There were only a few days left to go until the celebration of the religious ceremony. While he was walking to Leonor's house, Marcelo was going over mentally the probable unfolding of the ceremony that would take place in the small, rustic thatched roof church. He repeated in his mind the instructions of the priest of the "Cross".

A lightly noticeable smoke burned his nose and eyes with its spicy smell. It was the unmistakable smell, characteristic of dry chile pepper being toasted. It made him sneeze and cough because of the irritation it caused in his nose. When he entered the house, he heard the noisy gobbling of the turkeys, destined for the wedding feast and the snorting of the pigs for the roast pork. "Would it be enough? What more did he need? the"x-tabentun" ?, The "baalche"?. He went over the list in his mind.

At the door of the kitchen he saw Leonor sitting in a chair made from deer skin doing her handy work of "xoc-bichuy" or embroidery work on the wedding dress.

Silvano Ek, the father of the bride, didn’t greet him, but he said.

"The priest from Chuum-poom sent me word that he will arrive the day before the wedding with a few of the principal people from there. Maybe even General Vega will come. I believe that everyone that we have invited will be there.

Also, some friends from other towns will come. Your marriage is known over the region". His face didn't hide his pleasure.

Marcelo smiled spontaneously, he knew the customs of the people well. He remembered the feast on his father's hacienda when he was a child and also when clinging to his mother's hand he mixed in with the people in the streets of the neighborhood of Candelaria in his beloved Zaci, during the days of the "fiesta" and other towns.

As if he was coming back to reality, he answered to Silvano.

"It will be as you have planned, may I speak with Leonor ?".

Leonor was listening to the conversation without looking up, she concentrated on her embroidery. She was thinking about her wedding. It would be soon now when she heard Marcelo's question, she looked up, and her father gave his consent with his look.

"Is everything ready?" the young man asked.

"I never imagined that there was so much to be done for our wedding, nor that they would be so complicated, but now it's all ready, isn't it?"

"Can we see the house again?" Leonor agreed happily.

The young couple went toward the house they had build at the back of the big yard, Marcelo, with Jacinto and the men of the family in less than a week, working in the afternoons.

They worked hardly talking among themselves, each man on his task. Some carried the sticks and others peeled them, some planted the corner post and tied on the "grid" where the palm leaves would go. Everything was said and done quickly and well.

Soon they arrived to the house and went inside, then Leonor pointed out.

"We only have to level the floor. They will have to bring more white lime stone powder to level it so it will look pretty, don’t you think?"

Marcelo remembered his mother's little thatched-roof hut where he lived in Valladolid.

"It will be perfect, don't worry and the kitchen, what will we do?"

"We will eat where we always have, you know that, later we will have our own yard, and we will build everything you want", said Leonor.

And after a moment, "You would like it if your mother could be at the wedding, wouldn't you? You don't know how much I would like to meet her".

Even if I had gone for her, it would have been almost impossible for her to come because of the distance and the difficulty of the trip for a person who isn't used to it," answered the young man.

"Beside I don't think she would have come anyway because my father is very sick. No, she wouldn't have come"

Marcelo changed the conversation as he took the hands that Leonor timidly extended toward him.

"You don't know, Leonor, how much I wish for the moment of our wedding".

Leonor almost inaudibly whispered. She was glowing, and her beautiful eyes were shining,

"Me too, Marcelo, me too".

The day that the young couple had been waiting for finally arrived.

The people of Tok'tuunich and the guests from the surrounding town were inside the little church, and many more were outside because there wasn't enough room. They listened to the prayers and religious songs of the priest of the "Cross" and his assistants.

The sun was half way up the sky and a soft breeze cooled the intense heat.

Suddenly the singing stopped. Inside the church, the priest finished the ritual, and turned toward Marcelo and Leonor who were kneeling before him, and spoke the words in Maya. The crowd followed the ceremony in silence and with great respect, the soft smell of incense of copal gave the atmosphere a touch of primitive solemnity.

With a small wooden cross, he blessed them with the sign of the cross.

The wedding night was completely different from what the young people had imagined. During the feast, that had begun at mid-day when the religious ceremony finished, Marcelo could hardly speak with Leonor because of his commitment with the guests and the men from his town and from the surrounding towns.

The guests, were merry with the drinks of "x-tabentun" and the refreshing tiny jicaras of nice soft "baalche". One after another toasted him to desire him happiness in his new life. As abundant as the liquor was the food. Everybody drank and ate until the early hours of the night, before withdrawing in small groups or in pairs, almost all of them under the effect of alcohol. The women helped the men who could hardly stand.

The next day, before dawn, Marcelo woke up in the half-light; he couldn’t remember very well. A terrible headache and general aches and pains didn't let him concentrate.

He had never gotten drunk before because he usually drank only a drink or a beer in the parties or "fiestas" of the town or in family feasts back in Valladolid. He felt ashamed to find himself half-naked in the hammock of his small hut and smelling of alcohol. He couldn't hear any sound. It was just starting to get light, isolated and timid the first songs of the birds broke the silence of the night, the crowing of a rooster was heard in the distance.

Leonor... Where was she? Had she stayed in the main house? He stopped worrying when he saw her at the threshold. Before he could speak he heard her quiet voice.

Did my husband wake up? How are you this morning? Her voice was festive, a few seconds of suspense and she continued, "How do you feel? You have been sleeping since night fall". She came closer, and went on

"Here, drink this tea of orange leaves. It's hot. It will settle your stomach" -She extended the steaming tea toward him, served in a white jicara. She smiled at him in a mixture of innocence and sensuality, looking at him with infinite tenderness. The young man without answering took the jicara, and drank, raising his eyes, he said shyly.

"Forgive me, I feel terrible. I don't usually drink liquor and I never get drunk. I don't remember and can't ever imagine things I did. I hope I didn't make you mad, "- His tone was at the same time an apology and a plea.

As an answer, Leonor took the young man's face in her hands, and raised it slowly to her breast with soft tenderness.

"You could never hurt me and nothing you could do, can make me mad."-The young man put his strong arms around his wife's slim waist and buried his forehead between her breasts. There was no more conversation. The young woman got up and went to the door to shut and lock it.

The two young people gave themselves to each other in the intimate half-light of their new home, as if they desired to hide the sun with the happiness that overwhelmed them.

Main Page                           Chapter 21  ''The Jaguar''

---

Get Flash !

---

 

El Cuyo Yucatán, a new meeting with the nature. . Travelers Guide

 

Concept & Design by

Raúl Mendoza and N'aloy Vargas Cetina.
For further information,  reservations and advertising call (984) 8762234 and (985) 8563178  or fax (985) 8563178 or send an e-mail to: icai@chichen.com.mx

 

This site, Travelers Guide Series and Mayan World see better in Microsoft Explorer.  We highly recommend you install Flash 5.0  ( to see animations ) and  Real Player Basic 8.0 ( to see streaming  videos ).  You can free download them in their respective sites

 

 

 

comments you may have or if you want to buy the book, please call or fax us to (985) 85 6 31 78 or send an e-mail to: icai@chichen.com.mx con copy to: raul_mendoza_alcocer@hotmail.com On line secure Credit Card payment available.