"He is going to be thrilled. I can hardly wait to show him," Victoria said with a radiant smile. "He is going to jump up and down with pleasure, especially when he sees the necklace around my neck," she said, spreading her hands over her bosom. But her thought was: I can just see him jumping up and down, with anger, when he receives the bill!
"I have never seen a perfect neck," said the old man, who closed his eyes in ecstasy, either with admiration for Victoria or for the large sale that he had just made. "I will wrap these boxes right away for you. We will mail Ricardo the bill. I know he will be in as soon as possible to pay for the merchandise. I know he has been quite successful as an engineer designing many of the new buildings in the city."
The old man soon had her purchases wrapped and placed in a bag for her. Victoria thanked him graciously, kissed the old man on the cheek, and walked out. "Ricardo will be in real soon," she told him, smiling from ear to ear, "as soon as you send him the bill." I'll just bet he will! She thought to herself and laughed inwardly.
Late that evening, Victoria donned her long, white evening gown and her new diamond necklace and earrings, and admired herself in the full-length mirror.
There was a knock on the door and in walked Juan Alvarez.
The night was unforgettable. Juan complimented her on her stunning appearance. They ordered their meal and had it delivered to the hotel room. They talked for hours, reminiscing about their long history together, up until the time he married Magdalena and brought her to Monterrey. They shared tears over each of their family's deaths and losses. She told him about her father's illnesses and Carlos and Fred's tragedies.
They dined and danced in the balcony, to the music of Amapola and Stardust, from the musicians playing below the courtyard. Juan suddenly swooped Victoria up and carried her to the large, four-poster bed. He slowly undressed her and laid her on the bed, then removed his own clothes. It had been a long time since the two had had any love, and they wasted no time. He took her in his arms and kissed her mouth lustfully, beginning with French kisses. His hands caressed her breasts and started their foreplay as her body responded, igniting the passion and fire of desire they both wanted. He made love to her like he had never before, exploring her body and giving her every pleasure. Their mutual climax erupted in a momentous fireworks display.
The couple made love all night long and in between their hard breathing, they lay there talking and aching with nostalgia. Juan confessed he had never loved anyone else. And Victoria in return told him the same thing. Thinking back over the long years of separation, they discussed their misery without each other's companionship. They now promised to be together forever.
Victoria suddenly interrupted their reverie. "Was it the magic black mushrooms?"
"Yes, and nobody suspected anything," Juan answered. "I received your package about ten months ago and used them in hot teas. You need to use them on Ricardo. It's a slow process that takes time—the poison has to build up in the system. The Del Calderónes love mushrooms, but you have to be careful. You need to have a dish ready for Ricardo when he returns to Texas. He has been making a fool of you all these years with Yolanda. I have heard him brag in front of Magdalena and laugh about all the money he has taken from your family, and how he used it foolishly."
"I am slowly finding all this out," she said, pretending she did not know. "I had to come in disguise and see for myself, in spite of being in mourning for my own brother."
"Let's make this the best night of those long lost years," said Juan. "Lord knows how I have missed you. We'll still have to keep in touch, but secretly."
The rest of the night was glorious. They made love until the morning sun's rays glowed through the curtains. When Juan left, his last words were, "Until we meet again, my love. I'll write you!"
The following day, Victoria, with a wide smile on her face, found her way aboard the train back to Texas. Leaving Juan was hard to bear, and with such a memorable night, she could not keep from thinking about him. Soon, they would be together. They would be together—forever.
She also kept thinking, The Devil has a sense of humor, too! I wonder how Ricardo is going to react when he finds out a mysterious woman posed as his mistress Yolanda and walked away with over forty thousand dollars worth of jewelry! The arrogant, pompous ass would eventually have a payback for being such a Romeo and a hot lover. He deserved it, she thought, and more. That will teach him not to steal from my family and, as for Miss fat-ass tamales, Yolanda, I will deal with her later! She would immediately get to work and start the bad curses using the dolls she had purchased. Thank you, Señora Adela!
Back in Mercedes, Victoria was surprised to find Luis Martin had completely taken over the job of managing the field hands at Spanish Acres. He had hired some workers and had used some of the working hands at the ranch. She was shocked to see that Yolanda's son Antonio was working hand in hand with Luis, and they had become good friends. It was never confirmed that Antonio was Juan's son, and he did not look like him. Yolanda never told who the father was, because the night of Victoria's celebration, she had slept with more than one—Juan had been the encore, the icing on the cake.
On her return from Spanish Acres, there was a much-anticipated letter from Fred. Apparently, he had traveled to Mexico City with his doctor friend and his wife and while there, had fallen terribly ill with a bad case of malaria, or yellow fever—nobody knew for sure what he had—which had caused him to have terrible high fevers, and it had taken him months to recuperate. He was beginning to get on his feet after losing weight and was working on the laboratory research that he had once started. In his letter, Fred stated that he was going to marry a beautiful village girl he had met in Tampico-Alto when he returned from Mexico City. Fred wrote that the family would have to accept her when he brought her back to Texas. His statement came as a complete surprise. He also mentioned that circumstances had caused him to leave Tampico, and he would explain later.
