The Long and Storied Life of Jose Montoya

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The Long and Storied Life of Jose Montoya 42and grew. When Jose heard one of the other soldiers refer to the dice as bones an uneasy feeling creptinto him that perhaps La Catrina's unseen hands were manipulating things in his favor, and he walkedaway from the games.Forced to ponder the motives that La Catrina might have had in influencing the games in hisfavor, the only reason that Jose could really think of was that she really, truly did love him, and as herbeloved she wanted him to be successful. This only increased his internal conflict, since he knew thatnow that he had the money he would be handing it over to the women in the stockade. In the end,however, it didn't matter. Jose was powerless to resist the perfume of the women as it wove its waythrough the barbed wire of their stockade, and he decided that it was better to surrender gracefully totheir scent than to continue fighting a desperate battle which he was sure to lose anyway. His headspinning, Jose marched himself over to the stockade and showed the guard on duty his roll of cash.Once inside the enclosure a momentary panic overcame him, and he came very close to simplyrunning back out again. One of the women standing in the doorway of her hut intercepted him anddragged him inside, however, and Jose soon forgot all of his conflict and left his confusion laying onthe floor of the woman's hut. Jose left the stockade with a wave to all the women, who laughed andwaved back.Subsequent visits were easier on Jose. He was learning about life and about women, and in asemi-backwards way about love. He wanted to have as many teachers as possible, figuring that eachwould have some slightly different lesson for him, and so over the course of time he spread his moneyacross all of the women: Tall ones, short ones, squat ones, slender ones, young ones and old ones, theyall had something to offer him. He came to enjoy them all almost as much for their conversation as forthe physical comforts that they provided. They came to enjoy Jose because he treated them all politely,and was never cruel or mean to any of them. Eventually they even entrusted him with their real names,the names that they were called by their mothers and friends, the names that they would be called by
The Long and Storied Life of Jose Montoya 43genuine lovers when the Americans and their aeroplanes and their stockade left and life returned tonormal. The gift of their names was the greatest honor that they could give to Jose, and he was proudto accept it.The only one of the women who did not entrust Jose with her real name was a pale, slender waifwith long auburn hair that the others called La Brujita, the Little Witch. It was not that La Brujitamistrusted Jose with her real name; rather, neither the women nor she herself remembered what her realname was, or where she had in fact came from. Because of the red hair the speculation among thewomen was that she was of French origin and had fallen upon some terrible misfortune, but no onecould say for certain. The name La Brujita was bestowed when it became obvious that she had theability to cause objects to fly around in the air. This delighted the other women, because La Brujita hadonly a very small measure of control over the objects once she set them to flight, and it was alwaysentertaining to watch and to see what would happen next.Jose, like the ladies in the stockade, was also thrilled with La Brujita's power to make things flyaround, especially since her power seemed greatest and most splendidly out of control during herlovemaking sessions. Jose loved the miniature whirlwind of trinkets, knickknacks and cast-off clothingthat would swirl around the two of them, and he began to wonder if La Brujita might not be able tofocus her power and actually propel a magic carpet through the skies. Other soldiers who came to useLa Brujita's services, however, were not as excited as Jose was about her magical powers. Mostmanaged to ignore the flying objects, while some thought that she was somehow performing a dualsexual and juggling act. Eventually one soldier complained to the Provost Marshal, who was in chargeof overseeing the stockade, that La Brujita was actually throwing these objects at him.The Provost Marshal himself decided to handle the investigation. After a lengthy privateinterview with La Brujita in her hut the Provost left the stockade without speaking a word to anyone,although he did stop and take the prophylactic like any good soldier would. The next day a special hut
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