(Takes place in Mexico in the 1800's)

January

Christmas Rolls are the best dish to serve during Christmas (hence the name). You need a few ingredients,one of which is onions. When chopping

them, the best way to keep from crying is placing a bit on your head. When i start crying i can't stop. My Mama says i get that from my great-aunt, Piper.

She was so sensitive to onions, that any time she was chopping them, she would cry and cry, not being able to fact, when she was in my great

grandmother Hera's belly she cried so loud that even Aphrodite, the cook, who was half-deaf, could hear them easily.

Then came the day Piper was born. Her sobbing and wailing got so violent that it brought on early labor. Then before Hera could say anything Piper was

born, prematurely, on the table surrounded by the smells of quail, cloves, garlic, and of course, onion. She was still wailing loudly, probably because she

knew that she would denied marriage. The way Aphrodite told it, Piper was literally washed into the world with tears that flooded the kitchen floor.

Later on when the tears had dried up Aphrodite swept up the floor. There was enough salt left over for a ten-pound sack that was used for cooking and

lasted a long time. Because of her strange birth, Piper fell in love with the kitchen, where she spent most of her life since the day she was born.

Sadly something terrible happened. When Piper was only a few days old, her father died of a heart attack. Mama Hera was so shocked that her milk

dried up. Since there was no powdered milk back then, and they couldn't find a wet nurse to feed Piper,Aphrodite offered to feed her. She fed Piper tea

and thin corn gruels, who grew up to be healthy, and accept the kitchen as her domain.

That's were she got her sixth sense from.

Piper developed a sensation for anything that had to with food. She knew when the bread was ready,when the chickens were ready for plucking, and

when the beans were done boiling. Basically her happiness and childhood came from the fun of cooking. Her sisters were the opposite. They thought

playing in the kitchen was dangerous and silly. One time though, Piper convinced them to watch her play with the water, dripping it, and letting the

drops "dance" on the stove.

Drew, the oldest was terrified and just watched. Hazel, the middle child, found the game fascinating (anything that had to

do with rhythm,moment, or music fascinated Hazel). Drew tried to join them, with barely wet hands, and Piper tried getting Drew's hands closer to the

stove. Lets just say Drew ended up burning her hands,and that her and Hazel were forbidden to play in the kitchen with Piper again.

She and Aphrodite became playmates instead. They would play with the food like, sausages, making animals. Twisting sausages into animals like dogs

and swans. Or make their own creatures that had horse tails, swan necks, and chicken feet. She would only take them apart when they were needed

for the Christmas Rolls. When making the Christmas rolls you fry the sausages, mix them in with the other ingredients and let them stand. Piper loved

making them even if it was hard work. It was a real ritual. They had to prepare the sausages a day before. Everyone had to pitch in that day.

When they were done, Mama Hera would say: "That's it for today." Everyone would quickly clean up and get ready for bed. But one evening, before Mama

Hera dismissed them Piper, who was 15 said shaking

"Mama, Leo Valdez

would like to come and speak with you." There was a long silence.

Finally Mama Hera said "And why would this young man like to speak to

me?" Piper's voice could barely be heard.

"I don't know."

Mama Hera gave her a stern look and said:

"If his intention is to ask for your hand, tell him not bother. You know perfectly well that you, being the youngest daughter cannot marry, and will have to take care of me until the day I die."

She stood up and said "That's it for today."

Everyone left to their rooms.

The very next day Leo Valdez and his father appeared at the house to ask for Piper's hand. Mama Hera sat with them while the girl's were in the kitchen preparing the Christmas Rolls, in honor of Piper's sixteenth birthday. She calmly explained to them why Piper couldn't marry.

"However," Mama Hera said to Hephaestus, Leo's father."If you really want Leo to get married, allow me to suggest Drew, my oldest daughter. She is just two years older than Piper, and 100% available"

Right then and there Reyna, the maid, almost dropped the tray containing coffee and herself she rushed to the kitchen to tell

the girls what had just happened.

"Can you believe your Ma?!Talking about being ready for marriage in thatnway. She talks about marriage as if she were whipping up a plate of

tacos!"

She told them every detail,and the fast talker that she was, spoke quickly outraged saying how you

couldn't just switch tacos and enchiladas like that. Piper wouldn't accept what she had just heard, but was still heartbroken. While she

was wrapping up the rolls, Mama Hera came in and told them that she agreed to Leo's marriage-to Drew. All of the sudden Piper felt cold

right down to the bone, dry cheeks that turned red and could not recover for a long time. Not even when Aphrodite told her what she had

overheard as she followed Leo and his father out.

"Why did you do that, Leo? What happened to the eternal love you swore Piper? Are you going to keep that vow?

"Of course I will. I only agreed to marry her sister to be closer to Piper, the girl I really love."

Their voices could barely be heard as they continued to walk. Aphrodite ran home to tell Piper what she heard. Piper thanked her for

giving her the news, but still couldn't get rid of the icy feelings she now had for Leo. How unfortunate that the black holes in space hadn't

been discovered, because then Piper might have understood the feeling in her chest, infinite coldness flowing through it. She closed her eyes

and remembered the last Christmas when Leo and his family were invited to dinner. She remembered everything sharply. But what stood out was

the look Leo gave her.

She was carrying a tray of food when she noticed him, his gaze as her eyes met his. She then understood how dough felt

when it was plunged into boiling oil. The heat inside her body was so real, she was afraid she would melt. Lowering her eyes, Piper walked

away. She sat down and chatted with her neighbor. Then Mama Hera sent her to the kitchen to get something. Leo "happened" to be around and

offered to help her with the trays. There hands touched, and Leo

confessed his love for her.

"Senorita Piper, I would like to take this

time to tell you that I'm in love with you. I know it's very sudden,

but could you tell me if you'll allow me to win your love?"

"I-I don't know what to say...I need time."

"I can't! I need your answer now. Don't think about love. I am a man who will give you my pledge. I swear to love you forever. Do you feel the same way?"

"Yes!" Piper exclaimed happily.

And now she had to forget about him. She still felt the terrible cold had to forget him. She took out sewing box and continued the bedspread she started

the day Leo spoke of crocheted using yarn and wept hard working till morning. Crocheted until her hands cramped, and cried until there

was no more tears left, and her eyes were aching to match the pain of her heart.

She couldn't free herself from the everlasting cold.