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""Leno and Maria: A Success Story"" by Vincent P. Cano - 1985
Page 37
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CHAPTER ELEVEN LENO AND MARIA "Elena, Maria Guadalupe, ninas, it is time to go. Come, we do not want to be late for work on our first day." Maria whispered to her two girls The darkness that showed itself through the small window from across the room confused them as they were not accustomed to getting up during the night. "Mama, what is the matter?" Elena asked. "It is still dark outside. Do we have to catch another train? We just got here, mama." "No, child," Maria answered as she helped Maria Guadalupe put on her dress and shoes. "Don't you remember, Elena? We are going to help Mr. Martin plant and harvest his crops. You and your sister get to go with us and help us plant. Now... I am depending on you to take care of your sister. Mama cannot give Mr. Martin a full days work and watch you two at the same time. Let's show the Americanos how grown up we are, Elena. Your father has gone out for some water so you can wash yourselves. For the time being you will have to use cold water until I learn how to use that stove." In a few minutes, Leno returned carrying a pail of water and set it on top of the stove. Maria poured a small amount of it into a bowl and walked over to the table where the girls sat nibbling on pieces of dried bread. She dipped a small cloth into the bowl and gently squeezed it until most of the water trickled back into the bowl. Holding Maria Guadalupe steady with one hand, she began to wash her face and arms. The little girl wiggled hopelessly turning her face from side to side and pulling her little arms to and fro as Maria impatiently continued to dip, squeeze, and wash. "All right, Elena, it is your turn. You are big enough to wash yourself. Here is the water and the cloth. I expect you to be washed by the time I finish packing a lunch." Sensing her ordeal would be more pleasant than her baby sister's if she did her own washing. Elena quickly picked up the cloth and dipped it into the bowl. An hour later, the Cano family joined the Martin family and together they rode out to where the planting was to begin. Acres and acres of plowed land stretched out in all directions before Leno and Maria as they stood looking from the road in amazement. Maria remembered her father's field but it was no where near the size of what lay before her. The schedule of work was that first, the seeds would be planted by hand one by one. As they moved on from acre to acre, and as the days wore on, they would have to back track to do the weeding. For a time, there was a continuous cycle of planting and hoeing, planting and hoeing. By the time the planting was completely finished, young plants had broken ground and their thinning out was added to the schedule. The stopping to manually place each seed into the ground, the bending and pulling from hoeing and thinning out, wore on the muscles and backs of the young couple. 37.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN LENO AND MARIA "Elena, Maria Guadalupe, ninas, it is time to go. Come, we do not want to be late for work on our first day." Maria whispered to her two girls The darkness that showed itself through the small window from across the room confused them as they were not accustomed to getting up during the night. "Mama, what is the matter?" Elena asked. "It is still dark outside. Do we have to catch another train? We just got here, mama." "No, child," Maria answered as she helped Maria Guadalupe put on her dress and shoes. "Don't you remember, Elena? We are going to help Mr. Martin plant and harvest his crops. You and your sister get to go with us and help us plant. Now... I am depending on you to take care of your sister. Mama cannot give Mr. Martin a full days work and watch you two at the same time. Let's show the Americanos how grown up we are, Elena. Your father has gone out for some water so you can wash yourselves. For the time being you will have to use cold water until I learn how to use that stove." In a few minutes, Leno returned carrying a pail of water and set it on top of the stove. Maria poured a small amount of it into a bowl and walked over to the table where the girls sat nibbling on pieces of dried bread. She dipped a small cloth into the bowl and gently squeezed it until most of the water trickled back into the bowl. Holding Maria Guadalupe steady with one hand, she began to wash her face and arms. The little girl wiggled hopelessly turning her face from side to side and pulling her little arms to and fro as Maria impatiently continued to dip, squeeze, and wash. "All right, Elena, it is your turn. You are big enough to wash yourself. Here is the water and the cloth. I expect you to be washed by the time I finish packing a lunch." Sensing her ordeal would be more pleasant than her baby sister's if she did her own washing. Elena quickly picked up the cloth and dipped it into the bowl. An hour later, the Cano family joined the Martin family and together they rode out to where the planting was to begin. Acres and acres of plowed land stretched out in all directions before Leno and Maria as they stood looking from the road in amazement. Maria remembered her father's field but it was no where near the size of what lay before her. The schedule of work was that first, the seeds would be planted by hand one by one. As they moved on from acre to acre, and as the days wore on, they would have to back track to do the weeding. For a time, there was a continuous cycle of planting and hoeing, planting and hoeing. By the time the planting was completely finished, young plants had broken ground and their thinning out was added to the schedule. The stopping to manually place each seed into the ground, the bending and pulling from hoeing and thinning out, wore on the muscles and backs of the young couple. 37.
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