The Visit X 2 (10)

Several months into Mauricia's new life proved to be a challenge but she felt welcomed by her half brothers and sisters. She understood not everyone like Maria Guadalupe or her mother would receive her with open arms but she respected everyone's difference of opinion. Mauricia was content with having a home, family, and being close to her father. Mauricia did not take long before she began to volunteer at the church in Salinas de Hidalgo giving communion classes to 40 children every weekend. Aside from teaching, Mauricia sang in the choir, when time permitted, as she also had to tend to Teresa. Many times Maria del Carmen would accompany Mauricia to church to help her with Teresa or participate with her in classes. Both sisters grew very close and formed a bond they both knew would be lifelong.

"Mauricia!" called out Maria del Carmen, "Julia is at the door!" Mauricia ran to the door to see what was the matter. Julia worked at the church with Mauricia on the weekends. Julia asked, "Mauricia, Doña Inez is ill, and will not be able to sing in this afternoons choir to sing the Angelus in Latin and your the only other person that can do it, will you be able to go?" Mauricia responded, "Of course, let me make arrangements to go and I will be there this afternoon." Mauricia turns around to look at Maria del Carmen and said, "Maria del Carmen, would you go with me to watch Teresa while I sing and then we can walk around in the Plaza?" Maria del Carmen was hesitant as she rarely left the house only to go on errands or to church on the weekends. "I don't know Mauricia. I can watch Teresa here in the house." "Ay Maria del Carmen, you never know. Maybe God is your matchmaker. You will never find your future husband sitting here in the house instead of going to church with me!" Maria del Carmen throws Mauricia a washcloth and tells her to get ready and says, "You think you know everything. Lately, Mario from the choir has been coming by to visit me when no one is around. Of course, we sit out here on the bench and converse." Mauricia anxiously wraps her arm around her sister and asks, "So do you like Mario?" Ma. del Carmen responds, "I think so, he's a gentleman, and we have much in common." "Wonderful!" Mauricia yells out. "Now I do not feel bad leaving you here. Let me get ready."

Mauricia bathed and after getting dressed ran by Ma. del Carmen to confirm she was leaving and to kiss Teresa goodbye. Five o'clock mass was about to begin and Father Eduardo did not like anyone to be late before mass. Mauricia makes it to the church with six minutes to spare as the house is several blocks away from the main avenue. Everyone in the choir took their places and mass began. Many things ran through Mauricia's mind at that moment while she was listening to mass. She said a prayer thanking God for a roof over her head, food, family, and a healthy daughter. The moment for Mauricia to sing the Angelus came along and she stood up to sing. Mauricia had a beautiful voice and everyone enjoyed listening to her sing. Meanwhile, outside the church in the plaza a military troop begins to ride into town.

"Whoa! Stop your horses! I said Stop!" as the comandante ordered his troop. The comandante gets off his horse and said, "Am I in heaven? It sounds like an angel is singing. Who is that and where is it coming from?" A farmer passes by with his cart and he asked the man who was singing. The man shrugs his shoulders and asked if he could leave. A woman approaches the comandante, "I know who is singing!" The comandante asked her to come to him and she said, "It's Mauricia Delgado, she just moved here a couple of months ago." The comandante stands in silence then orders the woman to find Mauricia and bring her to him. The woman shocked and scared does as he says and runs to the church. She whispers in Mauricia's ear about the request and Mauricia goes with her to see what the commotion is about. The comandante remains standing by his horse and his troop behind him waiting for orders. As Mauricia approaches him she stops before him and says, "My name is Mauricia Delgado, who is looking for me?" The comandante answers, "It is I that requested for you, Carlos Manriquez, your brother." Mauricia screams, "Mi Niño!" (my boy), as they hug.

Carlos orders his troop to rest in the plaza as he sits at a bench with Mauricia. While holding hands tightly, she caresses his face with the other hand and asks him how he has been. Crying, Carlos begins to tell Mauricia about the death of the woman who took him from his mother's home. After the woman passed, after moving out of state, he was sent to live with an uncle who owned a ranch. His uncle was a passive fellow but his wife was always beating him and asking him to do hard labor around the house. "Mauricia, all I ever wanted to do was get an education. They never sent me to school. My uncles wife said you did not want me or else you would have found me. I ran away at the age of twelve, angry at the world. I walked for three straight days through the mountains and came along a circus. I joined them and stayed for three years. After the circus, I found the military and lied about my age to get in." Mauricia gasps, "Carlos I do not agree with you being in the military. We have finally found each other and I do not want to lose you now." Carlos nods in agreement, "Please understand sister, I did not care what happened to me. I felt I belonged to no one. I thought no one loved me and till this day do not believe in friends and the only thing I believed in was myself. By joining the military I felt if I died no one would care if I was here or gone. Some days I wished for death." Mauricia tells him, "Carlos, how can you wish for death if God does not grant wishes, he answers prayers." Carlos laughed and continued to tell Mauricia, "I have completed the most difficult assignments in the military as I feared nothing and no one, that is why I'm a comandante. Now I have a reason to live sister." Carlos looks around to determine the time and tells Mauricia, "I must go, my troop is heading north and we must continue before nightfall." "Carlos" Mauricia interrupted him and said, "I need somewhere to contact you, do you have an address?" Carlos wrote down the address she could use to send him correspondence. Carlos digs in his horse's satchel and pulls out a small photograph. He hands over the photograph to Mauricia and said, "Here, we had these made to send out to our loved ones but as I had no one to send it to I've carried it with me all this time. Mauricia, please keep it as a remembrance of me." "Of course Carlos, and we mustn't lose contact, please." Mauricia says as she hugs him goodbye. Carlos gets back on his horse and yells for his men to follow. Mauricia stands in the plaza clutching his photograph as he rides away to whatever destination is in store for him. Mauricia thinks to herself, "Was this a dream? She looks down at her photograph and realizes they found each other. Elated she goes back to the church to light a candle to her mother and many other deceased relatives she thinks may have led to their reunion. As Mauricia is running to the church she thinks, "I hope I have enough candles!"