Chapter 4 : Mendoza the wise
After Mass and before they went back home for lunch, the de la Vegas had a drink at the tavern with Sergeant Mendoza.
"Congratulations Sergeant," Don Alejandro said, "the children looked very happy, that's a fine idea you had yesterday. Diego told me that their eyes were shining with joy and wonder when they watched us through the window before going to bed."
Felipe nodded approvingly.
"I'm glad it worked," Mendoza said, "it had exactly the effect I expected, then. I wanted the orphans to feel cared for. Although of course it is obvious that Sister Maria de la Cruz cares for them greatly, and Sister Lucia would give a limb for them. And the padre is such a nice father figure, too..."
The sergeant's childish smile turned so sweet that Victoria melted when she brought them their drinks.
"Oh sergeant, I know I am sometimes a bit harsh to you and your soldiers, but I hope you know I am your friend, although we don't agree on everything..."
"On Zorro, for instance?"
The look in Victoria's eyes turned a bit moony while a scowl marred Mendoza's formerly happy look.
"Zorro..." he dejectedly spat. "Now he has turned into the children's new role model..." he grumbled. "In the past, kids used to dream of becoming soldiers, with a nice uniform and all, and now... in the span of a few months he turned us into the children's laughing stock. And believe me, it is a terrible thing to lose a child's respect!"
Diego didn't dare look at Felipe's face and stared at the moth-eaten wood of the table, not very proud of his creature for the first time ever. He had never thought how he could have hurt the soldiers' feelings as human beings. He would have needed Victoria here, to advocate or her new hero, but she had come back behind her bar. For a split second Diego had forgotten that his father too was one of the new outlaw's fervent admirers:
"Sergeant," Don Alejandro said, "you cannot really blame the children's change of heart on Zorro... Don't you think the alcalde has his share of responsibility in this?"
"Indeed," Diego agreed. "Zorro didn't start this, Sergeant: he is just the symptom and not the cause. Zorro wouldn't even exist if the alcalde had behaved fairly and wisely."
"It seems you are finally beginning to approve of Zorro, Don Diego?" Victoria said as she passed by them with an empty tray. "That is something new."
"I still find very regrettable his resorting to violence, Señorita. I wish there would be no need for it."
"You are still living in your dreams Don Diego..." she replied while Don Alejandro sighed heavily. "Welcome back to America: we are living very far away from the refined, civilised and urbane society you got used to when you were in Madrid. You're now living in the far west: here, might makes right, it is unfortunately the law of the strongest."
"But I don't have to necessary like it," he told her.
"Of course you don't, none of us has to. But our mere dislike of it won't change anything."
"She is right, Diego," his father said. "Only Zorro's sword has been able to change something lately."
"Well," Mendoza bitterly retorted, "I wish he would save the use of his sword for the alcalde only, then, because the more trouble he brings on us, the more soldiers resent him."
To Diego's relief, the conversation took another direction when Mendoza got up and added:
"Well Señores, gracias for the drink but I must now go to the mission again. I'd like to have a word with Julio and with Filomena before lunch. They are probably punished but I hope the nuns will let me see them."
"Punished?" Victoria repeated. "Oh, I can't help but feel responsible: they quarrelled because of the present I made."
"This is not your fault my dear," Don Alejandro said. "It was in fact a nice idea of a gift."
"Too good an idea, even," Diego told her with a wink. "Considering how envious Filomena was of it."
"Still, I feel bad that they are punished because of it: they are only children, and orphaned ones at that!"
"It must never be an excuse for bad behaviours, Señorita," Mendoza objected. "And I know what I am talking about: I have seen more than one bully in my orphanage when I was their age, and being without a family is no reason to ill-treat anyone, or to get away with every misconduct! Quite the contrary, in fact: we know there will be no forgiveness for them once they are all grown-up, and no family to back them up in case they get into trouble, so our role is to help them nicely grow up into good, honest and hard-working young men and women..."
"Wow Mendoza, I wouldn't have said it any better..." Don Alejandro admiringly approved. "You are in fact a very wise man."
