uno
"If we can get all the other miners to join our cause, then surely we can pull this off." Maite heard Antonio saying to the men at the table as she walked in with some drinks for them. Four tequilas and a glass of water; Antonio didn't drink. He had gathered a group of co-workers, each with individual skills needed to get their objective done.
Maite set a glass in front of each of the men, stopping at her husband. He smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her down to sit on his lap. "Gracias, amor." He thanked her for the drink.
She grinned and kissed the corner of his mouth as he continued speaking to his co-workers. "You know everyone in this town, don't you, Omar?" He said to the oldest of them. He was thirty-five and had been living in Cananea since he was a child, when he moved there from Sinaloa. Omar Bravo's father had been a miner and Omar became one too. There was nothing else to do in the town but mining, mining for very little pay.
His co-workers eyed Maite, Omar crossing his arms over his chest, "You said this was a private meeting. We can't risk any bit of news getting out."
But Antonio shook his head. "My wife Maite is trustworthy."
"She's a woman." said Giovanni Hernandez, one of the younger men who worked in the mines. "They can't keep secrets. Next thing you know, she's gonna go blab all our secret plans to her comadres."
"Hey..." Maite began to protest angrily, but her husband interrupted.
His eyebrows knitted together in annoyance at their words. "Mi mujer is not going to say anything. We can trust her." He assured them. "And I never keep secrets from her, so its time you get used to seeing her at our meetings."
"If this all fails," Omar began, "Then don't go around asking why that was."
Maite pulled away from her husband's arms and got back on her feet. "I think it'll be best if I go. I have some chores to do." And she stormed off rather angrily.
Her husband called after her, but she ignored him. She didn't want to see those men any longer and she knew Antonio would probably tell her everything that happened once his co-workers left the house. Theirs was the best house to hold their meetings. Antonio and Maite lived on the outskirts of the mining town, where there weren't many more houses. It was more secluded and private, which was just as they liked it.
The mines were on the other side of town and Antonio had to wake up at four in the morning to get to his job on time.
He worked several hours, and barely got paid enough to buy food for himself and his wife.
All he wanted was for that to change. He wanted to get paid the same amount the gringo miners got paid. They had the same job, so why did they get paid more? And they got treated better as well, whereas the Mexican miners worked in tougher conditions and had shorter lunch breaks.
-
His friends left the house a half hour later. By then, she was in the kitchen, washing the dirty dishes from dinner. Her hand rubbed at the metal pot with a scouring pad. She had been scrubbing it so hard in her anger that her arm was beginning to hurt.
"Que se creen esos?" She said to herself. Who do they think they are? "Coming into my house and insulting me saying I'm a blabbermouth."
Antonio walked into the kitchen as she continued talking to herself. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, and saying in amusement, "That poor pot is going to vanish at the rate you're washing it, Mai."
Maite let it fall into the sink and sighed. "Those guys said I was a chismosa."
"Are you still mad about that?" Antonio asked her.
"Just because I'm a woman, they think I can't keep a secret." She whined.
"Look," He began, pressing his soft lips to the crook of her neck. She closed her eyes at the sensation. "I already told them you'll be at the next meeting and that they better respect me. You're my wife, and I don't keep secrets from you."
Maite laughed a frustrated laugh. "I don't want to be at the next meeting. If I go, I'll probably knock Giovanni and Omar out with my cooking pot."
He pulled away from her and she turned to face him. There was a smile on his face, the very same that he knew she couldn't resist, even if she was in a bad mood. "Vamos," He encouraged, taking both of her hands in his. "Smile for me so we can go to sleep, que me tengo que levantar para ir al trabajo en cuatro horas." I have to get up in four hours to go to work.
Instead of smiling, she frowned. "You work too hard. That mining company will kill you one day."
"Which is why we need this strike to work." He pointed out. In the dim light provided by the candle in their kitchen, she noticed the way he seemed to look much more tired. The bags under his eyes looked darker. He turned and headed for their bedroom, one of her hands still in his.
And she turned quickly, blowing out the candle.
-
chapter oneeee. just a quick note, omar and giovanni are players from chivas. and they don't have these views on women. i just wanted the story to be more relevant to the times, and as some of you may know, mexico es un pais maomenos machista. so yeah.
i hope you like the update.
thank you for reading.
-clary xx
