366
JUAN FRANCISCO BLANCO
family. The one man, Juan, couldn’t leave his wife. The two
cowboys had a family party, one that a young girl in Mexico plans
for years. A party to celebrate her fifteenth birthday, the old
Mexican traditional day she is shown to be a woman to her
pueblo. He had to respect these men, family came first. The
thoughts of family brought feelings of guilt. He needed to send
some money home to his mother. What was she living off of, he
wondered? How were his two sisters living?
“Ek Chuah, I was wondering about my mother in Cancún. She
needs money to live on, and my little sisters have nothing. Is it
possible that I could send her some money?”
“I don’t think so, money is so...yesterday,” Ek Chuah shocked
Tital by saying no, and made him feel worse than before.
“However, Huracán gave me these old rocks,” Ek Chuah
pulled out of a leather pouch at his waist, three gold nuggets the
size of a man’s fist. “He said you might need them sometime, of
course if you need more, all I have to do is go ask. We have
rooms in Kukulcán’s Pyramid full of the ancient rocks, and a lot
more.”
“How can I get these to my mother?” Tital wanted to know.
“You just passed Eagle Nest, and the next town is Taos. You
know for the English speaking United States, New Mexico sure
has a lot of Spanish named pueblos and landmarks. You know
there is talk that the Mexicans are going to take the countryside
back, one baby at a time. Now, where was I...Oh, yes. In Taos
there is FedEx, or you could let me deliver it personally. Look,
here on the map is a town to stop at and walk the horses for
awhile, when we take a break I’ll leave then deliver the old rocks
to your mother, and you can summon me tonight when you
make another stop. Here is some more gold dust, for your trip.”