"Indeed," Victoria softly added. "The padres did a nice job with you, they can be proud."
And just like that, she stood on tiptoes and unexpectedly dropped a quick kiss on the Sergeant's cheek.
Diego felt more than a bit jealous and for a split second he dreamed that he had been at the receiving end of this gentle kiss. He came back to reality when Felipe kicked his shin under the table. Ow!
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"Hey, it hurt!" he discretely complained to his young friend when they crossed the plaza to their horses, a good thirty feet behind Don Alejandro.
Felipe mischievously signed something and Diego humphed.
"I was not drooling."
But Felipe nodded insistently, visibly amused.
"No, I was simply surprised by Victoria's behaviour, just like Father was."
Felipe retorted that Don Alejandro's surprise turned into a chuckle while Diego had simply gawked like an idiot with a rather stupid smile on his lips.
"Oh, stop it! Now let's go home and have lunch," he grumbled, "I'm hungry."
Felipe looked surprised and asked him if he didn't want to stop by at the mission before that.
"The mission? We were there earlier before Mass, have you already forgotten?"
But Felipe rolled his eyes. He thought Diego would like to have a few words with both Julio and Filomena before coming back home.
"Why then?"
Well, it was obvious to Felipe: because these two quarrelled and fought about Zorro of course!
"So what? I didn't make them quarrel, I'm not even the one who had the idea of turning Zorro's outfit into a child's toy!"
But Felipe frowned. Diego started Zorro, and even though he couldn't have thought about this kind of outcome it was now more or less his responsibility to see that Zorro was put only to good use rather than be the ground of quarrels between kids who admire him...
"Responsibility?" Diego murmured. "I didn't tell this girl to jump at this boy's throat and bite him, nor did I tell him to hit her – and me, for that matter! Look, I've got a bruise on my jaw where his wooden stick hit me..."
But Felipe simply folded his arms and looked at him sternly. Responsibility, yes. Not shirking it.
Diego sighed.
"You have really grown too wise, you know. All right, I'm going there. I'll see you and father at home, tell him I forgot something at the mission."
And before they reached their horses he added with a chuckle:
"Isn't it a weird reversal of the roles? I feel like I am the mischievous and carefree teenager while you are the annoyingly responsible grown-up who reminds me to behave..."
Felipe rolled his eyes but chuckled too.
"In fact, it seems you have spent too much time with my father, he has rubbed off on you: 'Responsibility, Diego! It is time you take responsibility'. I swear, you're sounding just like him!" he paused and smiled.
Sounding? Felipe winked.
"Well, you know what I mean..." Diego said rolling his eyes, "just a manner of speaking, if I dare say so. But on a more serious note, he can be very proud of the result: you grew up very nicely, my young friend!"
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"When I was little," Julio was telling Mendoza, "I asked the Three Kings to bring me a Papá and a Mamá, and a real home like other children. But now I am a big boy, I know they can't give us that and I tell the younger children here so. So a Zorro costume is good too. I would like to be Zorro later, when he is too old for that."
Diego heard the child's words when he walked down the corridor to the boy's small dormitory and suppressed a chuckle. He reached the room and found Mendoza sitting in front of the boy, each on a straw mattress on the floor. He knocked on the already open door.
"May I come in, or do I intrude...?"
"That's alright Don Diego," Mendoza answered, "come in and share a bit of chat with my young friend Julio here and myself... I am sure you can make us benefit of your experience of having such a wise father as Don Alejandro..."
Diego felt a bit out of place here, considering the fact that the two other persons there had the experience of being raised in an orphanage without parents, while he was raised by his father, in wealth...
But now that he had asked for their permission and was just granted it, he couldn't run away... He sat down and tried to find something to tell the boy, thinking about what Mendoza just said.
"Indeed I have been very lucky, you are right..." he began. "My father is the kindest person I know, although he is often a bit too strict..."
Julio watched him strangely.
"Does he still punish you sometimes, Don Diego?"
