When they arrived at Dzonot, everyone was happy to greet them. All the workers and their families came out, clapped, cheered, and waved at them. Everyone waved back.
"They look so happy to see you."said Aida.
"They always are."
"All of these people work for you?"
"Yes. All of them. For me and my family."
"I don't think you see this many people even at the marketplace in Agrabah."said Aladdin.
"Well, this isn't even the half of it. There are several who aren't even aware we've arrived yet."
"Don't tell me I have to meet them all?"
"Not if you don't want to. Just the house staff."
When they reached the front steps of the house, Aurelio walked up, his hat in his hand, and opened the door to the carriage for Francisco. Francisco walked out, and helped Aida out.
"Welcome back, patron. Welcome, Señora."he said.
"Uh, thanks, I guess."
"You already know Aurelio, of course. He was in Agrabah with me for some time."
"Yes, I remember him. Not very well, but I remember."
"Well, you'll get to know him a little better. He's my capataz. I run the whole hacienda, of course, as my father, well, he can't for certain reasons, but let's not go into that."
"How have things been around here, Aurelio?"
"They have been very well."
"Nothing new? Nothing I should know about?"
"No."
"Very well."
"It's a nice place."said Jasmine.
"Not as nice as the Palace, but I guess it'll do. It's better than some. I'll give you a tour of the whole place."said Francisco.
"I'd like that."
"But I guess that'll have to wait until tomorrow."said Aladdin. "At least for me. I'm kind of tired."
"My thoughts exactly."
"Is this house very old?"asked Jasmine's father.
"Yes, quite old. My family has lived here for countless generations."
"My, my."
The house was not as big as the Palace, but Aida though it was much nicer in the fact that there wasn't so much empty, negative space. There were also more portraits on the walls.
"All of them are my ancestors."said Francisco.
"And do you know all their names, just from the paintings?"
"Yes. This one here, is one of my great-grandmothers.
"She looks rather like you. Or rather you look like her."
"No one has ever said that. They say that her son, my grandfather looks like her. That he has her eyes."
"Well, I wouldn't know. I've never seen your grandfather."
Aida noticed that dinner was also different than in the Palace. While they ate from a communal dish there, here, everyone ate from separate dishes, and sometimes, instead of using the utensil, they would use what Francisco told her were called tortillas. But Aida was used to watching people eat in different manners. After all, she'd seen the people in the Orient using chopsticks, and some people using just their hands. She tried using the tortillas, and had to admit that the food did seem better that way. Everyone especially liked the drinks.
"Aguas frescas, we call them."Francisco told them. "My favorite varies from times to time. Sometimes it's horchata, sometimes jamaica, sometimes sandia, you get the idea."
"How do you prepare them?"asked Jasmine.
"I'm not sure. I guess that depends on the flavor. Sandia, well, that's from a fruit, jamaica, that's brewed, I think, from the flower petals, and the horchata, I don't know, I think that's from rice and cinnamon."
"You'll have to give us the recipes, so we can drink them in Agrabah. They're very tasty. I've never drank anything like them before. They're even better than any wines I've tasted."
"No problem. I may not have the recipes, but in the kitchen they do. And this is nothing. You've only tasted a couple of flavors."said Esther.
"We're only on the verge of discovery."
"I guess you could call it that."
After dinner, baskets of pastries were placed on the table, and fruit, along with pots of hot chocolate. Aida's father, thinking it was coffee was surprised when he tasted it.
"Not coffee, but chocolate. Hot chocolate. However, if you'd prefer coffee, it's in the other pot."
"Oh! Oh, no, my boy, this is actually much better."he said. "Mmm."
"Yeah, it is."agreed Aladdin. "And what exactly is the difference between all the pastries?"
