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loodcurdling cry, followed by the sounds of shattering glass and chairs<br />
being thrashed.<br />
They were horrified. They screamed for her to open the door, but she<br />
didn’t respond. When her husband finally broke the door down <strong>with</strong> an ax,<br />
the family rushed in to see that nearly all her belongings had been broken<br />
and strewn about on the floor. Angelina was bleeding, tearing up the sheets,<br />
and biting herself on the arms. It took six adult men to hold her down on the<br />
bed and restrain her.<br />
While her son relayed the gruesome details, she continued to drool and<br />
rock back and forth on the stool. From time to time she opened her mouth<br />
to try to speak, but the sounds that came out resembled the cries of a<br />
wounded animal.<br />
At one point, I thought I heard her mumble, “Help me, please,” as she<br />
reached out for me, clutching my sleeve and twisting it <strong>with</strong> all that was left<br />
of her ebbing strength.<br />
I wanted to run, but I took a deep breath and let her hold me. A<br />
disturbing cold chill traveled down my spine. The hair on my arms stood<br />
straight up as if electrified.<br />
I looked at Panti again. He was listening intently, tapping his lips <strong>with</strong><br />
the four fingers of his right hand as was his habit when listening to patients.<br />
“A curandera came to see her the next morning. She said prayers for<br />
her and gave her medicine to drink that calmed her down a bit. But <strong>with</strong>in<br />
the hour she was terrible again. The curandera stayed <strong>with</strong> her all night<br />
long praying and giving her teas, but after five days she said she couldn’t<br />
help anymore. She said my mother was possessed by an evil spirit that was<br />
too powerful for her prayers and medicine.”<br />
The curandera told them to take her to Don Elijio, who could not only<br />
subdue the bad spirit but chase it out of her body.<br />
“Don Elijio, my mother has not closed her eyes to sleep for fifteen days<br />
now, nor has any food passed her lips. We fear she will die in this awful<br />
state. We have faith in you. Please help her, señor,” said José, wiping tears<br />
from his eyes and resting both his hands on his mother’s shoulders.<br />
Panti stood up, and all eyes but Angelina’s followed his every move. He<br />
motioned for me to go outside <strong>with</strong> him.<br />
“Put some water on to boil immediately. Put Zorillo in there and get it<br />
boiling good for ten minutes and bring me some hot coals in this can as