He seemed to find really strange that a fully grown man could still be disciplined or punished like a mischievous boy.
"No, but he still scolds me," Diego replied with a sincere sigh.
"I didn't know grown-ups still did silly things... Do you really, Don Diego?"
Diego had a sad smile.
"Yes and no... Let's say that I am generally not up to his expectations."
Julio thought about this explanation for a minute before he stated:
"Still, it must be good to have a Papá, I think."
Diego looked at Mendoza who was gently smiling his silent agreement, and he too smiled.
"You are right Julio, it is good to have him, even when he scolds me..."
He looked at the child and tilted his head.
"Julio... do you envy me for that?" he asked. "For having a father?"
Julio shook his head.
"Are you sure?" Diego insisted. "That would be understandable, you know..."
The boy confirmed, not looking him in his eyes though.
Fortunately, Mendoza got Diego's train of thought and guessed his point, so he told Julio:
"Really? That would be normal after all... I, for instance, feel a bit envious of Don Diego... He had a family... he doesn't lack money... and he doesn't have to answer to the alcalde on a daily basis! It doesn't mean I don't like him, Julio, but it is only human..."
Julio seemed to hesitate.
"Uh... well, perhaps... Maybe I envy him a bit for having a Papá..." He finally reluctantly admitted.
"...because I have something you don't have..." Diego suggested.
Julio nodded.
"Then perhaps now you can understand that Filomena felt envious too when you got this outfit and she didn't..."
"Hmmmm... P'haps..." he begrudgingly conceded. "Yeah..." he finally admitted.
Diego and Mendoza silently shared a look and a smile.
"Good," the sergeant said. "Then, will you lend your gift to Filomena this afternoon?"
Julio shook his head.
"No," he answered, "we are both grounded, separately, for the rest of the day..."
"Tomorrow, then?"
He shrugged.
"Perhaps. If she kindly asks me to."
"I am sure Zorro will be happy with you sharing your things with the other children," Diego told him.
Julio nodded slowly, visibly deep in thought.
"Don Diego... Sergeant..." he finally said, "don't you think it would be nice to have Zorro for a father?"
Mendoza didn't seem too keen on the idea, and Diego almost choke on his own saliva. He suddenly felt... both extremely flattered and more than a bit afraid. He was absolutely not expecting that.
"I'm not sure," Mendoza diplomatically said.
"I... uh... am perfectly happy with the father I already have," Diego mumbled, "and I wouldn't exchange him for any other."
"Of course, but I don't have any already," Julio logically said, "so I'd like him to be my Papá: he'd teach me how to fence, and everyone would be afraid of him so they would never do anything against me."
Just at this moment, right on time to dispense Diego from having to find a suitable response, young Flavio entered with a plate of stew, a piece of bread and a glass of water.
"Here, Julio, Sister Maricruz asked me to bring you lunch."
And he put it down beside Julio.
"Gracias Flavio."
"De nada. Er... Julio?"
"Yes?"
"Can I try your Zorro's outfit once you're not grounded anymore? I'll lend you the bow and arrows I just received. I'd like to play being Zorro too."
"Being Zorro? But you can't, you're Indian!"
"So what?" Flavio asked, not getting the point.
"Indeed Julio," Mendoza asked, "so what?"
Diego sighed. Zorro would have to pay the boy a visit tonight, perhaps he'd listen to him better than he was listening to them...
"We are going to leave you to your meal, Julio," he told the boy.
"Yes," the sergeant agreed, "I have to go to Filomena now. But use the rest of your day here to think about what happened this morning, and about the short talk we just had... Don Diego, would you come with me?"
"Yes, I was going to ask just that. Flavio, can you show us the way to the girls' bedroom?"
But Flavio shook his head:
"I don't have the right to go there, Señores."
"Of course, but you certainly know where it is... You could just show us which door it is, right?"
Flavio thought hard for at least five seconds.
"Yes, I think so."
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"So, tell me Filomena, do you think it was the right thing to do to attack Julio like you did?"
"No, of course not," the girl sheepishly admitted.
