To Madness
Chapter One: Age Ten
(He loves me) A little
A lot
Passionately
To madness
Not at all—from a French game
"I am not a little child that must be led by the hand!"
Constancia watched her mother dress, and she wiped her tears away.
"Why can't I go, mamacita?"
"You are too young, mi querida. This is for men and women, not little girls."
"But I like dancing and music!"
Her mother swept over, smelling of sweet perfume that overwhelmed Constancia's senses. When she was bigger, she wanted to be just like her mamacita. She wanted to be beautiful and sweet smelling and dressed in beautiful clothes, all the time, not just for fiestas.
"Now, you must behave and obey Tia Miranda. We'll be back in the morning."
Her mother kissed her and Constancia watched her go. She ran out to the balcony and watched. Her father was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her mother, and she saw his whole face light up when he saw her. He picked her up and spun her around, both laughing and Constancia sighed. She wanted to go to the fiesta.
And then she had an excellent idea. She would go to the fiesta. Tia Miranda was in the kitchen. Constancia could just run down now and follow her parent's carriage. Yes. Yes!
She ran back to get her shoes and tied them up with shaking, eager fingers. She brushed her hair with her mother's hairbrush and pinched her cheeks like she'd seen her mother do. Then she flew back out the door just in time to see the gate closed. Good!
She flew down the stairs and grabbed the handle, easing it open and seeing her parent's carriage ride away. She peeked around her to make sure no one was around and dashed through, pulling it tight behind her. Then she started running, following the carriage.
But a carriage is a hard thing for little girls to keep up with. After a few minutes, Constancia was getting tired and had to rest. The carriage had already gone out of sight and Constancia was suddenly struck with the thought that she didn't actually know the way to the Jimenez hacienda.
I can just follow the tracks, she thought and hurried along them, but a wind was coming up and the dusty road not only mussed her dress but covered the tracks.
Constancia only then realized what she'd done and sank down by the side of the road and cried.