CHAPTER V
JACINTO
Silvano Ek and Maria Cohuó were happy with the birth of Jacinto. The baby was robust and Maria's painful breast could hardly keep him satisfied.
In a few days Maria went back to her house-work fully except for washing the clothes, since, according to the mid-wife, the cold water could "dry up the milk" or produce " cramps"
The old mid-wife washed the clothes of newborn and of his mother. She also prepared plenty of atole and other "hot" drinks to produce sufficient breast milk. The first day, Maria only had chicken broth, but not the meat, because that too could cause cramps.
When the "tuuch" dried up and fell off, Maria could take other nourishment and " wild animal's meat.
Silvano satisfied with his male-child, began the preparative for the baptism, which will take place at the " church" of Chuum-Poom. For this, the "baalche" the turkeys for the "piib" had to be prepared, and if possible some bottles of x-táabentun should be obtained to give to the women.
Who would be Jacinto's godfather? ...
the curse had been broken, since he had a son after having two daughters.
Jose Chuc, the godfather of his second daughter who had died a few years back, was his best friend and faithful companion.
Together the two of them had shared joys and pains.
His character and temple would be a good example for his son. Jose Chuc would be Jacinto's godfather , he would teach him many things when he became a young boy.
Jose Chuc accepted gladly Silvano's offer and together they began the preparations for the baptism that would be in Chuum-Poom, the most important church in the zone.
They would travel before hand to make arrangements with the priest and the chief Kituk.
Silvano wondered what would be of those white men who had sought refuge there a few days after Jacinto's birth? Surely he would speak with them again, and maybe they could explain to him why they hadn't killed him.
The grain on the corncobs was dry now. The days of the new atole and the "is-waaj" and the tamales of new corn had passed. The corn stalks had been bent, the shed was ready to store the harvest, the corn both for food staple and that which would be used for seed the next year.
Now he could make the trip to Chuum-Poom to prepare the baptism. It would be after the cabañuelas that was after the full moon of the new year.
Silvano and Maria Jose Chuc and his wife, Jacinto’s sister, family members, the most important friends and the authorities of Tok'tuunich marched to Chuum-Poom, after the new-year's day.
There was an almost full moon on the horizon to the west when they went out of the village. It wasn't so early, but the sun didn't even come out completely when it was full daylight, and there was some fear that a cloud burst could take them by surprise because it was the month of the cabañuelas.
It was cold, but a few minutes after beginning the march, the mules as well as their masters had warmed-up. It was nice weather for traveling.
The tiny Jacinto slept bundled up, and covered with Maria's rebozo. The march went without incidents, except for an hour of rest at mid-day to eat and let the heat of the sun pass over their heads, without any hurry because of the little ones who went mounted with their mothers. Long before sunset they entered Chuum-poom, then they separated, looking for hospitality with their friends.
José Chuc and Silvano had gone to Chuum-Poom during the last moon. After greeting some friends, they went to the church, permanently watched over by guards armed with rifles. They took off the "xana-keuelob" and with profound respect and in silence, barefooted they entered in to the hut, where behind a division, was one of the sacred "crosses". The "cross" of Chuum-Poom. With great devotion, they kneeled and whispered their prayer, just as they had done for three generations, their fathers and the fathers of their fathers.
In the half- light, the silence and the aroma of the "copal " that they burned along with the smoke of the candles that they offered, gave a feeling of submission, and gratitude and respect to the only God of their people represented by the cross hidden behind the rustic enclosure.
After their visit to the church, they went to the house of the chief and authority Ki'tuk, to whom they presented their respects and asked for his authorization for the visit and the baptism, a routine for his which approval was taken for granted.
The commander Ki'tuk, sitting on an old trunk was removing the grain from the corn cobs from the last year's harvest with his family, because the corn from the last harvest should be stored when the existing storage was exhausted. When Silvano and Jose came in, he gave them a friendly look, and smiled at them. The women and children hardly even lifted their heads and went on with their work.
-Good day, commander Ki'tuk. May God , preserve you and the holy cross protect you.- Silvano put his hand into his " sabucan" and took out a packet of tobacco and a bottle of anis which he respectfully offered to the chief.
-Allow me to offer you these modest gifts as a token of friendship and good will and respect-
- Thanks for the gifts, brothers from Tok'tuunich. my thought is that your families are in the grace of our Lord in good health and prosperity-to what do we owe the visit of the Ek's to our village? -
-My "compadre" is of the Chuc family and, I; sir, am Silvano, the eldest of the Eks of Tok'tuunich-
After a very brief pause, he continued -we have come to you to baptize my first son and to ask you, also the leaders of the village, to honor us with your presence at the ceremony, which will be, with your permission, after the full moon-
-It will be as you desire and arrange with the priest of the village. You should be in agreement with him for everything that will be necessary-he answered and getting up, invited the visitors to come into the main room, speaking with everyone about matters of common interest. An hour later more or less Silvano and Jose left slightly under the effects of x-taabentun that they had been drinking during the conversation.
He will be baptized as we had planned. We will rest for today, and the day after tomorrow, we will return to Tok'tuunich-said Silvano.
Compadre -said Jose- before that, let's go to visit our friends. Maybe they would like to share a bottle with us.
-Where will we get it?-
-I have it here, in reserve, compadre- and smiling cunningly, he pointed to the bag where he carried his clothes. The compadres went to the house of a friend, where they went on drinking.
