The Nine Guardians by Rosario Castellanos

Author:Rosario Castellanos [Castellanos, Rosario]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780930523909
Google: AeReAAAAMAAJ
Publisher: Readers International
Published: 1992-07-14T14:00:00+00:00

11

César ordered that from then on the women and children should never leave the house unless accompanied by a man, who should see they were respected and if necessary should come to their defence. The man couldn’t be César, for he was busy with jobs on the farm. Ernesto had free time when morning classes were over. Matilde was worried and about to confess to César that the events of the previous day had not reached the proportions that Zoraida’s exaggeration had given them. The Indians hadn’t stripped naked in front of them, or insulted them, or forced them to leave the river before they had finished bathing. But Matilde had let the right moment pass for such an explanation, and it wouldn’t be believed now. She had been so dumbfounded at Zoraida’s screams and her false version of events that it hadn’t occurred to her to contradict them. She had watched her cousin stupefied, afraid that such a tale might have serious consequences. But nothing had happened. Zoraida had not referred to the matter again, and it seemed she had forgotten it completely. The only thing was that she didn’t want to bathe in the river any more. She ordered a cellar of the big house to be turned into a bathroom. It was a gloomy place, the walls rotting with damp and ooze, and the children refused to go into it.

“It’s lucky you’re here, Matilde, and I can hand the task over to you. You can take them to the river as from today.”

Matilde felt unable to speak, but she nodded her agreement, a gesture which had become automatic by now. She didn’t know how to evade such a painful duty. She hoped that at the last moment something unexpected might happen, that Ernesto would be needed for some more urgent task and wouldn’t be able to go with them. But at the hour fixed Ernesto appeared and said:

“You know I’m not going because I want to.”

These were the first words they had exchanged since the day of their meeting in Ernesto’s room. Matilde’s heart turned over and hurt to the point of breaking, and her face flushed. She lowered her eyes and began walking silently down the path after Ernesto. Behind came the children on their donkeys and the stable boy pulling the halters, and the woman with the clothes-basket on her head.

(To speak to me like that, such impertinence. Of course he feels he has every right, because to him I’m just a low slut. And he—what does he think he is? A bastard, a hungry beggar. Just look at the shoes he’s wearing. Good heavens, it seems at every step as if their soles will come unstuck.)

Matilde’s eyes filled with tears. She would have liked to run and catch up with Ernesto and fall humbly at his feet and kiss them and ask forgiveness for such damaging thoughts.

(If I had money as I used to, I’d run to the shop and buy him everything he needs.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.