Mystics of the Tuolumne

Beneficence #

Sunshine reflected from the flat golden stubble covering land into the house gradually becoming the brightest light where Dahlia and Ericia huddled for strength.  Someone knocked  on the door.  Dahlia and Ericia looked at each other apprehensively. Ericia answered the knock asking who was outside.

"Deputy Becerra, Ma'am."  Ericia let him in.

"Please sit down ma'am.  Your husband was seriously injured with your axe last night.  Doc Blanchard fixed him up.  He is in the jail.  Sheriff Wilson wants you to come to the courthouse."  The Deputy was courteous and respectful.  Ericia had delivered his twin children when the Doctor was drunk.

"Why am I supposed to go?  He is the one who tried to chop down my door."  Ericia was upset and frightened of Sheriff Wilson. Sheriff Wilson had the reputation of executing the sentence before beginning the beginning the investigation.  

"I know, Dona Vaca, why you are afraid.  You do not know that your husband has accused of witchcraft.  He admits he never got inside.  But that you used witchcraft to turn the axe on him."  The young Deputy was morose.  He owed so much to the curandera.

Dahlia and Ericia covered their faces and wept.  "Mamma I did nothing." Dahlia tried to explain.

"Por favor, vayase conmigo." He made up his mind he would protect her if necessary.

Doctor Blanchard, Sheriff Wilson, Judge Samuels, and the County Attorney were sitting on park benches in the shade under a grand live oak tree between the county courthouse and the jail.  The Sheriff removed his hat and approached Ericia with a broad and genuine smile on his face.

"You look quite innocent and wholesome for a witch my dear."  The Sheriff ran his long knobby fingers through his thick silver hair. He escorted Ericia to an empty bench.  He winked at her before he guided her into her seat.

Ericia was nervous and fidgeting sitting there before such an august body.  She looked from face to face trying to appraise her situation.  She was a Miwok in a white man's world.  Justice was not expected.

The Country Attorney cleared his throat, stood and glanced at the Judge and then looked straight at  her. "Ericia Vaca, you have been charged by a man claiming to be your husband of witchcraft."  He placed his thumbs in the watch pockets of his vest.  "What have you go to say for yourself."

"I am not a witch.  I have no such power.  I am a good Catholic."  She was suddenly unafraid and adamant.  She resented the fact that she would even be accused and suspected of such a shameful act.

The Sheriff stood and faced first Ericia and then Judge Samuels. "Before we get any further, I searched the county records and did not find a marriage certificate for you and this Miguel Vaca.  It appears that as a powerful Californio Don that he  made his own laws.  You are not married to him under American law if you do not wish to be."  He was officious yet smiling.

"I do not wish to be married to him .  He has done nothing but, hurt us."  Ericia was furious.  This was one more thing he had put the little family through.  For Ericia, it was a watershed moment as she realized she would not have to go through the horror that the Catholic faith had made of divorce.

"Judge Samuels harrumphed and sat up and straightened his vest and tie.  "The accused states that she is no witch.  I believe her.  She has never lied about anything to this community.  The other fact peculiar to this case is that there is no law in the great state of California concerning witchcraft.  For or against.  The court hereby finds the defendant, Ericia Vaca, not guilty as charged and is not married in the eyes of the great state of California.  This court further enjoins one Miguel Vaca from coming within 1 mi...."  The Sheriff shook his head no and kept shaking it until the judge said. "Is to keep his person out of Tuolumne County forever upon pain of incarceration for one year at the county work farm.  Case dismissed." 

"Sheriff Wilson, please see to it that Don Miguel is removed from this county before sundown.  Now I expect the members of this court, with the exception of Deputy Becerra who will escort Miss Vaca to her home, to adjourn to the Union Men's Lounge for some medicinal libations.  The Deputy is invited as soon as he completes his court-ordered duty."  All the men present kissed the back of Ericia's hand.  She was embarrassed but charmed.

Deputy escorted Ericia home.  She was met at the door by two excited children.  They could not take their arms from around there Mamma.  They knew they could not survive without her.  

"Mamma, I have to talk to you."  Ericia knew that meant away from the ears of Joel.  "I think I may have caused Poppa to cut his leg. I was thinking so hard, I may have made it happen."

Ericia hugged her and said "If I had a gun I would have shot through the door.  He was going to hurt us.  Now you two get ready for school.  I will write a note for being late."

Albert approached Dahlia at lunch time.  Dahlia always brought a little extra because Albert dearly loved campesino food.  They would have a cultural epicurean event every lunchtime at school.  Albert looked at her, tilted his head and narrowed his eyebrows.

"Are you going to tell me?"  He kept looking at her while she drew circles in the dirt with the toe of her school shoe.

"Not much to tell.....Poppa tried to break in...hurt his leg...did not get in."  She continued her fidgeting because of her embarrassment.  She knew that nothing like this would happen in his genteel wealthy Yankee family.  "Are we going to meet this afternoon.?"  She hoped so because of her feelings about what happened to her Poppa.

He nodded yes.  They returned to classes and afterwards met in their secret hideout.

"I have something for you...it isn't a big thing.  Here."  He shoved an envelope toward her.  "Mother says that I may have a birthday party this year."  He was all smiles and expectations.

She gently opened the envelope and slid the folded note out.  It was indeed an invitation.  She threw her arms around him.  She forgot all about why she had needed to seek his counsel.

Dahlia ran all the way home.  "Momma!  I got an invitation to Alberts birthday party."  Ericia smiled and took the invitation from her hand.

"Hija, this is the same day as your birthday,"  Ericia whined.  She was afraid that Dahlia would be mesmerized by the rubric of affluence on public display at the McKinley mansion.  She felt hurt that Dahlia did not want to celebrate her cumpleanos at her own house with her family.  Ericia was making arrangements for the priest to make a cumpleanos blessing at a small fiesta she would hold.  What would Abuela think?