"Good," Mendoza said. "And why...?" he prompted her, wanting her to say herself that violence was not a good way to solve quarrels and to react to frustration.
"Because I am a girl," Filomena unexpectedly answered. "Girls are not supposed to fight."
"No one is supposed to fight!" Diego retorted, both sincere and playing his part as the violence-hating peaceful Don Diego de la Vega.
"Zorro fights," the child replied with stars in her eyes. "I'd like to be like him when I am a grown-up."
Again, Diego was speechless. First out of surprise, and then because he couldn't find anything to oppose to the girl's logic.
Mendoza, as for him, wasn't too pleased and was beginning to be fed up at the children's obvious worship of his adversary.
"Zorro, Zorro..." he grumbled, "It's all about him, now. Can't you kids think about anything else? What happened to wanting to be a soldier and wear a nice uniform, for instance?"
"Zorro doesn't help the meanies," she retorted.
"But we have to obey the alcalde," the sergeant almost pleaded, "we are bound to it!"
"Good reason for not wanting to be a soldier, then," Filomena replied with her childish indisputable logic. "Zorro doesn't have to obey anyone," she emphatically stated with a dreamy smile. "And he has the most beautiful horse I have ever seen. And a sword, and no one can ever catch him!"
"I am sure he has to obey someone," Diego said.
"Do you think he has a boss?" Mendoza asked, suddenly interested. "A partner in crime?"
Diego hastily shook his head, not wanting anyone to be suspected and arrested because of him. And what if they discovered that Felipe was in league with Zorro? He blanched a bit and tried to change the subject.
"No, but I meant that Zorro certainly has to obey his own conscience. It can be a demanding master to any man, you know."
Mendoza looked sceptical.
"To most people, perhaps. But Zorro's conscience doesn't stop him from hitting me or my men, or from robbing the alcalde's office."
"He is not a thief!" Filomena vibrantly defended her new role model, "the padre explained us he simply takes back what the alcalde has unjustly taken from other people. And he doesn't keep it for himself, he gives it back to those it was initially taken from!"
Diego beamed inwardly, glad that the child stood up for him. It helped him feel less guilty after what the sergeant said.
"Humph, next thing she is going to tell us that she too would like to have Zorro for her father..." Mendoza grumbled with a sigh.
The girl looked at him surprised, with her eyebrows raised high up to the middle of her forehead.
"No, what a weird idea! Certainly not!"
Wow, that was a cry from the heart, to say the least. Diego felt a bit hurt by the child's rather vehement statement but he hid it well and asked:
"Really? Why then?"
"Well, I wouldn't want him to leave me at night to go put himself at risk. I'd rather have parents who stay home after their day's work and take care of me. It must be nice to have someone tuck you in every night, and tell you a bedtime story or give you a cuddle and a goodnight kiss. Here at the mission the nuns and the padre are very nice, but they are also very busy and we are too many: they can't tuck each of us in or give us a cuddle every night..."
Diego remembered his own childhood, and the nice time he had with his parents.
"So no," Filomena went on, "I wouldn't like to have a Papá like Zorro. And I would be far too afraid for him, for his safety, every time he fights or even every time I go to bed. I don't envy his family, they must be dead scared for him..."
Mendoza looked at her pensively.
"You are a very wise young girl," he told her.
Diego mused on what Filomena just said, and he couldn't help but agree: he was glad that he didn't tell his father about Zorro, otherwise Don Alejandro would worry himself sick each time Diego donned the mask.
Unfortunately it also confirmed his suspicion that he wouldn't be able to start a family until he is done with fighting the alcalde's misdeeds and abuses, so in other words as long as he had to keep Zorro alive. At first it didn't seem really important, because he thought it would just take only one or two months before they can rejoice that justice and sweet life have been restored, before he can tell his father and everyone else that he had been this Zorro everyone had been wondering about. But now, Diego was beginning to think that it would take much more time than initially expected... Probably more than one year, perhaps even two...? Damn, if he had known... And meanwhile, everyone in Los Angeles was convinced that Diego de la Vega was a nice but inept, clumsy, fearful, fainthearted and carefree young and rich idler...
