The Forbidden Rose

Dry Land

Heat from the sun's rays caressed my face as it rose from behind the hills bathing my body in warmth. I stretched across the grass and I sat up to look at the majestic view before me and saw my sacred land, my home. Thirty three acers of plains birthed rows of crisp, golden corn right in the center of our small prairie divided by barbed wires. Behind the corn fields, sat fresh, sweet tobacco we used as our main trade. After the tobacco field, was the place we called the "saneho". It consisted of a small, strange river that poured out from tree branches that were twisted together with the soil beneath creating a wall we couldnt understand. Palms of coconut and trees of tamarind and jocotes, surrounded the main well which sat in the center of the saneho. The main well ran 10 feet wide and 10 feet in length housing small fish, water for our crops, and home to the enchanted snake who was also the animal form of the crying lady. Of course, a tale made up by our grandma to scare us so we would'nt go near the well to accidently fall in. Near the entrance of our home at the far east end, was a swamp that began drying due to isolation and closer to the house were the small wells we used for laundry and personal use. Where i sit right now is the tallest hill on the edgr of the land where cows and bulls roamed during the day but i used it like tonight and most other night, to sneak out of my room and watch the stars til i fall asleep on the grass. This i speak about, was the unique masterpiece my grandparents had worked so hard on their whole life and I swore id die protecting it.

"Sit down baby, let me serve you some breakfast," my grandmas sweet voice filled the air as I bolted into the kitchen. "Only if you let me help you, grandmama," I responded with a smile. "You stayed up on the hill side again didn't you?" She said spooning black beans onto plates from her brown pot. Her hands were very spotted with no visibility of smoothness nor brightness and her red curls were heavily saturated with gray. "Uhm yeah I-" "Excuse me! Scholar coming through!" My words were interrupted by one of my many cousins. "Angela where are you going so early? Its only 6am!" "Uhm yeah, but god helps those who wake up extra early cousin," the small brunette winked at me and ran out of the room with a sweet roll in her mouth and books in her hands. I laughed and went back to serving breakfast with my grandma when another one of my cousins walked in carrying a big pail of milled corn. "Help me carry this inside woman!" Judith said through struggle. "Oh, yeah sorry," I ran to her and took the pail from her grip. "Yall shouldve seen how much corn was milled! And how the hell are you able to carry that?!" She said placing her hands on her hips taking a deep breathe. I laughed remembering the pictures I had seen of my teen grandma. My cousin resembled her completely with her curly hair and dark circled eyes on top of bronzed skin. Unlike myself and the other cousins, we resembled the living image of our young mothers. My mom gifted me black curly hair, brown skin and dark eyes. She left to the other side with my father searching for something better leaving me here at the age of nine. Now twenty, i remember the last images of my dad and my pregnant mother with her big round stomach, packing up to leave on an early morning. The child born on american land was my younger sister whom ive never met but in pictures my little sister Rose, was the most beautiful girl i will ever see.

"Did yall hear that Mayor Harold will be helping out the people here on the lines?" said my cousin Linsay taking a seat to eat. "Hey, Mayor Harold's kinda cute guys," Judith smiled as she slid onto the seat next to me. "Such a good man and all alone," Linsay said as she looked at her plate. "What? Wasnt he married?" I asked. "Oh man, you didn't hear?"Linsay said slamming the table mildly widening her honey colored eyes. "Hear what?" I said. "His wife died of some swine a year ago," Judith chimed in. "not just any swine, she caught the green swine" Linsay whispered. "and whats the green swine? Ive never heard of it," I asked. "oh its horrendous! And its a rare sickness people catch that relies on stomach aches, constant trips to the bathroom and eventually caus-" "She died because someone killed her." Darin interrupted Linsay. "Stop saying nonsense Darin, she died of a swine," Darin ignored Linsay and kept talking. "She was murdered," Darin said taking a sip from her coffee. "It was a cold and harsh murder,". We all looked at Darin and continued eating as she stood there. "Join us for breakfast cousin, youve been missing," I said. "Yeah maybe cause ive been taking care of the farm something none of you do around here," "Oh Darin, come on don't start," Linsay said. "Youre all too busy studying and what not, while im working hard trying to save this goddam farm!" Darin spat at us all. "Darin you decided that," I said. She gave me the most menacing look and walked out the door. "Whats up with her?" Judith said. "I think she just needs a boyfriend," Linsay giggled. I looked at each of them and got up from the table. "Olivia, sweetheart?" said a voice that came from outside the kitchen. "Yes, Alissa?" "Help me here when youre done okay?" She said carrying two pails of corn to her small house and I followed behind.