"Oh, well, let's see. That can be a little difficult. Let's see, the ones with the different colored patterns on top, those are conchas, the brown ones are chocolate, the pink ones strawberry, and I'm not sure how to classify the white and yellow ones. These,"he picked up a half circle, and opened it, revealing the filling. "are empanadas. They are filled with different things. Some have pineapple, others calabaza, apple, strawberry, or peaches. These, the ones shaped like croissants, well, I've always called them cuernitos de dulce, and they're like, well, basically, just that. I can't explain them too well, but they're one of my favorites."
"They all are your favorites, Francisco."said Josefina.
"She's right. Well, you'll see when you try them. They're very good. They're fresh baked."
"You're right."said Aladdin. "I've never tasted bread like this before."
"Have you ever come across such pastries in your travels, Aida?"asked Jasmine.
"No, but I've tasted others. None match these, though."
"My, my, we certainly must take the recipe back. I think I should like to enjoy these when we get back."said Jasmine's father.
"And everyone enjoys these?"asked Cassim. "Or just the ones who can afford them?"
"Everyone."said Francisco. "Anyone who can bake. I've never been to a single place in Mexico, where people don't offer you pan dulce when you are a guest in their house."
"Then we should be guests more often."said Aladdin.
"Most definitely."agreed Jasmine.
The next day Francisco took everyone on a tour of the house, and gardens.
"It's so…mysterious."said Aida.
"Mysterious? Why?"
"I don't know. It gives off an air of…mystery. Like it hides secrets."
"Well, a lot of people have lived here. And, I don't mean to scare anyone, but some have even died here."
"If only the whole place were…if it gave off a purple light, a purple glow, like…well, like I was saying, like a mystery."
"Purple. You like the color purple?"
"She likes all shades of purple."said Jasmine.
"Why not? The whole house should be purple."
"All of it?"
"Yes. Just like you said."
"Really? I've always wanted the Palace to be that color, but, you know, it just…wasn't done. And my aunt always thought that rooms should be a neutral color."
"Oh, well, then this is your chance. Nana!"he called to Clara, who had been taking Rosa Izela and Ma.Fernanda on a walk around the garden.
"Yes?"
"I want everything ready for a paint job as soon as possible. We're going to redecorate."
"Redecorate?"
"Yes. I want all the walls painted in the color purple. Any shade of purple you can think of. Lilac, lavender, violet, amethyst, any shade you can think of."
"Purples and golds and silvers!"said Aida excitedly.
"There you go. All the colors Aida tells you to."
"Every room?"
"Every room."said Aida. "The outside, too."
"There. Go to Barranquillas, and see if you can't get all the people necessary to finish as soon as possible. The gardens, too. More fountains, lots more, and more flowers."
"Purple and gold flowers."
"Yes, would you see to it right away, Nana."
"Yes, right away."
"You'll finally get to see your home the way you like it."said Jasmine.
Genie immediately turned into a foreman, and turned Carpet, Abu and Iago into workers.
"As soon as possible."he said. "Well, now, we'll start from the outside, or no, the inside. Hmm. Well, either way, now, these walls,"he pointed to Carpet. "You, the ceiling, the high places."he pointed to Iago. "You, the low places. And, monkey boy,"he pointed to Abu. "the flowers. You take care of all the gardening."
"Oh, Genie, we'll have plenty of people working."said Francisco.
"And I haven't seen Tormenta since we got here, by the way."Aida added, turning to Francisco.
"The stables are this way."he said, leading them towards the stables.
Genie refused to let Ali go with them, since there were a lot of animals, and anyway, Genie insisted he needed his nap.
"Well, he's got a point, there. A lot of animals."
"There sure are a lot. But why do you keep so many?"asked Jasmine's father.
"Well, in part, because we like them. At least, I do, and in another part, because it's an hacienda, a ranch, and finally, because they're here to work, to produce, or to be sold, or, well, basically help keep the hacienda going."
"I think it's grand."said Aida, looking around her. "I'm really going to love it here. I've always loved animals. I've never had many pets, just because maybe a cat, or two, because my aunt hated animals. I'm really going to like it here."