He sighed.
"I know it was wrong to attack Julio, Sergeant," Filomena told Mendoza. "And... I regret I did so." She paused, visibly apprehensive and worried. "Have you come to send me to jail, Señor Mendoza?"
What? Oh, children, really...
"No Filomena, no. And in a way you are already more or less a prisoner right now, aren't you? Julio told me that you were both grounded for the rest of the day."
She silently confirmed.
"I won't bring you to jail," the sergeant went on. "But just know that it is indeed a bad thing to do, attacking and hitting someone who wasn't physically harming you... It can sometime be a reason to be arrested and put in jail for a few days or weeks – but only for grown-ups!" he hastily explained when he saw the fearful look on her face.
"That is why it is important that those who raise children know how to explain this to you," Diego said, "and this is also why they sometimes have to punish you, to make you realise what is wrong, what you won't be allowed to do later either... It does not mean that they don't love you. Comprendes?" he gently asked.
Filomena nodded, and Diego and Mendoza exchanged a relieved look.
"And believe me, although the padre and the nuns are not your parents of course, they love you very much. I know that," Mendoza added.
Diego inwardly thought that one day, Jaime Mendoza would certainly make a wonderful father... if only Zorro stopped ridiculing him in the eyes of all of Los Angeles, and more precisely of the marriageable women around! He swore to himself that from now on, he would go less heavy on the sergeant who really deserved better.
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"You are very good to children, Sergeant," Diego said when they got out of the mission and were walking toward the plaza.
"Gracias Don Diego. I just know what orphans like them can feel, so it helps. I remember being that age you know, and what sometimes crosses their minds can be rather strange!"
"Oh yes, I remember when Felipe was still a little boy, just before I left. He still had trouble expressing his thoughts through signs, but sometimes we were the ones left speechless by the weird ideas he could have about rather mundane things..."
"I know what you mean, Don Diego. One day, it was roughly two years ago I'd say, he told me and Señorita Escalante that once you got home from Madrid you'd teach him how to fence like a master and you'd train him! You! Can you imagine that?"
Mendoza laughed heartily and Diego swallowed back his hurt.
"Indeed," he confirmed. "Children sometimes really have their own weird train of thought..." he half-heartedly agreed.
"Oh look, Don Diego!" Mendoza said, pointing a finger at the plaza. "The mailcoach has arrived! I'm going to check whether there is any mail for the alcalde... or with some luck, a letter saying he is dismissed from his position and replaced by a more normal alcalde..." he added with a wink.
Diego laughed, but then Mendoza feared he has just talked far too freely.
"I promise I won't repeat a word of what you just said, Sergeant," he told him as they reached the coach, joining there Victoria who was already reading her own mail and holding a small parcel in her other hand.
"Oh, there is this parcel for you Don Diego," she told him, handing him the rectangular brown thing in her hand. "I didn't know you were still in the pueblo, I was going to keep it at the tavern until your next visit."
"Gracias Victoria," he thanked her, taking the parcel and looking happily at it.
His present for Felipe had finally arrived! Right on time! Well, almost right on time. Everything was finally perfect!
And on another note, he had recently discovered a new side of Sergeant Mendoza: the man was a kind and generous person, with a big heart and an excellent contact with children. He got on well with them and understood them rather well, but in a way it was logical: part of him had remained a child, so to speak!
But more importantly, Diego rejoiced that he too had received a valuable gift on this Day of the Kings: he had made a new friend in the person of Jaime Mendoza!
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The sergeant was beaming: not only did the children have a nice Twelfth Night and a pleasant breakfast for Kings' Day, but he had also discovered that Diego de la Vega shared his will to make life better for the orphans of the mission. So of course yes, Don Diego wasn't the most courageous or feisty man ever, far from it, but he cared even for the underclass, for the forsaken children... And he spoke to him like he understood him.
Mendoza smiled: this year Epiphany had been perfect. And it brought him a new friend.