Damian Barrera noticed the presence of Silvano and Jose. He tried to remember, because Silvano's face seemed familiar. Suddenly, everything was perfectly clear. He was the máasewáal of the encounter who had led them away from his town, and nevertheless, had showed them the way, involuntarily but directly to their destination. Thanks to him, they could reach Ki'tuk, their goal since they had left Zací. He saw him with Jose when they had gone to the church and later leaving the house of the chief. Since then something made him keep track of them.
When he saw them drinking alcohol with their friends he prudently went back to his house. He knew about the spite and hate that had accumulated against the white man, and he, after all should be prudent with this máasewáal that he had had in the sights of his "30-30". The next day, when they were still recovering from their binge, he saw them again, in the little square. Then his glance briefly crossed with Silvano’s.
It was a quick but significant glance. As he was going away, Barrrera heard foot-steps behind him and looking around, he recognized Silvano. He stopped because he understood that Silvano wanted to talk to him. When he was close, and after they both stopped, they looked unblinking at one another until Barrera broke the silence as he had done the time on the path of the encounter, on the evening before the birth of Jacinto.
-Do you wish to speak to me?-
-I know that you were accepted here in Chuum-poom answered Silvano. Besides Vega, who is one of us because he lived here since he was a boy, I don't remember any other ts'uulo'ob living here among our people. Baatab Kituk must have had a very powerful reason to accept you. If he was done it, it is well done. I only want you to tell me why you didn't kill me back there at our first encounter.-
-We aren't killers, we do not kill for the sake of killing, neither you nor our own people. If we have killed it is because we, like you, do not accept injustice or slavery. That's why we fought in Zaci, and that's why we escaped, since the government forces defeated us.
I didn’t have anything against you then, neither I do now. On the contrary, if you people hadn't accepted us, we would have been dead now one way or another.
Silvano listened attentively as he had done on the other occasion, at their first encounter.
-Some time if God is willing - he answered - we can talk more,- without waiting for an answer, he turned his back and broke off the conversation, walking away from Barrera.
Damian thought about the man's motives for wanting to know why he hadn't fired. Perhaps some other time everything would be cleared up between them.
The three ts'ulo'ob saw the group come in, and they heard about the party and the baptism, that would be the next day. Their wives informed them that they too would participate in the ritual with the other women of the town. It would be a happening, according to what they said.
There would be plenty of turkey and pigs to be used for the piib, honey anis for everybody, and without fail, of course the baalche.
The next day, the interior of the church was completely occupied by the families of Tok'tuunich and by the people of Chuum-Poom.
The religious songs had finished and the assistant of the maasewaal priest burned the incense, its aroma saturated the interior of the big hut when Jacinto was taken in front of the priest who practiced the ritual with great devotion.
Only the voice of the maasewaal priest could be heard speaking in the Maya language sprinkled with words of the sacred scriptures in Spanish. When he received the baptismal waters, Jacinto whimpered a little. His mother, filling his mouth with her maternal nipple when the ceremony ended quieted his cry.
After a few complementary prayers, everybody or almost everybody, left slowly, and went to the house where they would celebrate the new Christian.
Damian, Miguel and Carlos, the tsu'ulo'ob were discreetly leaving with their families when Silvano approached them and said.
-Today is a day of rejoicing for my wife and my family and my friends. It is the will of God that I could see this son of mine. All of the village will accompany us to celebrate it, and you are now a part of the village. If you wish, you can go, or let your wives go.-
Before the answer, he turned and looked at his wife and son, and the group that was leaving.-I think- said Damian - that we shouldn't pass up this invitation -and he added - we wouldn't want them to take it as an insult. We should let them think that we are assimilated. We shouldn't miss the opportunity-what do you think?.
Carlos nodded his head as Miguel said- besides, we don't always get a chance to eat " reline Negro " or drink a good anis, let's celebrate with them, but just this, let's be careful not to get drunk, some bad feelings could come to the surface. We should leave right before the spirits heat up from the x-taabentun.
Let's go to the "xunan," we really deserve it, for holding out all this time.
The women made tortillas in groups of two or three around the "comal" scattered around the yard, under the fullest trees. The men dug up the turkeys placed in piib since the night before.
The bottles of x-tabentun and the gourds of baalche were uncorked and shared among the groups that had formed in animated conversation.
The three ts' uulo'ob talked, sitting on small treetrunks while their wives participated in the making of tortillas with rest of the women.
Silvano approached them with a bottle of x-tabentun offering it to them, while in the other hand he held a jicara with " baalche," - l like it better because x-tabentun has a bad effect on me.-
Don Silvano- said Damian- -we want to thank you for your invitation. If you would like to drink with us in honor of you newly baptized son, it would be true pleasure.-
n spite of his stern expression, Silvano couldn't avoid a spark in his eyes, that was caught by the ts'uulo'ob.
- Later, because l have to see to my companions and friends.. -. the three ts'uulo'ob exchanged knowing glances. By mid afternoon, the liquor began to have its effect. The groups raised their voices. It sounded like arguments were breaking out, so the three ts'uulo'ob prudently agreed to retire discreetly from the party. In the early hours of the night, Damian , in his hammock, heard the not far away shouts of joy at the celebration of the birth of Jacinto.
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