But it pleased Juana that she had been able to make
Kates eyesblaze with anger. It seemed the waste, unwanted babies could be delivered
in at thedoor of the Cuna, like parcels. But Kate had to rouse her into getting some
simplemedicine.
Then they turned again and trotted into the
courtyard,barefoot.
Ah, it is terrible to have to change ones
idea!
At the same time, itwas such a forlorn hope, it
made ones heart sink. Doña Carlota covered her face with her hand, as if swooning.
In a shed in one corner, four half-naked men were packing bunches of bananas.
Perhaps thewhite man has finally betrayed his own leadership.
Kate found herself in a big, barren yard, that
seemed empty. Now wont you come and spend the day with me while I am here withDon
Ramón?
A nice thing, I say,fluttered Doña Carlota, in her
gentle, fragile, scolding way.
They didnt want the thing theywere
pursuing.
Always he spoke with pleased delight, as if the
place were awonder-place to him. The mother had only to knock, andhand in the little
living bundle. He had rented a little one-roomadobe house, at one peso fifty per
week.
Then with adeferential sideways sort of bow to
Kate, he vanished out of doors.
Everything must be fun, must be variable, must bea
bit of an adventure.
And now Juana was getting a bittired of her
relative.
The mothers just hand over a little naked thing,
sometimes withouta name or a rag to cover it.
True, she was a little afraid of that anger. Though
the men seemed very gentleand protective to the little children.
They went their own way, enveloped in their rebozos
asin their own darkness. So she had the two girlsfor an hour a day, teaching them to
read, to sew, to draw.
Hewants to exalt pride and vanity higher than
God.
Ramón, large and muted,kept himself in
reserve.
They could carry in corn husks or drybanana leaves
for a bed.
And thenthey DELIBERATELY make these centipede
attacks on me, and arepleased when I am hurt. In the rainy season, the nights can be
very cold, owing toevaporation.
What does he THINK hewants to do,
anyhow?
And thenthey DELIBERATELY make these centipede
attacks on me, and arepleased when I am hurt.
At the same time there was a true pathos about
them. They had been hopelessly and cruellyexploited, for centuries. But, Señora, why
did you do such a thing?
She wasallowed to cook them in Juanas kitchen hole.