WARNING: This chapter is emotionally intense and implies rape.
We turn back the clock to the turn of the 20th century. To the time in which men wore suspenders and women wore long dresses. Where people ride on horses or drove horse carriages. Where people work hard to survive, but still find time to dream. One of these Mexicans of the past, was Imelda Alana Angelica Rodriguez Morales.
Imelda was a bright and lovely young woman, who lived with her father, mother, and brothers, in a nice house. She didn't always live in Santa Cecilia, she was born and raised in a village, Pátzcuaro. As a child, Imelda was a typical tomboy-loved climbing trees, riding horses, and playing in the mud. But she did enjoy typical feminine activities like playing with dolls and giving her girlfriends braids.
One early evening, Imelda decided to go to a live concert at the plaza.
"Adiós Mamá y Papá! I'm going dancing!"
"Adiós Imelda!" her mother, Martha called.
"Don't stay out too late!" her father, Francisco Javier, warned her. "It's not safe for a woman to be out on her own!"
"Cálmese Papa," Imelda assured him. "I am going with my amigas, Alana, Abril and Amalia. They'll keep me safe." After kissing her parents and her brothers goodbye, she left the house.
Despite their daughter's assurance, Francisco Javier looked worried.
"Even with a group of amigos, she shouldn't be out-What if something happens to her?"
"She'll be fine," Martha answered. "As long as she's with her friends."
"Todos bailen!" a musician announced, before jamming on his guitar.
The plaza at Pátzcuaro was such a lively place. There was a live Mariachi band that played popular favorites. The men clapped their hands and tapped their heels and the women swished their skirts round and round! Imelda never missed a chance to twirl around to every song.
After dancing for two hours, Alana, Abril, and Amalia decided they had enough.
"Come on, chicas!" Imelda smiled, as she kept twirling. "Todas bailen!"
"I have to go home now, Imelda," said Abril. "I have to work at Señora Montoya's seamstress shop tomorrow!"
"I am tired!" Alana yawned.
"Yo también!" Amalia piped up.
"Well, I am going to stay here!" Imelda added.
"Imelda, we want to go home," Abril said, firmly. "And you should, too."
"You girls go home, if you want to," Imelda resounded. "I'll stay here for one more dance!"
The women bade Imelda goodbye and went their way.
"Just one more dance and then I'll go home!" Imelda promised herself. But then one dance turned into two dances, then three dances. At 10:45pm, Imelda finally danced her last.
"Oye, I am exhausted!"
The young lady began to head home, when she felt someone approaching her from behind. Swiftly, she turned her head and punched the intruder in the chest.
"Oh I am terribly sorry, señorita," the man said in such a very soft voice. He was a huge muscled man with a big chin and a thin mustache. He rubbed the pain on his chest. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"Well, you certainly did!" Imelda said, her hand over her pounding heart. "What do you want?"
"Oh nada, nada!" the man answered, smoothly. "I was wondering what a young lady like you was doing here, all by yourself."
"I came to dance at the plaza, like everybody else! Why are you here?"
"What a coincidence!" the man said very smoothly. "That's also why I'm here! In fact, I am also one of the mariachi singers that played tonight! Did you see me?"
Imelda raised an eyebrow. "I am afraid not."
"Que?" the man asked. "How could you not see me? Everybody did! All the women swooned over me!"
"I was having so much with dancing that I became lost in myself!" Imelda defended herself. "Besides, the crowd was so big and loud that it was hard to see you, specifically."
"Oh nothing to be sorry about," the man purred. He was carrying a guitar behind his back. The bulky man pulled the instrument out and strummed it. "Why don't I play a little tune and then you will get to see and hear me?"
"All right," Imelda nodded, hesitantly.
"This is a song that I wrote by myself," the man winked, as he strummed again.
" You know that feeling? Like there's a song in the air, and it's playing just for you?
A feeling so close, you can reach out and touch it
I never knew I could want something so much but it's true ...,"
Imelda felt herself swooning at this man's charming performance. But it wasn't his voice that captivated her. It was the song. It sounded so poetic, so romantic!
When the man finished, Imelda clapped for him.
"You sang very well! And the song was so beautiful!"
"Gracias, señorita." The man put his guitar behind his back. "Why don't we come to my house and have a drink?"
"Yo no se," Imelda said. "I promised my family, I'd be back home."
"Oh, it won't take long," the hombre promised her. "You must be thirsty from all that dancing! A drink will refresh you."
Thinking how thirsty she was from partying, Imelda figured a drink wouldn't hurt. She walked with the man.
"Oh forgive me," Imelda chuckled nervously as she walked beside him. "I haven't told you my name. Me llamo Imelda Rodriguez. Cómo te llamas?"
"Ernesto de la Cruz."
They entered into his house. It was small and brown. Imelda was surprised at how dirty the place looked. Bed was unmade, and there was newspaper flying on the floor. Ernesto told her to sit down at the table while he prepared two drinks.
The woman had a feeling that something was wrong but she ignored it. The house looked friendly and Ernesto seemed nice, what was there to be alarmed?
"I hope you like Tequila," Ernesto smiled, as he sat down. He handed her her drink.
"I do!" said Imelda. "I'm the only girl in my family that likes it!"
"Let's make a toast to our new friendship! I'd do anything for you, even if the sky came crashing down!"
"But we only just met!"
"Consider this as the beginning of our beautiful friendship! Salud!" They clinked their drinks.
Imelda drank her glass with her eyes closed. She was savoring the taste of tequila so much that she had failed to notice Ernesto's cold eyes and a smirk.
The young lady began to giggle uncontrollably.
"I'm feeling wooooooozyyyy...," she slurred. She picked up her empty glass. "What was in that drink?"
"Uh, nada!" Ernesto lied. He quickly threw a small can of pills out the window, and regain his composure.
Imelda wobbled over to the window. "Are there pink elephants flying out there?"
Ernesto's eyes laid on her legs and they traveled to her rear. "Hmmm, nice." The muscular man, licked his lips. "You must not be feeling well." He grabbed her shoulders a bit too hard. "Why don't we just lie down on the bed?"
He seized the uncontrollable giggling woman and threw her on the bed.
"Weee, that was fun!" Imelda laughed loudly. If the young woman wasn't feeling dizzy, she would have gotten up.
Ernesto jumped on her, very roughly.
Next, the man greedily, ripped her dress apart and pulled her underwear down. The selfish musician had no concern about the poor woman's honor or her purity. With a very wicked grin, he began to have his way with her...
"Dios Míos!" Luisa gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. "Was she...?" She trailed off, not wanting to say "rape" in front of the children.
"Yes," Mamá Coco nodded, solemnly.
"This is scary!" Miguel whimpered, clinging to his Mamá's hand.
"Sadly, this kind of vulgarity happens a lot, Miguelito," Abuelita sighed, wearily. "It was seen as 'normal' back in those days."
"What happened next?" Tia Gloria asked, trembling. She was curious but at the same time too scared to find out.
"The next day, Mamá woke up and ran away home, hoping to forget about it," Mamá Coco answered. "When Abuelita, Abuelito, and Tíos Oscar and Felipe asked her where she had been, she wouldn't talk. She felt ashamed of what happened."
"How did she get stuck with Ernesto de la Cruz?" Abel asked.
"Oh she discovered something terrible: She was with child."
Everybody's heart sank, knowing what they meant by that.
"She was not feeling well and when her parents took her to the doctor, that was when they found out...,"
"You're pregnant!?" Francisco Javier shouted. "You opened your legs for some man!?"
"Imeldita, how could this happen?" Martha gasped.
"Lo siento!" Imelda apologized, her voice trembling. "I didn't mean for this to happen!"
"Well, guess what, idiota!" her father yelled. "It f &?! happened!"
"Francisco Javier!" Martha scolded. "Watch your language!"
"I will not allow a dishonorable woman in my household!"
"Well, I will not allow you to treat our daughter so harshly!" Martha turned to her only girl. "Quien es el padre?
"Ernesto de la Cruz."
"You'll have to marry him."
"QUE!?"
"It's the only way to save your honor!"
"But Mamá, I don't love him!" Imelda protested. "He took advantage of me!"
"SILENCIO IMELDA!" Her father shouted. "Think of the family reputation! Do you think I want the town to look down on us? No I don't!"
"But Papa!"
"End of discussion Imelda! You will marry Ernesto whether you like it or not! This is about saving your honor!"
"So she had to marry Ernesto?" Miguel asked, shocked and disgusted. He couldn't imagine Imelda marrying anyone that is not Hector.
"I am afraid so, Miguel," Abuelita answered. "She had no choice. It was a very small and quiet ceremony at the church. No witness was there except her family."
"Who was Imelda pregnant with?" Franco asked. He knew that it couldn't be Coco or any of her siblings.
"No one," Mamá Coco answered, sadly. "Mamá lost her baby."
Sadness flashed through the whole family.
"After the wedding happened, Mamá had hoped that the baby would bring her relief. But some months later, she felt it not moving. That is when she knew something was wrong...,"
A mid-wife took a baby out of Imelda's womb. Imelda was exhausted and tired from all that pushing. She expected to hear the baby cry, but only heard silence. "Que pasa? Why is the baby not crying?"
"Dónde está mi hijo?" Ernesto's booming voice rang, as he walked into the room. "I can't wait to call him Ernesto Jr!"
"Señor de la Cruz?" the mid wife said loudly. She had to speak up to get his attention. "I am afraid the baby didn't make it," She showed him the baby who was not breathing at all.
When Ernesto saw that the baby was stillborn, his smile faded. Then he clenched his fists and his face tightened.
"You, stupid, stupid, stupid WOMAAAAN!" He snarled at Imelda. "Ooh, I could just kill you!"
"Ernesto-,"
"SHUT UUUUUUP!" He screamed. "THIS IS ALL YOUR DAMN FAULT! WHY DID YOU LOSE THE FREAKING BABY, YOU STUPID PUTA! I ONLY MARRIED YOU TO SAVE FACE! NOW MY REASON FOR MARRYING NO LONGER EXISTED! NOW I FEEL TRAPPED IN THIS STUPID MARRIAGE! F &!£ YOU, YOU WHORE!"
Then he stormed out of the room and slammed the door. It was so loud that the women winced.
Imelda turned her head and began to cry. Her crying turned into sobbing. She sobbed so hard that tears splashed onto her pillow. Why was she being punished? What did she do to deserve this horrible fate? The woman refused to be comforted by the midwife because her baby was no more. Also, there was no one out there that loved her. No one. Not one person.
Author's notes: Next chapter will be a happy one!