Anaya - My Land Sings

My Land Sings

Stories from the Ro Grande

Rudolfo Anaya

Contents

Lupe and la Llorona

When the clock in the kitchen struck midnight, Lupe quietly got out of bed. She dressed hurriedly, crept to her bedroom door, and listened intently. In the adjacent bedroom, her parents were sound asleep.

Quietly, she slipped out of the house. The village of Puerto de Luna, a farming community on the banks of the Pecos River, was also asleep. An October quarter-moon hung over the valley, but it shed very little light. Lupe shivered as she ran to meet Carlos by the church.

Earlier that afternoon in the schoolyard, Carlos had been bragging that he wasnt afraid of la Llorona.

Its just a story our parents tell to scare us, he said to the seventh graders gathered around him.

No, shes real, one of the girls replied.

I dont believe it, Carlos said, looking at Lupe. I dare anyone to go to the river with me.

At midnight?

Yes, at midnight!

The others glanced nervously at Lupe. She was strong and tall like Carlos, and she was the only one in the group who stood up to him.

Its a crazy idea, Lupe said.

Whats the matter, you chicken?

Lupe clenched her teeth. Carlos had been after her all week, ever since her team had beaten his in baseball. She had tried not to pay attention to his needling, but nobody called her chicken!

Ill prove whos chicken, she shot back. Ill go with you tonight!

The kids had cheered her, but later, as they walked back to the classroom, Jos fell in step beside Lupe. He was her neighbor, and the boy she secretly admired.

You dont have to go, he whispered. Its dangerous by the river at night.

Do you mean its too dangerous for a girl?

Jos blushed. You know what I mean.

I know, Lupe answered. But Carlos dared me in front of the gang. I wont let Carlos call me a coward.

Yeah, Jos agreed. He knew Carlos had been hassling Lupe all week. Do you want me to go with you? he offered.

No, Carlos challenged me. She looked into his eyes and saw he really was concerned about her. Thanks, she added.

Jos shrugged. Just be careful were his parting words.

Maybe Im like Carlos, Lupe thought as she approached the church at midnight. I want to find out if la Llorona is real or just a story our parents tell. She stopped cold when she spotted a shadow at the door. Her skin tingled. Who is it? she called.

Booooo! Carlos cried, jumping out at her.

Boo yourself! Lupe said, faking laughter to show he hadnt frightened her.

Bet you thought it was la Llorona, Carlos teased her.

Dont be silly, Lupe answered boldly.

Are you afraid? asked Carlos, peering toward the river.

Lupe hesitated. All her life, she had heard the different stories people told about la Llorona. Some said she was a young woman who long ago had lived in a neighboring village. She had fallen in love with a rich mans son and had a baby, but since she wasnt married to him, the young mans parents were going to take the baby away from her. The baby was all the poor girl had in the world, and she vowed not to let them take it.

When the family came with the sheriff for the child, the young woman gathered the baby in her arms and fled to the river. The sheriff and his deputies followed, using hound dogs to track her. The baying of the dogs could be heard up and down the valley.

As the sheriff and his men drew near, the frightened girl threw herself into the river. The strong current swept her off her feet and tore the baby from her arms. It disappeared into the watery depths.

Later, some villagers would say she had intentionally thrown the baby into the river. The sheriff had saved the young woman, but the baby drowned. It was never found.

After the accident, the young woman was overcome with grief. She walked along the edge of the river, looking for her baby. At night, the people of the village heard her crying and calling the childs name.

You can still hear her crying at night, the old people told the children. She became la Llorona, the crying woman. Dont go near the water. She might think you are her child and take you.

Parents told the story to warn their children not to play near the river and its dangerous currents.

Im not afraid, Lupe said, shivering. She wasnt going to let Carlos scare her. Besides, she had the medal of her guardian angel hanging around her neck. She touched it and said a silent prayer.

Carlos, too, had hesitated. Across the road, the river and its dark forest looked menacing. Okay, lets go, he said.

They left the village and hurried through the river bosque. Overhead, the tall, stately cottonwood trees formed a canopy that shut out the scant moonlight. Around them, river willows and salt cedars pressed in on the thin trail. Finally, they came to a small clearing in the brush.

Heres where she cries at night, Carlos said.

Lupe shivered. She knew the spot. This was the place where the young woman and her baby had jumped into the river.

There was something evil about the place. Dank vapors rose from the river. The awful stink of something dead touched Lupes nostrils. The trees rose in the dark like giant specters.

Suddenly, they heard an eerie sound and they froze. A shadow appeared in the moonlight and shimmered on the water. It seemed to be the figure of a young woman walking on the water, coming toward them. A shrill noise filled the night, sounding like the cry of a grieving woman.

Shivers ran down Lupes spine as the shadow seemed to reach out to grab them. Oh, my God! she cried.

La Llorona! Carlos shouted, and he turned and ran. Lupe followed. With adrenaline pumping in their bodies, they ran as they never had before. Branches whipped at them as they stumbled through the brush. Behind them, they heard the icy cry of la Llorona. Lupe and Carlos didnt stop until they were safely back at the church.

From the door, they looked back toward the river.

It was la Llorona! Carlos gasped, panting for breath. But she cant come here!

Lupe, too, was out of breath, and she was shivering, but she wasnt sure if it was la Llorona she had seen or a shadow. And the cry could have been the screech of an owl or cats roaming the rivers edge. Sometimes cats cries sounded almost human.

You ran! Lupe exclaimed.

You did, too! Carlos shot back, his voice trembling.

You were scared.

Carlos nodded. Dont tell the others.

I wont, Lupe promised, but she was disappointed they had run. They should have stayed to see if the shadow really was la Llorona.

I gotta go, Carlos said, and he bolted down the street toward home.

Lupe, still shivering, also ran home. She quietly let herself in the house and crawled into bed, but she couldnt sleep. All night, she kept seeing the shadow of the weeping river woman. She did have one satisfaction: Carlos had run, too.

He isnt any braver than me, Lupe said to herself; then she fell asleep, saying a prayer of thanks to her guardian angel.

In the morning, she was too sleepy to get up at the usual time. Her mother finally had to pull her out of bed. She was late for school.

During recess, the kids were eager to learn if Lupe and Carlos had gone to the river.

I saw her, Carlos bragged. I wasnt afraid of her.

Did you see her? Jos asked Lupe.

Lupe didnt know how to reply. Carlos had lied. She wanted to tell everyone they had run, but she couldnt.