Chapter 3 [Historic Plaza, Los Angeles—Half an Hour Later]

The carriage caravan clopped along the cobblestoned way away from the stockyards. It took a left turn onto Olivera Street. The carriages passed a well-manicured park area. Ahead a Mexican street market could be seen.

Manolito leaned back in the carriage. Change stunned him to say the least. It was only six months ago that we were here. To these people, it has been sixty years! ¡Ay! ¡Ay! ¡Ay! He recalled riding across meadows and grass to get first to Rancho Henche and then to the tavern itself. "Don Carlos, where are the buildings here?"

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "The old market?" He pointed toward the park. "It was right there. Our neighbors moved to be closer to the jobs. The city razed the buildings. Then they make a park of it. Que hermoso. ¿Sí?"

"Yes it is." Ricardo noted Manolito's introspection. "Your namesake fought here."

"Of course!" Carlos motioned toward a granite monument just off to the right of the meadow's center. "Manolito of the Cinco Fantisimas. ¡Ah! ¡Qué grupo de heroes! Inclusio el propio Zorro cantó sus albanzas màs tarde."

"Really? So it did happen?" Interest perked across Maria's face.

"The battle happened allí." Carlos pointed toward the monument again. "The tavern is in its original location. Our family built the Plaza Church by 1822." He urged the driver to press on. After passing the church, the carriages stopped in front of the Tavern Victoria. "We are here!"

"So this is it?" John lifted the brim of his hat. "I expected something a little bigger."

"It was the village tavern, John," Victoria reminded him. "It would not have been much. I suspect it looked much the same."

"Maybe Bisabuela sweep this?" Felipe pointed to the patio.

Manolito blinked. As if in Dream, he saw that Victoria give one last demonstrative sweep of the coarse straw broom across the patio. Frustration and Irritation burned in her dark eyes. How she wished this one would take his work seriously….

"You could learn something from him, Señor." Victoria shrugged. "I have a tavern to open. Perdóname." She walked back into the tavern and closed the door.

I could learn something? Manolito scoffed at that. Oh si! If I was Zorro, I'd be so perfecto. ¡Ay! He pulled the bandana over his nose and mouth. He slipped into the alley and stooped down to wait for the action to begin….

"Sí, Felipe. I believe she would have." Manolito smirked at the patio. Then he looked to the sky. I am taking matters more seriously now. Our families' debt…it is a heavy one. No? He rubbed his stomach. "I am ready for a good meal. Vamanos." He led Mercedes through the door and looked around the dining area.

Much as he expected, the room remained largely as it had in Victoria's day. The wooden floorboards sagged a little with Age's burden. A half dozen tables sat in different locations around the dining area. A staircase wound its way to the second floor where a couple of rooms remained for rent. Behind the counter, a slender woman in an off white blouse and an apron wiped the area down. Flour streaked her face and dabbed her hair and ponytail.

"¡Buenos Dias! We would like to have some breakfast por favor." Manolito looked around the place one more time. "I am glad this place still stands. I very much wanted to see it for myself."

"We are the oldest tavern in Southern California. And…" The woman stared at them. "¡Madre de Dios! Don Miguel said…." She put her hands over her mouth. "Papa?"

"The resemblance…it is something. No?" Carlos patted Manolito on the shoulder.

"And her. She looks like Doña Mercedes from an old portrait! Perdóname. ¡Bienvenidos! Sientase por favor." She came out from behind the counter with a pad and a pencil. "Welcome to Tavern Victoria. It is not much but it is nice."

"A sturdy place doesn't have to be big to be nice. This tavern serves the neighborhood. Why would you need to change it?" John inspected some of the floor supports. He looked over at the counter trying to imagine Sam, Buck and Pedro standing there.

"A very inviting place I think, my Husband." Victoria smiled at their hostess. "Doña Angelina I presume?"

"The passersby refer to me as "Angie" in here. That's me. Bisabuela worked hard. I can work as well." Angelina took her pad out. "What would you like?"

Carlos restrained the scowl over Indifference's display in front of himself. He knew though that (yet another) lecture would go in one ear and out the other. "We can cook anything here. John?"

"I'd like steak and eggs. Scrambled." John ordered.

"Bueno." Angelina scribbled notes on her pad. "How would you like your steak done?"

"Medium." Victoria interjected. "I'd like huevos rancheros and maybe some fried potatoes with that?"

"Sí. I can do that. Felipe, can you bring coffee out for them por favor? Gracias." Angelina went back to her orders. "¿Señor?"

Carlos nodded to his son. He motioned toward the pot in question.

Ricardo rubbed his chin. "Can you make her chili? I'd like to try some. And I'll take some cornbread."

"I shall do the steak and eggs as well. I will have them scrambled," Maria instructed.

"Can I have a ham and cheese omelet with peppers and onions and some fried potatoes please?" Mercedes requested.

"I will do the omelet but with a smaller serving of chili por favor." Manolito saw Felipe set coffee cups down on the table in front of each person. I am glad Papa cannot see this. He would have something to say I am sure!

"I can serve a smaller bowl. Muy bien." Angelina hustled to the counter. She retrieved the warming blue pot. "I shall make uno mas pot. I give everyone a half for now." She rushed hack toward the counter.

Tension crackled about the room. Angelina kept her back turned to her siblings lest they see Irritation's glare across their face. Felipe bristled with having to do that job. Elena shook her head at him. Carlos and Ricardo could not believe Attitudes' appearance.

Mercedes cleared her throat. "Don Carlos, is there another worker? That is a large order for her."

"Mercedes, no." Ricardo cleared his throat.

Here it comes! This is going to be very interesting! Manolito stifled the smirk from his face.

"Papa, somos familia. Puedo ayudarla." Mercedes took her blazer and hat off. She rolled up her sleeves. "Me gusta cocinar y trabajar." She marched up to the counter. "Angelina!"

Angelina stuck her head out from the back room. "Mercedes! What can I do for you?"

"I need an apron. You should not do all of this by yourself." Mercedes met Ricardo's stare evenly. Disrespect was the last thing she wanted to show her father. Still her prima needed help.

Relief washed across Angelina's face. She handed Mercedes a second apron. "Be careful. I do not wish for spots on that blouse. Eh?"

Mercedes tied the apron on and marched into the back room. "I wish Penny was here."

"Penny?" Angelina flipped a steak.

"Penelope. John and Victoria's daughter-in-law and my niece. She is la maestra in the kitchen." Mercedes seasoned a second steak. "I know how Doña Maria likes her steak." She set it in a second frying pan. "Papa and I will quarrel tonight."

"Papa will yell too." Angelina rolled her eyes. "You are a guest. You should not have to work."

"You did not ask. I volunteered." Mercedes started to look over the kitchen area.

"Ladies?" Victoria stuck her head in the door. "I can get coffee ready and do refills if that would help you?"

Gratitude beamed through in Angelina's smile. "Por favor, Doña Victoria. Gracias." She sighed and tested the steak. "John's steak is done." She scrambled two eggs and put them into another pan. "I cannot believe it. This is fantastico!"

"Manolito and I work all day on our rancho. I like to cook." Mercedes scrambled more eggs and set them in the pan to cook. She flipped Maria's steak. "I'll do Manolito's and my omelets last. Papa's chili and cornbread will be simple enough." She set Maria's steak on a plate. A few minutes later, she did the same with the scrambled eggs. She scrambled up five more eggs. Then the knife cubed ham and diced green pepper, onions and jalapeños into the mix. That went into the pan and on the stove next. "Miguel and I are Bisabuela's niños tambien." "You wouldn't happen to have cilantro?"

"¡Por supuesto!" Angelina grabbed a fingerful of chopped green leaves.

"Gracias." Mercedes sprinkled the chopped spice over the eggs. "That cooks."

"You get those omelets. We will brown more potatoes. Then we finish with the chili. I will make the huevos rancheros for Doña Victoria." Angelina spooned out the eggs onto John's plate. "There!"

Victoria stood in the doorway. "I thought I smelled good cooking." Satisfaction and Admiration spread the smile across her face. "I will bring these to the table. Steak and eggs for John and Maria." She walked the orders out to the table.

"And Doña Victoria? ¡No lo creo!" Angelina shook her head. Amazement widened her eyes.

"Victoria does not sit and look pretty. She works all day. So does John. Huevos rancheros." Mercedes pointed to the waiting skillet.

"Si, Prima." Angelina smirked. She put three eggs in the pan and seasoned them. "Get a big batch of potatoes in that pan."

"They are cooking." Rag wiped Sweat from Mercedes' brow. She checked La Gran Tortilla. "Manolo will never know what hit him. We grow cilantro at our rancho."

Angelina plated the huevos. "I thought you all were in the desert?"

"We are in high desert. We have enough water to do that." Mercedes checked the potatoes. "Those potatoes are done." She portioned out two plates.

"I will get the chili and cornbread. Victoria and you should eat. Our fathers will be mad enough." Angelina bit her lip.

"If they say one word, they deal with me!" Victoria stood with her arms crossed across her chest. Impatience sparked in her eyes. "I dealt with Doña Lupe and my father. John knows my mind on this matter!" She took the plates. "Mercedes, let's eat. Angelina, please join us."

"Angelina, por favor!" Mercedes requested.

"All right…" Angelina saw that they wanted her at the table. "I'll take the rest of these potatoes." She put a piece of steak on for herself. "I'll be right there! Get me some coffee!"

"That is better." Approval prompted a smile across Victoria's face. "It will be waiting for you."

"Gracias." Hunger growled in Angelina's stomach. She winced.

"¡Pobrecita!" Victoria put her hand on Angelina's shoulder. "Did you eat?"

"I left the rancho before breakfast to open. Papa does not want me to stay here. I have no one to open. We do not make enough money to pay anyone. Everyone wants to go to the cafes downtown in El Centro allí. How did Bisabuela make it?" Angelina slapped at the counter.

"I do not know. You talk with your father. Make him understand." Victoria shook her head.

"I will try…again." Angelina shrugged. Defeat dragged her eyes down. "He hates that I slave here. What should I do? I am being honest! Me amo mi familia…" Tears streaked her face.

Victoria sucked in Anger's fire. "The first thing is you will stand tall. You will wipe your face. You are not alone any longer." She checked the steak and flipped it. "¡No has hecho nada malo!" She sprinkled some oregano on it. Then she flipped it again. "The steak is almost done. I will get the cornbread and chili." She marched out of the kitchen.

Wow! Angelina's jaw dropped for the second time. Lightning flashed. Thunder boomed. Gales howled.

Hurricane Victoria was just making landfall at that….