It had been an interesting day, a day of surprises, thought Victoria, as she puzzled over the letter. Fred sounded like he had changed in many ways. Was he now demanding and giving orders to the family? Marrying a peasant girl? It hit her like hot coals going through her system. He would marry a common peasant and bring her to Mercedes, to their home? This scenario would not be compatible with their social status. What was Fred thinking?
Victoria voiced her concerns to her father. "This may present problems, especially when Fred returns with a peasant girl as his bride and has to answer to everyone."
"It's nobody's Goddamn business what Fred does with his life!" replied Don Federico, getting crotchety in his old age. He was sitting in his comfortable rocking chair smoking his pipe, with his boots on, and his Stetson hat still on his head, listening to the radio in their living room. "If Fred marries a peasant Mexican girl, that's his business, and it's nobody's damn business what he does. He does not have to answer to any son-of-a-bitch here. Have you forgotten that it was the dang-blasted people in this town who sent him away? All we care is that he returns home where he belongs."
That's just like Father, thought Victoria, with her lips pursed. She felt intimidated by his remarks. Always protecting Fred, since he never did anything wrong. Yet in my case, I have to do everything in hiding or suffer the consequences.
There was a return address on the envelope and Victoria immediately wrote Fred back and told him about the loss of Carlos and how tragically he had died.
*****
The war in Europe had gotten worse and headlines showed escalating problems with Germany. President Roosevelt, busy with his New Second Deal Policy, was trying to bring the country out of the grips of the Depression. In stabilizing the economy, he banned the private ownership of gold. The majority of people, afraid of banks, had begun hiding and hoarding their coins. The State of Texas had a dilemma trying to elect a new governor since James Allred's second term was up for grabs. Billboards and signs grew overnight along the highways, displaying the candidates.
The following year, W. Lee O'Daniel, called Pappy, won the gubernatorial election in what was considered one of the greatest upsets in Texas history. O'Daniel, who had his own religious radio program, was also a songwriter and helped popularize Western swing music. He was known for saying, "Please pass the biscuits." About that same time, Bob Wills came out with San Antonio Rose.
Mercedes were still the typical peaceful town, with newly renovated streets adorned with new streetlights and palms on all the main streets. The new Highway 83 crossed the town, dividing the Juelson property. Don Federico had given up some property rights to make way for it. With a fresh and more lenient City Council, and with the Mexican-American people offering to buy some of his lands, Don Federico began subdividing his land among them. One of them was the Villarreal family, who bought two lots across the highway from the Juelson mansion. They transported vegetables and citrus raised in the Valley to Dallas and Houston and brought back fruit that normally was not grown close to the border. Ol' man Villarreal quickly set up a small grocery store with his fruits displayed outside, enticing the drive-bys, and became very prosperous. The Saldaña family made a bargain with Don Federico and bought a lot south of his property. To the east side, the Lara family began building their home. Another family, the Garcias, built a small, religious novelty shop, selling candles and statues of patron saints. The Cantus set up a Mexican café on Highway 83 and became very successful. The Gonzales started several service stations and a mechanic shop, where they would repair cars and wash them.
People were buying appliances, making the housewives job easier. One, in particular, was the newest, electric, wringer washing machine, and Oxydol was the detergent of choice, packed with gifts inside the box. But Mexico was still the place to buy coffee, flour, and sugar.
In May, shocking headlines told how thirty-six people died when the German LZ192 Hindenburg caught fire while landing at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, in New Jersey. Many rumored that it had been sabotaged.
In June of that year, everyone had come home that evening tired and sweating from the fields to hear the Joe Lewis fight with the German, Max Schmeling.
In this epoch of time, when Mexicans, Indians, and Negroes were ostracized and hated and still being burned out, lynched, and discriminated against, the winds of change were beginning to blow. The boxer Joe Lewis represented the poor, deprived, oppressed Mexicans, Indians, and blacks, who could relate to him. Schmeling represented the "Master race," the smart-alec Germans who thought they were superior to everyone else. It personified the fight between good and evil, a fight for the rightfully deserved final justice.
When the final blow came, Joe Lewis knocked Max Schmeling out and won the fight. Joe Lewis became the heavyweight champion of the world, and to the minority people, there was a sense of fairness. There was a God. That night, within the Mexican barrios, joyous shouts could be heard in homes, bars, and cantinas from small boys to old men. Joe Lewis represented everyone's justice. It taught people as a whole, regardless of race and who they were, by working hard for what they believed, they could finally reach their goals. It gave a sense of hope and strength to the Mexican-American young people, encouraging them not to give up on what they believed in.
Still, the Mercedes school district was brewing with indifference and conspiracy. The school on Hidalgo Street that had taught the majority of Mexican children for so many years had been torn down, and in September school was going to start. This became a headache for the white school administrators who ran the educational district. Funds were low, and it had become mandatory by the State of Texas and by the federal government to teach each child that was registered, regardless of race. After World War I, there had been an enormous baby boom in Mercedes. There were more Mexican-American children than there were whites, and the majority of them were coming from across the tracks to be taught.
