The Long and Storied Life of Jose Montoya

Recommendations

Info

The Long and Storied Life of Jose Montoya 34La Catrina's womanly bones. If she watched, she never showed herself, and as light began to drapeitself more and more over the eastern horizon Jose's ghostly companions grew more and more difficultto see. At last Jose excused himself and stood up from the game. With the sun coming up his watchwas over, and it was time for him to return to the truck and clatter back to the encampment. He turnedaround from the pair to grab El Flaco from where he had leaned it against a rock, and stopped cold.Sticking out from the barrel of his rifle was the bloom of a single, perfect red rose.His heart skipped. She had not shown herself, but she had come, his beloved La Catrina, andleft him a token of her feelings for him. His hands shook with the vibrations of his heart as he carefullytucked the flower away inside of his uniform. Wild with elation, he started to run back in the directionof the truck. He stopped to turn and wave goodbye to his companions of the night, but if they were stillthere in the growing morning light he could no longer see them. Jose made his way back to the truckand loaded up with the other troopers. He was sure that none of them could be as in love as he was.All along the jarring, noisy ride back to the encampment, Jose could think of nothing else butLa Catrina and the rose. Red roses were for love, he thought, but what if they were for friendship?That would be a devastating signal to one as in love as he. Did it mean she was coming to him soon, ordid it mean that she was taking leave of him? Every bump in the back of the truck sent Jose's mind offin a new direction, turning over new scenarios and discovering new things to worry about and to hopefor.As in love as he was, however, all thoughts of La Catrina were temporarily chased out of hismind as the truck returned to the encampment. The wagons had been moved outward to encompass alarger circle, within which five more trucks had sprung up from the desert floor. That by itself wouldnot have been enough to distract Jose from his thoughts of La Catrina and the magical rose in hispocket; after his two jarring and deafening rides through the desert trucks were beginning to lose a littleof their charm. What captivated him, what made his thoughts stop and his mouth fall open, was the
The Long and Storied Life of Jose Montoya 35aeroplane sitting outside of the circle of wagons.It was beautiful, varnished wood and canvas sparkling in the sunlight, nose angled into the skyas if it were sniffing the air before taking flight. With its four outstretched wings, two on top of two,and its long body trailing out behind, it reminded Jose of a gigantic dragonfly. He hoped he would getto see it fly soon, this wonder of man. His favorite stories when he was a little younger alwaysinvolved magic carpets, and now he was almost within touching distance of what he supposed might bethe closest thing to a magic carpet that he would ever see. He knew asking for a ride in it would be outof the question, but then again, he thought, at this time yesterday he certainly wouldn't have guessedthat he was going to find himself bouncing through the desert on the back of a truck. One never knowswhat one is going to be doing next, was his ultimate conclusion, and in particular that was true whenone was subject to the seeming whims of lieutenants, sergeants and corporals.As if to prove Jose's point, his lieutenant just then had all of the troopers of the platoon form upinto ranks outside of the circle of wagons. He first explained what everyone there already knew, whichwas that the United States Army had permission from the Mexican government to pursue Villa's forcesinto Mexico, where they were to destroy those forces and if possible capture Villa himself.It was a topic that Jose had given some thought to in the past few days. When he had leftMexico he had thought that he would return some day, but he had pictured that day with himself in thestarring role of prodigal son who had made good in a foreign land. Now it seemed that his return toMexico would instead be as part of a foreign army of not-quite invaders. He had not allowed thesethoughts to disturb him overly much, however. Even though his American citizenship had beenpurchased from a sweating, obese man in the back of a bodega in an El Paso barrio, nonetheless Joseconsidered it real in his heart. He had cast his lot with America and as an American. If whatAmericans did was invade, and he was now an American, then he would invade too. Besides, therewas always the chance that once back in Mexico he would be party to yet another battle with the
Page 5 and 6: The Long and Storied Life of Jose M
Page 33: The Long and Storied Life of Jose M
Page 85 and 86:
The Long and Storied Life of Jose M
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111:
show all

The Long and Storied Life of Jose Montoya

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?