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""Leno and Maria: A Success Story"" by Vincent P. Cano - 1985

Page 5

CHAPTER TWO, LENO AND MARIA

   The years that followed did not offer much of a change for Zeferino or for any of the villagers of the area. To work the land in order to eat was an understood rule for survival that everyone learned early in their lives. However, as he grew older so did his resourcefulness and before long he had mastered other ways to make a living to go along with his feel for the land. On certain days he would lead his burro to the foot of a nearby mountain where he would extract salt from its base. After processing it, he would sell it as salt peter to the surrounding ranchers. Other days might find him selling his carpentry skills in building a house to mending a fence.
  
   All of his days were not filled with work, however. The charm of a young lady, Jesusa Zuniga, accepted Zeferino's proposal in marriage. Their home was as modest as the one he grew up in so there was no change in that respect. A most important one, however was the addition of a son who they named Otilio. As the years past, Zeferino was slowly adding to his resources. So much so that by the time their second child, Maria Louisa, had reached her third birthday, he had put hi,self in a position in which he could afford to move to a better home in a different town. One early morning, a loaded wagon of furniture sitting outside his gome gave evidence that this was the day he had planned for so many years.

   "Maria Louisa, nina, it is time to go. We have a long ride ahead of us before we reach the Valle de Santiago." As Zeferino shook his little girl from a peaceful sleep, memories of being awaken many times by his father suddenly came to him. As she opened her eyes to meet his, he was relieved that he was not preparing her for a long day in the fields and gave thanks for this difference in his life.

   "What about Otilio, papa?" Maria whined. "Why doesn't he have to get up?"

   The small boy lying next to Maria slid deeper under the covers that he shared with his sister.

   "Otilio, come on now, my son. You would sleep the day away if we let you."

   With that, he left the two children and walked over to his wife who was carefully packing some clay bowls into a wooden crate and fondly embraced her.

   "Jesusa, do we have everything packed? Where is the pistola? Do not forget that. Woman, wait until you see our new home. It is made out of brick, not adobe with three bedrooms and a fine kitchen. There is plenty of room for a garden and we have an orchard of lime trees growing in the back of the house. It may not seem like much to Don Luis Terrazas but we are going to be happy there nonetheless."

Saving...

CHAPTER TWO, LENO AND MARIA The years that followed did not offer much of a change for Zeferino or for any of the villagers of the area. To work the land in order to eat was an understood rule for survival that everyone learned early in their lives. However, as he grew older so did his resourcefulness and before long he had mastered other ways to make a living to go along with his feel for the land. On certain days he would lead his burro to the foot of a nearby mountain where he would extract salt from its base. After processing it, he would sell it as salt peter to the surrounding ranchers. Other days might find him selling his carpentry skills in building a house to mending a fence. All of his days were not filled with work, however. The charm of a young lady, Jesusa Zuniga, accepted Zeferino's proposal in marriage. Their home was as modest as the one he grew up in so there was no change in that respect. A most important one, however was the addition of a son who they named Otilio. As the years past, Zeferino was slowly adding to his resources. So much so that by the time their second child, Maria Louisa, had reached her third birthday, he had put hi,self in a position in which he could afford to move to a better home in a different town. One early morning, a loaded wagon of furniture sitting outside his gome gave evidence that this was the day he had planned for so many years. "Maria Louisa, nina, it is time to go. We have a long ride ahead of us before we reach the Valle de Santiago." As Zeferino shook his little girl from a peaceful sleep, memories of being awaken many times by his father suddenly came to him. As she opened her eyes to meet his, he was relieved that he was not preparing her for a long day in the fields and gave thanks for this difference in his life. "What about Otilio, papa?" Maria whined. "Why doesn't he have to get up?" The small boy lying next to Maria slid deeper under the covers that he shared with his sister. "Otilio, come on now, my son. You would sleep the day away if we let you." With that, he left the two children and walked over to his wife who was carefully packing some clay bowls into a wooden crate and fondly embraced her. "Jesusa, do we have everything packed? Where is the pistola? Do not forget that. Woman, wait until you see our new home. It is made out of brick, not adobe with three bedrooms and a fine kitchen. There is plenty of room for a garden and we have an orchard of lime trees growing in the back of the house. It may not seem like much to Don Luis Terrazas but we are going to be happy there nonetheless."