Alberto Julián Pérez
Deolinda
Correa [1] was born on the 6th of January of 1819 in the town of La Majadita, close
to Valle Fértil, in the province of San Juan.
She had two brothers and three sisters. Deolinda was known for her
beauty. Her eyes were blue as the sky, and her hair charcoal black. Her parents
guarded her with care. It was not an easy thing to protect a young desirable woman
in those violent times.
When
she reached adolescence, many young men approached the adobe house with any
pretext. One day come an older man, captivated by her charms. He introduced
himself to her parents. His name was Rudecindo Alvarado. He told them he owned
lands in the Province, had friends in the government, and that soon he would be
chief of police of the city of Caucete. Her parents let him know they were
appreciative of his visit. The daughters served him mate[2]
and invited him to partake of fried tortas. He could not take his eyes away
from Deolinda, whom he called “Señorita Linda”. Her beauty had enchanted him.
The young lady breathed tenderness.
After a while, Don Rudecindo
again spoke with her parents. He told them he was thinking of getting married
soon and was considering one of their daughters. They thought that he was too
mature for Deolinda, and told him that their daughter was too young to get
married. Her help was needed around the house and she would stay there until
she was older. Don Rudecindo considered himself a good-looking man, and he
insisted. He told them he was related to the Albarracín family and would one
day be in charge in that region. The parents, rather intimidated, replied that
their house was a humble one, and that he was welcome to visit whenever he
wished. The man, however, was not the type who liked to beg. He was offended
and did not return to their farm.
Deolinda was a docile young lady,
but with a firm character. She was happy and a good companion to her sisters.
She kept her suitors at a distance and never let herself be tempted. She waited
for the man who one day would make her happy. She asked herself what kind of
man he would be. Surely she would know him the instant she saw him. And that is
how it happened. The day came that she met the man who would be her husband,
Clemente Bustos. It was mutual love, the coming together of two souls.
Who was Clemente Bustos?
Clemente Bustos was a proud and
courageous gaucho[3].
He had been born with the country, in 1810, in Portezuelo, La Rioja, where he
was raised[4].
When he met Deolinda, in the spring of 1835, he was twenty-five years old.
Deolinda was sixteen, and her body was in bloom. She had never, until that
moment, accepted a suitor, and her mother worried about her future. When she
saw Clemente, she became filled with sweet emotion. He was tall, strong, and truly
a Federal gaucho.[5]
Since adolescence, he had worked as an arriero[6],
leading mule trains, along with his father and his brothers. He had been a
soldier of General Facundo Quiroga and had fought with him against the
Unitarians.
Clemente
was, like all gauchos, a great horseman. An excellent animal tamer who broke
horses with devotion. He had followed Facundo’s troops when he was seventeen.
He was young, hardened by battle, and looked older. He had fought with Quiroga
at Rincón. Before the battle, Facundo crossed lances with him to encourage the
troops. The two launched their mounts against each other, hold the reins before
contact, and buried their spurs until the horses rose on their hind legs while
they clashed with their lances. The soldiers howled and yelled, and it was like
the start of a fiesta. Quiroga, the Tiger, lead the charge against the army of General
La Madrid. The Unitarians, though twice their number, were able to do very
little. Facundo gained control of the battlefield and defeated La Madrid.
After
Rincón, Quiroga sent a detachment, under the leadership of Chacho Peñaloza, to
the plains of La Rioja, to protect the rearguard. Clemente went with the group.
Peñaloza left them at a camp near the capital and returned to join Quiroga’s
troops, who were getting ready to attack the Unitarians in Cordoba. There, “Manco”
Paz defeated Facundo at La Tablada. [7]
The Tiger returned to La Rioja and formed another army. Clemente marched with
him to the fight against the troops led by General Paz. The clash took place in
Oncativo. Facundo could not beat Paz, who once again defeated him. The army
disbanded and began its withdrawal. Clemente returned to La Rioja and did not
see Quiroga until the next year.
Quiroga,
tireless, reestablished his authority. After a short while, he received the
news that Lopez at Santa Fe had taken prisoner Paz. La Madrid remained
commander of the Unitarian troops and Facundo prepared to attack him. Clemente
went with Facundo. He rode with the vanguard to Tucumán where they confronted
La Madrid at La Ciudadela. The battle was difficult, and after two hours it
seemed to be turning in favor of the Unitarians. Quiroga led the charge of the
cavalry at the front of his men and personally brought them back together after
every charge to once again lead an attack. Clemente was always at his side. His
lance caused great damage among the Unitarians. Finally, La Madrid’s troops
ceded and began to disband. Quiroga and his gauchos triumphed. It was the third
time that the Tiger of the Plains had defeated General La Madrid. Quiroga
returned with his army to La Rioja and soon after, the civil war reached its
end.
