La Luna de Miel Chapter Eight: Honeymoon
A knock at the chamber door the next morning roused Mano, who blinked open his eyes to find Carmen resting in his arms as they lay together in the most magnificent of beds Tío Domingo had ordered from a craftsman in Hermosillo as a wedding night surprise. Carmen stirred at the noise, pulled up the sheets as cover, and looked at her husband.
"Don Manolo, el desayuno está aquí," came the voice of Pepe, outside the door.
"Gracias, Pepe. You may leave it outside," Mano called in reply, unfolding his arm from his wife and edging to the side of the bed to sit up. Still groggy from sleep, he waited a moment before standing and stretching, with a yawn. Yesterday they bid the Cannons farewell and Carmen and he spent the day riding horses and playing cards with Don Domingo: blackjack and five card stud, gambling for matchsticks. Mano knew a fair amount about both games but he was not so foolish as to challenge his uncle for real money. Tío explained strategies that worked for him when betting and why, and Mano and Carmen listened well.
"In this situation, I would not take another card. Stand. Let the dealer take the risk."
"But Tío Domingo, what if I have 18 showing and the dealer has a face card?
"Then you have everything to lose. Stand. Always stand from 17 to, of course, 21. These are the odds, mi sobrina."
The newlyweds had retired early that evening on this quietest of Sundays. Before heading to bed, Mano had asked Pepe to send breakfast to their room and advised Tío that they wished to sleep in. Tío had nodded with a smile and a puff of the ever present cigar. And so they had.
Because they were newlyweds, the night had not been passed entirely in sleeping, and Mano glanced down to make sure he wore the white peón's pants he favored as pajamas. He made his way to the door, opening it and reaching down to pick up the tray, which he carried in and set down on a small table. He poured coffee for Carmen and himself from the silver coffee pot, adding cream to hers, leaving his black, as he preferred. Keeping the silver carafe on the table, he joined her in bed, bringing with him the tray with coffee cups, napkins, and a plate of pan dulce, bread topped with a crust of sugar and cinnamon, which she liked.
"Gracias, mi corazón," Carmen smiled, sitting up against the headboard, sheets still pulled up, as she accepted the coffee. "The tray may go here, between us. Ah, I have always dreamed of breakfast in bed."
"Your dreams have been much different than mine, then," Mano laughed as he settled next to her, kissing her under the ear before taking a drink of coffee and setting the cup down on the table at his side of the bed. He helped himself to the sweet bread, as did she.
"This is lovely, Manolito. I do not have the right to be this happy."
"You do not have the right to be this beautiful, Carmenita mía."
"Do we even need to go to Hermosillo for a luna de miel? Tío Domingo is so wonderful and he leaves us alone in this enormous casa," she said. "We could just stay here and then go to Rancho Navarro." Mano stayed quiet for a moment, thinking.
"No," he said at last. "No. This is our only chance to escape from life for more than a night, just the two of us, before the world encroaches. Even if we are here, I will soon be discussing business with Tío. It always goes this way. Look at my sister and brother-in-law. The High Chaparral consumes them. No. We must have these days. The opera, the theatre, the restaurants...the hotel." He smiled. "Just you and me. It must be so."
"All right, mi vida. I only suggested it."
"Besides, your mother and Hector have given us money for this luna de miel. What would she think if I did not spend it that way? I would have to explain this to her, and this I do not care to do. Let us spend the day packing and sorting what we will bring to Hermosillo and then Rancho Navarro. We will have Jorge drive us to the city tomorrow, and, a week or so hence, we can take the stage to Guaymas."
"Cajeme is closer to the rancho, Mano. The stage to Cajeme would be better. I will wire Señor Delgado from Hermosillo that we are coming. Men from Rancho Navarro go to Cajeme almost every day. Señor Delgado will send a man to meet us, if we specify the time, or we can always arrange for a carriage ourselves."
"Bueno," Mano said. "As for us now, I say, let us enjoy breakfast and take our time getting up and around. I told Tío he may not see us till early this afternoon."
"Oh, yes! Not to have to be anywhere, oh, what a luxury, Manolo."
"I know I am tired. All of this wedding. Exhausting."
"Well, mi corazón, from what I can tell, it is not just the wedding that has made you so tired," she said with a coy smile. Mano grinned.
"Sí, es verdad. Carmen, Never did I believe such joy or freedom possible as when I am with you. You make me so very happy. I still cannot believe I found you."
"You know, Manolo, I sometimes think, how did we meet? Why?"
"What? You know. At the ball honoring the governor at the presidential palace."
"But why there? With my brother's reputation, why in the world would the governor of Sonora put him on the list of guests? It makes no sense."
"The Rancho Navarro is in Sonora."
"Yes, but that was Antonio's family. Not mine."
"Hmmm. I never thought of it. You were considered one of the most eligible women in all Mexico City, that much I knew. Tío pointed you out to me and…" he broke off.
"And?"
"Oh no, it cannot be. Tío?" Mano exclaimed. "Chihuahua, why did I not see this before? After Mamá died, Papá paraded me like a prize stallion, trying to arrange this match or that. When I could take it no longer, I just rode off. Again and again. I did some pretty bad things, Carmen, trying to avoid marriage."
"Well, I guess Tío's strategy was more effective than your father's," Carmen smiled. "And I am certainly glad." She took a drink of coffee and a bite of bread.
"Yes, that old gambler. He knew enough not to tip his hand where I was concerned. That is something Papá never learned," Mano laughed and shook his head. "Oh well, it was time."
"You should have seen the idiots Carlos tried to find for me," Carmen said. "Now that I think about it, perhaps I was the prize to pay off his gambling debts. It makes me shudder."
"Well, we cannot choose our families," Mano said. Or can we? he wondered.
"Mi vida, I choose yours over mine."
"Carmen, you did not know my father," Mano sighed, then looked at her. "Actually, I believe he would have adored you. As do I." She smiled and he took her coffee cup and placed it on the table beside him, so that he could draw her closer for a kiss and perhaps, if he played his cards right, something more.
VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute.