Shine your light upon me

Chapter I: An unexpected wedding

Panama, La Chorrera, August 1908

The clucking of the chickens and the mooing of the cows were the vibrant soundtrack that accompanied that morning in the Moreno house. Mrs. Rutilia was washing clothes, while the youngest of her children ran naked in the thick mud that adorned the ranch's courtyard. Behind him was one of her eldest daughters, fourteen-year-old Antonia.

When Mrs. Rutilia saw her, she threw her clothes forcefully into the basin and got up from the stool on which she was standing. She dried her hands on her long skirt and began to search the area with her eyes.

"Where the hell is Nieves?!" she shouted.

***

Her gaze fixed on the man in front of her, she slid her thumb along his jaw, then the corners of his lips, then his nose, then his eyes. He then opened his eyes and smiled. She smiled back.

"You're awake," she said.

"Yes, I had a good dream. I dreamt that we had our own farm and had many children," he said, cheerfully.

"What a beautiful dream."

"Of course! It is even more beautiful to think that you will be the mother of my children.

Nieves smiled again, and slowly approached Louis to plant a delicate kiss on his lips.

They were lying on the green grass that was in a pasture of the old Chorrera, the sky was covered with clouds and the sun was reflected in a small puddle of water that had been left on the ground after the last rain.

"When will you ask my mother for my hand?" she asked.

The man put his hairy arms under his head and looked up at the sky.

"When I can offer something so that we can live properly."

"We can live on the milk from your cow and the meat from my chickens!"

Louis denied.

"It's not enough, I want to be able to give you something good... you deserve better."

There was a sudden silence. She didn't want to look at his face, so she turned her eyes skyward, had to squint as the sun hit her eyes. She used her hand as an umbrella and could see two birds as if fighting in the air that flew away after a few seconds. She sighed. She didn't like her boyfriend putting himself down like that, he was a good farmer, he knew how to make white cheese from cows' milk, he was excellent at baking, and he knew how to farm. He would be the perfect man if he could only write and read.

Louis Gonzalez had never attended a classroom, having had to take care of his family since he was ten years old when his father died of a heart attack. Now he was the man of the house, taking care of his five siblings and his sick mother, he had no time for studies.

"NIEVES! NIEVES!" shouted Antonia from the doorway of the house.

They got up again at once, they were not so far from the house that Antonia's screams could be heard in the distance. Nieves got up from the floor and shook out her skirt, Louis did the same with his trousers.

"I'll take you home," he said.

She nodded and began to walk beside him. When they were a few meters from the Moreno's house, Mrs. Rutilia came out of it with a broom in her hand and a frown on her face. Nieves swallowed hard and grabbed her boyfriend's hand for some reassurance, he let go as quickly as he could. He didn't want to look shameless in front of his girlfriend's mother. However, the gesture made Nieves feel bad and she felt a small pang in her chest at the rejection.