This is the ninth story from my father about the adventures of two brothers (Rafael and Gabriel) from a very poor family of 10 trying to make a living during the Great Depression in the 1930s. This story takes place in the summer of 1932. The other stories can be found in previous blogs: “A Trip to the Rancho to Work,” “The Fig Raid,” ”the Saturday Hunt,” “Our Bridge is Gone,” "Dracula Got us Fired," “Having a Meal at the Smorgasbord,” “The Whipping” and “Coffee, Sugar, Firewood and Meat.”
A Typical Day Picking Cotton
This had been the hottest day Rafael could remember. Their dad had bought them some leather sandals (huaraches) in the public market a few weeks ago but neither Rafael nor Gabriel liked to wear them, they always went barefooted. In fact the two kids did not have a pair of shoes until they were 12. They were wearing the sandals today! They had both gone back to the campsite under the mesquite and dug the sandals out of their hemp bags (red or morral). Catarino just smiled to himself when he saw them coming back with their sandals on. It was so hot it they could not withstand on the hot dirt even though their soles were so callused they could walk on sharp gravel and it felt no different to them than walking on a smooth surface.
They were both about half way through a 600-ft row of cotton picking from rows on each side. Their bags were about a third full with about 30 pounds and it took quite an effort to drag. It had a strap that went around their shoulder and chest and both of them were standing in a “lean” forward that just balanced the weight of the bag. Their small straw hats were soaked around the rim with sweat, they did not have a shirt, but the strap of their “Pay-Day” pants was stained with salt and mineral deposits from sweating on it for several days, they looked like streaks and blotches of white on their very dirty tanned colored pants. They had been too tired the last few days and did not want to make the trip to the river to “bathe.” But today, their dad said they could stop early and go down to bathe and wash their clothes. They had filled the glass bottles they had brought with water and had buried them at the end of the row. Burying them kept them a little cool and they each had a goal to finish a row before taking a drink.
It was late morning and Rafael had had enough, he “unhitched” himself from the bag of cotton and started walking toward the water. “Wait until you finish the row son,” Catarino said. “I can’t dad; I have to have a drink now!” Rafael said. Gabriel did the same thing. They went and took a long drink and got back to their routine. Before noon, the temperature must have been at least 42ᵒ C (over 107ᵒ F) and they were slowing down. They broke for lunch and walked to the Mesquite tree where they were camping. In the dry climate the shade made a big difference and they felt a little cool. Catarino had made some tacos from the food left over the night before and the two kids they dug into them. He poured them some cold coffee that was made that morning in the clay pot into their drinking cans. The water had boiled and was “purified.” They laid down for a bit and Catarino lapsed into a fast nap (a siesta). The boys got their energy back in a few minutes and got up and went “hunting.”
Not much to hunt in the middle of the day except for a few lizards and a couple of scorpions. They had gone about the length of the row of cotton when they startled a rabbit and it shot out from some brush near the trunk of a small tree. They chased after it and soon decided to hold back and let the rabbit stop before they could shoot at it. It was a “cat and mouse” game for about 15 minutes. Every time they got close to where it was the rabbit would spring and dart to another location. Gabriel told Rafael to continue toward him in one direction and he would sneak on him from the back. They both got their sling shots ready and walked slowly to where they saw him last. Gabriel saw it first and signaled to Rafael where it was. They both made their slingshot ready. Gabriel shot first and the Rabbit did a flip in the air and landed on his feet at the same place, Rafael shot shortly after and also hit him as he came back down from the flip. The rabbit didn’t have a chance! They picked up the rabbit and ran back to their father who had awaken and was preparing a pot a beans to cook for the evening meal, if he put them in a fire now they would be done by the time they quit for the day. “Look dad! Look dad! Look at what we got!” they both exclaimed with excitement at the same time. Catarino looked at the two boys, smiled shaking his head and took it from them. It should make a good meal for tonight. “I guess you boys are good hunters,” he told them. They were both very proud. Any prouder and they would burst. Catarino cut the rabbit open, cleaned it, skinned it, washed it and hung it on a shady part under a tree. The boys were watching all this and were amazed at how fast he did it. “It should still be good by this evening,” he said, “now let’s get back to work.”
A couple of times during the afternoon Catarino would send one of the kids to put some more wood in the fire so that the beans would cook. It wasn’t a very productive day with all that heat and they quit early. They went down to the river to wash and the boys ran in with their clothes on so they could be “washed.” They took their clothes off after a while, wringed them and hung them on some bushes. Their dad was washing upriver a bit and they went back in the water to play. The water was relatively clean and they felt good when they were called to come out. They put their clothes back on, a little damp but OK and walked back to camp with their dad. You boys go fetch some water from Don Argϋello’s well while I prepare the dinner. And the two boys ran off with a large can with a handle.
The beans were done and Catarino took the pot out of the fire and put it aside. He cut a small branch with a fork and skewered the rabbit on it and placed it over the fire to cook, rabbit was OK but it was tough cooked this way, but they did not have the luxury of a making a stew. He then got some corn meal, mixed it with some water and a little lard and made the mix for some corn bread. Covered the iron skillet with some lard and poured the mix into it. He covered it with the sheet metal cover and placed it in the hot coals. The corn should be done by the time the rabbit is done and we will have a feast tonight, with dessert from a watermelon Don Argüello had brought over earlier. He would also have enough leftovers for breakfast and lunch tomorrow.
The boys came back they finished their meal. They were proud of their rabbit and the corn bread was great, they lover corn bread with beans. The watermelon was perfect, the topping of the feast, very sweet. They sat and talked for a bit and heard some stories from their dad about how they had moved here and life in Parras. They had heard these before but they still like hearing them. They put down their mats and sleeping blankets put the block rope around each of them to protect them from rattle snakes. Catarino did not believe in this. He had been sleeping in the open most of his life and never been bothered by snakes. He had heard that the Rattle snakes are afraid of King snakes, because a King snake will eat a Rattlesnake, and when a Rattlesnake sees the rope, it doesn't take any chances, and avoids it. But the boys believed it so he played along and put a rope around his sleeping area. The sun had set and the sky was full of stars. The kids were tired and fell asleep right away. Catarino stayed awake a few more minutes and thought to himself, maybe tomorrow will not be so hot.
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