The
Federals were in charge of politics. Facundo discharged his troops, and
everything returned to normal on the plains. Clemente decided it was time to
fulfill his dream. He formed a small transport company of mule trains with some
friends from town. They divided among themselves the responsibilities of the
business. Tomás Rivero and Rosauro Ávila tamed and trained the mules. Jesús
Orihuela prepared a troop of horses. Clemente took charge of security. He was
the one with the most military experience, and the roads at that time were
lonely and dangerous. Jesús Orihuela was the only one among them who knew how
to read.
Customers soon appeared. The small transport company started out well.
Their shipments included woven cloth, textiles, tools, minerals, salt, seeds,
and, at times, documents from the Government. Facundo, who had great confidence
in his lancer, intervened, guaranteeing their honesty. The province was a
tightly woven tissue of families who knew each other for many years. Clemente
craved progress, and his business was promising. The transport of goods was
indispensable for the region.
In
1835 they received terrible news: Facundo had been assassinated. The dead of General
Quiroga affected Clemente very much. He admired Facundo, and considered himself
his soldier. He could tell that bad times were coming. The countrymen hoped that
Brigadier López and General Rosas would keep things under control. They all
talked about politics, as most Argentineans do, and they asked themselves what
would happen in the near future. The Confederation had many enemies, both
within and without the country.
Falling in love
The
economic situation in La Rioja remained relatively stable. Clemente´s transport
company continued to progress. It was during that time, in 1835, that he saw
Deolinda for the very first time. He and Jesús were going by Valle Fértil with
their mules on their way to the capital, San Juan. Their shipment included
tools and seeds for the farmers of the region. They stopped in San Agustín to
let the animals rest. That day Deolinda and her sister, Josefina, had gone into
town to deliver jars of marmalade and a poncho woven by their mother to a local
family. Deolinda’s mother was an excellent weaver. Deolinda was a good baker and
had her own marmalade recipe. Clemente and Jesús took their animals to the town
corral and lowered their cargo. They went to the pulpería[8]
to have a glass of caña[9]
and eat empanadas.[10]
They saw the young women walking down the street. Clemente could not
contain himself and went out to speak to them. Jesús, who was married, stayed
in the store. Deolinda’s blue eyes fixed on Clemente, and he felt what a man
feels when an irremediable passion takes him on. Anxiety, fear, desire.
Clemente
begged the young women to let him accompany them. They finally agreed. They
arrived at the place to which they were headed to deliver the jars of marmalade
and the woven poncho. The woman of the house let them in and spread out the
beautiful red poncho, with its black ribbons, over a table. Clemente was able
to admire the artwork of the lady who would become her mother-in-law. Soon they
left and he invited the young women to go to the chapel. He was a believer.
They accepted. The chapel did not have a priest, but a beatified woman opened
its doors every afternoon so that people could go and pray. Every now and them,
a priest from a neighboring town would come to celebrate mass. They got on their
knees before the altar. Deolinda was surprised to see that he was so religious.
Clemente told her that all of the people from La Rioja had a lot of faith. He
prayed loud and pleaded for the soul of Quiroga. The young women did not know
he had been assassinated. They asked him what was going to happen now. He told
them that those responsible had been found and were being tried. It had been a
conspiracy from the government of the province of Córdoba.
When
they returned from San Juan, Clemente and Jesús stopped again. This time they
went directly to La Majadita and Clemente inquired about Deolinda’s family.
They were taking bales of wool from San Juan to La Rioja. The mules were very
weighted down. Deolinda was happy to see him.
Following the customs of hospitality of the zone, she asked them to come
in to their home. Her father had just returned from the countryside, and her
mother was at her loom weaving. They were soon going to eat. All of her
brothers and sisters were sitting at the table talking. It was the time for
prayer. They invited them to dine with the family.
That
day the daughters had done all of the cooking. Deolinda prepared locro[11],
and her sister, Josefina, made the dessert. The father served homemade wine.
Everyone quickly got along. After the meal, Clemente asked for a guitar. The
mother brought him an old vihuela[12] that had once belonged to her
grandfather. Clemente began to sing. He had an agreeable voice, though not
always perfectly in tune. He was a good-looking young man who behaved gallantly.
He sang cuecas and zambas[13].
These songs came and went in the region of Cuyo along the road of the muleteers.[14]
A few weeks later, they went by again. This time, Deolinda was waiting for him.
Clemente brought gifts for the family: he gave Deolinda a necklace of
mother-of-pearl shell he had bought in La Rioja, he presented to her mother a
tablecloth of embroidered cotton and to her father a bottle of cognac. Before
continuing on his trip with his cargo to San Juan, Clemente told her he wanted
to be her boyfriend.
This
formal and respectful courtship was not that uncommon in the area. Cuyo was a
land of farmers. The Correas were very religious. The father would read the Bible to his family every day. He told
Clemente that he had been a seminarian in his youth and had left the Dominican
Seminary to join the Army of the Andes. He fought under General San Martín´s
orders. In the Seminary he had met Friar Aldao, and they become friends. Often
he stopped at their house when he was on his way to La Rioja. They were
Federals and he lamented that Facundo had been assassinated.
