sisters gathered around her bed asking to be forgiven for teasing her so much.  She would forgive them all and give them her blessings, saying she would be waiting with Mama when their own time came.  She felt quite sorry for herself
,
but was comforted by the thought that she would be so noble in the end.

“Enriqueta, Lola, it
’
s time to go now.” 

Suddenly Lola felt cold and frightened again.  She had imagined the end of her story but not how she was going to get from the river to the house.  She couldn
’
t bear
having
anyone know where she was bleeding.  It was better
just
to die quietly.
 
“
Y
ou go ahead and I’ll
catch up
.
”

“
S
top being silly and get out of the water. 
If we’re not back soon, Papa will
send Jacoba to look for us!” 

Lola
started through the water as fast as she could.
  She
tried to wriggle her dress over her dripping chemise,
struggl
ing
and twist
ing to force
the heavy cotton cloth
over the wet undergarment.  She bent this way and that,
getting more and more frustrated.

“Maria, look
—
Lola has the curse
.
”
Enriqueta
giggle
d
. 

Maybe on her deathbed she
’
d forgive everyone except Enriqueta.  Then the words registered
.  A
curse?    Lola gave one final yank, and her head came through into the waning sunlight.  “
C
urses are just superstition, and it
’
s a sin to believe in them.  I
’
m not cursed
.
”  The tears she had been stifling all day burst out in uncontrollable sobs.  “I’m dying
.
 
I‘
m dying an agonizing death, and you taunt me with sinful superstitious words.”

“Dying?” Enriqueta
’s
mirth
distorted her words
.

“Enriqueta
.
”
Maria
’s
stern voice stopped the laughter abruptly.  “Look at your sister.  Her lips are blue
from cold
.  She can get seriously ill from this.
”
  Maria called the girl who had spent the day making sure no one came near the bathing area.  “
Dolores, t
ake Enriqueta and run to the house.  Tell Pilar that Lola needs to have hot cocoa when she arrives and to please put some hot coals in the bed warmer for her.  Also, tell Rosa that Lola is indisposed and w
on’
t be dining with us.  She
’
ll need a tray taken to her room.
”  Maria pointed toward the house. 
“Now run!  We must get Lola warm as soon as we can.”  The urgency in
Maria’s
voice gave wings to Enriqueta’s heels as she tugged on Dolores’ hand to make her run faster. 

Maria wrapped Lola in the driest towels and held her close for a few minutes, murmuring comforting words and apologies.
 
“Poor lit
tle Lola
.
”
  She gently
told
Lola
she
had just become a woman. 
“
It
’
s a curse
God put on all women
to punish us for Eve’s sin.”  She explain
ed
how Lola had just done the worst possible thing.  She should guard against any chill, and should
never
bathe
when bleeding.  She explained what foods Lola should avoid, and how to take care of herself. 
R
elieved that she was not dying
, Lola
promised to do everything Maria told her.

Two days later Lola and Enriqueta b
a
d
e
a tearful goodbye
to
Maria.  They sat on the upstairs verandah exchanging dire prophesies of what life would be like without Maria in the house, expecting Jacoba to come in
any moment to
start
haranguing them about idle hands.

“I don’t think she’s coming,” said Enriqueta after the doleful conversation ran its course.

Lola grinned at her sister. 
“With Papa away Pilar might not need Dolores.  If we can talk her into it, Dolores can be our
dueña
and chaperone us as we have some fun.  We could have a picnic under the guava trees
or maybe ride out and visit Ernestina
.
” 
The two rushed off to
talk to Pilar
. 
To their delight,
they didn’t see Jacoba at all while their father was away.  T
here were no lessons in sewing,
embroidery,
crocheting,
or
knitting
and
no scolding for
imperfect work
or
idle hands
.

The day Enrique returned
he
asked
the girls to dine with him.  They were both so excited to hear the details of the wedding that it was difficult for them to act with the expected decorum until their father began the conversation.

“I was pleased not to receive any complaints of your behavior in my absence.” 

Lola saw Enriqueta
lean
forward and begin to speak.  She tried to
kick
her under the table
,
but her legs weren’
t long enough so she coughed and shot her sister a warning look.  Lola was certain it would
not
be a good idea to let their father know that Jacoba had left them alone the entire time.  “Thank you, Papa.  We were allowed to visit Ernestina while you were gone.  She’s doing well and sends her love.”

“We tried to make you proud of us,” said
Enriqueta
, quickly catching the tone of Lola’s response.

Enrique smiled.  “You did well.  It seems that you
’
re too old to be treated like children.  I
’
d like you to
continue
dining
with me, starting tonight.”  Lola smiled happily and watched Enriqueta’s face color with pleasure.
  This was a definite step toward adulthood.

As with most things i
n life, the change was a mixed blessing. 
Conversation at the dinner table
was
a little strained
with
only the three of them
. 
There was only so much to say about the weather, and the litany of the day’s events soon paled with repetition. 
One evening after another uncomfortable silence,
Lola
asked how much of their sugar cane they used for the aguadiente, how much was used to make sugar, and did they sell any in the market.
  Enrique looked
surprised, but
he answered. 
As they learned more and more about the workings of the plantation
,
dining with
El Patrón
became
the high point of the day for
Lola and
Enriqueta.