K.Esquivel-LWFC

ack to the kitchen and went on preparing
the meal.
But today the child had outshone herself.
Perhaps she sensed that her
aunt was thinking of getting married and
departing the ranch, leaving
her behind all adrift, for all day long she
never stopped crying. Tita
ran up and down the stairs carrying pots of
food from one end to the
other. Finally it just had to happen: the
pitcher went to the well
once too ojten. Going down the stairs for the
eighth time, Tita
tripped and the pan full of mole for the
champandongo rolled down the
steps. And with it went four hours of hard
work cutting and grinding
ingredients.
Putting her hands to her head, Tita sat down
on the step and tried to
catch her breath. She had been up since
five that morning to keep from
hurrying, and it had all been for nothing. She
would have to start
over preparing the mole.
Pedro couldn't have chosen a worse moment
to speak to Tita, but seeing
her on the stairs, apparently resting, he went
over to try to convince
her that she shouldn't marry John.
`Tita, l want to say, I think your idea of
marrying John is a terrible
mistake. There's still time, don't make this
mistake, please, don't
agree to the marriage!"
"Pedro, you're hardly the one to tell me what
I should or shouldn't
do.
When you were going to get married, I didn't
ask you not to do it, even
though your wedding destroyed me. You
have your life, now leave me in
peace to have mine!"
"It's because of just that decision, which I
repent wholeheartedly,
that I'm asking you to reconsider. You know
quite well what the motive
was that joined me to your sister, but it
turned out to be a pointless
act, it didn't work, and now I think it would
have been better to run
away with you."
"Well, you think so too late. Nothing can be
done about it now.
I entreat you, never bother me again for the
rest of my life, and don't
ever dare to repeat what you've just said to
me, my sister might hear
it and we don't need one more unhappy
person in this house.
Excuse me!
. Ah, and let me suggest, next time you fall in
love, don't be such a
coward!"
Picking up the pan angrily, Tita went into the
kitchen.
Between her muttering and shoving dishes
around, she finished the mole;
as it cooked, she went on with the
preparation of the champandongo.
When the meat starts to brown, the chopped
tomato is added, along with
the citron, the walnuts, and the almonds, cut
into small pieces.
The steam rising from the pan mingled with
the heat given off by Tita's
body. The anger she felt within her acted
like yeast on bread dough.