A Promise to Keep by Mario Bencastro

Author:Mario Bencastro
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arte Público Press
Published: 2005-01-30T05:00:00+00:00

24

My aunt’s voice awakened me; she was calling me for breakfast. I asked if we could eat in the garden, and she gladly agreed.

“I love the garden too,” she said. “It’s so cozy.”

“I slept here last night.”

“In the garden?”

“Yes.”

“Weren’t you afraid?” she asked.

“No. I had never slept outside in a hammock.”

“It’s so pleasant and comfortable.”

“As if the angels were rocking me to sleep,” I said.

The breakfast was delicious.

“Speaking of angels,” she said, “didn’t Flor de Ángel look beautiful last night?”

“Did she ever!” I replied, unable to hold back a smile.

“Do you like her?”

“She’s a pretty girl.”

“She’s also very intelligent. And she has a strong personality.”

“I think I’m in love,” I blurted out.

“I can see that,” my aunt said, smiling.

“How?” I asked. “What does a person in love look like?”

“When you’re with Flor de Ángel, you only have eyes for her.”

“That’s true. Being by her side makes me happy. Is that good or bad?”

“It’s natural.”

“Forgive me, Aunt, but I trust you and want to ask you what I should do. What do you advise?”

“About what?”

“About my love for Flor de Ángel.”

“If she feels the same, there’s nothing more to talk about. It takes two,” she said.

I felt I could talk about almost anything with my aunt, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to repeat the words that Flor de Ángel had said to me that morning: “If you go, I’m going with you.” They still rang in my ears like a declaration of love.

We finished eating and my aunt asked the inevitable question: “And when are you going back to the United States?”

I didn’t answer right away, and she sensed my indecision. In a kind voice, she said, “Don’t think I’m kicking you out! You can stay as long as you want. It’s a great pleasure for me to have you here. This is your home.”

“Thank you very much, Aunt. I feel happy here,” I said, sighing. “I love this land and its people. It’s a wonderland, just like Grandfather said. Life itself is lived and felt so differently here.”

“We aren’t rich in money, but we certainly aren’t poor in spirit. That’s why I can’t understand how so many people can forget about this place, go so far away and never come back. Of course, we don’t have the comforts and luxuries of the wealthy countries, but we live life to the fullest, because life is all we have.”

“There’s a lot of poverty, too,” I said. “Last night, at the carnival, I saw a lot of beggars, many women and children asking for charity in order to eat, while others were enjoying life. It doesn’t seem fair to me.”

“You’re right,” said someone behind us. It was Flor de Ángel, whose face radiated light.

I stood up. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” she said and kissed my aunt, who invited her to sit down.

“Would you like something to eat? A cup of coffee?”

“No, thank you. I was just coming to see if your grandson wanted to take a walk around town.”

“Good idea,” agreed my aunt. “There are some very nice places to see.

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