Some of the Mexican children attended the private parochial Lady of Mercy School run by the sisters, which was expensive for the average family, but the schooling only went to the sixth grade. After the sixth grade, the Mexican children had no choice but to attend the only white public school available, which was the Graham School, south of town. Because of the Jim Crow laws, classes were crowded and segregated. The Mexican children attended the Mexican class; the white children went to the white class. There were two rooms for each class starting from the first grade. The white teachers who were assigned to teach the Mexican classroom felt those children were less important, and they were often treated with cruel and harsh discipline. In many cases, they would spank the Mexican child for voicing their opinion. They would say degrading and discriminatory things to the students, with a wooden paddle in view of the class to intimidate them, creating fear and driving them to silence. It squelched the desire for education and held them back academically.
The Jim Crow laws affected even the smallest child. They were instructed from an early age not to mix with the whites, even in school activities; it was hurtful and generated mistrust in the vulnerable and impressionable children only beginning to form their identities. But that was the white men's law, and since the Anglos were always right and had control of everything, the Mexican-Americans had to comply and go along quietly in bondage. It was the law of oppression robbing them of any dignity that they had, fulfilling the scripture of ugly tradition—racism.
Many children did not return to school, especially the boys when they reached working age. They worked helping their fathers, out in the fields, in tomato patches, in melon tracks, picking cotton, and in packing plants and barns, earning money for their families.
It was too hard to learn in school and too difficult to do homework since homework was given as a punishment and came with the swift indignity of the belt for not completing their lessons the preceding day. The spankings were frightening and hurtful for a young pupil. It was a way of suppression, of holding them back, never allowing them to reach their full potential. The children would rather work out in the fields with their parents, where they felt safe and more secure.
When an outbreak of head lice occurred in the school classrooms, the Mexican-American children were blamed and told not to return; they were given a slip of paper for their parents. The majority of the parents could not read or write. They had to have an approval slip from the doctor to admit them back. Embarrassed, many did not return.
Ironically, something happened, as it always does. The bubble hit home and burst.
Maria Theresa, Victoria's daughter, who had nearly completed high school, was accused of having head lice and given the ominous slip of paper to give to her parents. She came home crying from embarrassment, and it jangled the sensitive nerves of the entire household. This was in itself a terrible lie and an unforgivable mistake.
Don Federico was listening to The Amos and Andy Show, which came on the radio every weekday evening when he heard the news. Head lice! He thought. There are no varmints or head lice in this household! This was his beloved granddaughter, and just because she had a Mexican last name, she became a victim of the bigoted school. "Surely the school council doesn't want me to show my face," he said, bristling. "I'll tell them a thing or two! Have they forgotten who helped organized the damn school district in the first place? How quickly they forget all the dang-blasted money I've given the school, and all of my dedicated time and effort. They're not getting any more! They can go to their damn cash register and hit the 'no sale' sign and cut the crap." He chomped on his Cuban cigar in disgust.
His indignation was nothing compared to Victoria's. "How dare them!" she said, seething. "Tomorrow I will pay them a visit!" And she did—like a rattler with an impacted tooth. She stormed into the main office and addressed the principal, an old man, with thick glasses and cold watery eyes, and handed him the note. "Can you explain this?" she said, drumming her fingers on the counter top.
The principal looked at her and rudely replied, "Well, it reads, just what it says. Can't you read, lady?" His voice boomed loud enough for everyo
ne to hear.
"This Del Calderóne girl has lice on her head. And we do not allow them back in the school. They will infect the rest of the children. And who are you?" he asked, looking over the rim of his glasses, ice dripping from his dead-set eyes fixed on Victoria.
There was a long silence. They eyed each other, as tensions built and sparks flew.
"Does the name Juelson sound familiar?" stormed Victoria. "Does the Juelson name have any meaning in this shitty school?"
"Oh, dear," he said, startled when he heard the Juelson's name. He began quivering. They had made a mistake all right. His voice lowered an octave, down to earth, radio smooth. "I did not know she was your daughter. I've known Don Federico for many years, and if it hadn't been for his money, this school would not be operating." Mr. Principle's attitude immediately changed, expressing a smile of reassurance after his kindly remarks about her father.
Victoria wasn't impressed. "The school will have even more problems now, since my father is refusing, on my behalf, not to hand over any more money to this lousy school. Wait until the school district hears about this—how your teachers target innocent Mexican children and intimidate them into not returning. And, by the way," raged Victoria, in a demonic attitude. "Who inspected my daughter's hair and lied about the results?"
The old man fumbled with the piece of paper in his hands. His legs wobbled; they were becoming noodles. He finally had to speak. "The young Mrs. Gray," he said. "It could be possible that Mrs. Gray overlooked her inspection and handed the note to your daughter by mistake," he replied nervously.
"Oh, I'm not buying this," Victoria fumed. "The reason my daughter was targeted was because she has a Mexican last name—bottom line, main reason! My daughter will not return to this crappy school!"
Roots of Indifferences Page 77