Clemente
was unable to read or write. Jesus, in contrast, was literate, and it was he
who took charge of their business accounts. Deolinda had not learnt to read or
write either. Her mother did not want to. The father had taught the oldest son
how to write. The mother maintained that for a woman to care for her family and
to honor God it was not necessary to have these skills.
In
1837 they got married in the chapel of San Agustín. They had their wedding in
La Majadita. The relatives and friends of Clemente attended the ceremony. Deolinda’s
father blessed them and gave the prayers before the dinner. They ate roasted
goat and drank local wine. Her mother served deserts and the wedding cake she
herself had prepared. Deolinda announced that she would continue to go by the
Correa last name, even though she was married, in honor of her family. At that
time, it was socially acceptable for a woman to retain her paternal surname, if
she wished to do so. Clemente was in agreement. What was important for him was
love.
Newly weds
The
newlyweds went to live in Tama, close to Malanzán, in La Rioja. Clemente
conducted his business from there. He promised that he would take Deolinda to
visit her family often. Her parents could come to Tama to visit her whenever they
wished. Clemente enlarged the house he had. He hired a few bricklayers and
added two more rooms.
The
years went by quickly. General Brizuela, a Federal, governed in La Rioja, and Nazario
Benavidez, also a Federal, in San Juan. The economic situation was good. Cuyo
was a prosperous region. The mule train transportation company, owned by
Clemente and his friends, progressed rapidly. His mules and horses came and
went along the roads of La Rioja and San Juan.
Clemente
and Deolinda were happy. She wanted to have many children, and told Clemente
that a woman felt empty without them. That first year, God did not bless them.
Deolinda prayed very much for the miracle to take place soon.
When
Clemente and his associates went on their trips with their mules loaded down,
Clemente would leave Deolinda in Malanzán, with the families of Tomás and
Jesús, who lived there. One day Deolinda told Clemente that she wanted to
accompany him on the next trip. Clemente happily accepted. He did not like to
leave her alone. It would be different when they had children. He prepared a
tame horse for her. They set out for San Juan with a mule train of twenty
mules. His associates did not come. In their place, two peons went with them.
The crossing was slow. The weather was dried. At that time of the year it was hot
during the day and the temperature went down at night.
They
stopped at La Majadita to visit her parents and siblings. The next day they continued
on their trip. They were carrying a shipment for the provincial government.
Upon arrival at Caucete, before entering the city of San Juan, they stopped to
let the mules rest. Clemente took Deolinda to the market. Then they went to the
pulpería[15].
They always had current news. Clemente ordered a rum and Deolinda an horchata[16].
Four police suddenly arrived. The Chief looked at the travelers and greeted
them. He looked insistently at Deolinda. His face seemed familiar to her. She
soon realized who was it. He was the older man who had been obsessed with her,
and had tried to court her when she was very young. They continued on their
trip. They soon saw the dust of two horses approaching them at a gallop. It was
the Chief of Police and a Corporal. They greeted the couple and told them they
were on their way to San Juan. If it were all right with them, they would
accompany the group and protect them. Clemente thanked the Chief of Police, and
told him it was not necessary. The two said their farewells and trotted away.
Deolinda felt very uncomfortable. Even though she was a married woman and
Clemente was a strong and courageous man, stares would always follow her. Her
blue eyes had become more captivating with the passing of the years. She was
not sure if she wanted to tell her husband what had happened with that man so
many years before. She preferred to keep it to herself for the moment. Clemente
was the jealous type. And Don Rudecindo (she finally remembered his name) could
be a danger to them. Luckily, the province was at peace, and they were good
Federals.
In
San Juan, everything transpired normally. They spent the night at an inn. The
next day Clemente and Deolinda went to take a stroll downtown, ate at the
market, and got ready for the trip back.
They had to take a shipment to La Rioja. It included various types of
merchandise and two large chests with government documents. It was a delivery
from Governor Benavidez to Governor Brizuela. The government offered them an
armed escort. Clemente explained that he had been a Facundo´s soldier and they
were capable of defending themselves. His two peons agreed. They were always
armed on their trip, in case of an unforeseen eventuality.
Soon
after they passed through Caucete, the Chief of Police caught up with them. He
told them that they were acting reckless and were in need of his protection. He
was going to accompany them. Clemente protested, but the other insisted. He
joined the mule train, along with a Corporal. Don Rudecindo asked Clemente a
series of indiscreet questions. He wanted to know if he was the owner of the
mules, if the woman was his wife, and where they lived. Every so often he would
turn his gaze toward Deolinda and stared longingly at her. Deolinda would lower
her eyes, feeling that he was disrobing her in his mind.
The
trip was long and tedious. Upon arrival at Valle Fértil they greeted the family
and continued in their march. They could not stay longer. They passed through
Malanzán and arrived at Tama. They spent the night at their house before
continuing on to the city of La Rioja. Don Rudecindo asked if he could spend
the night in their home. Deolinda said no. The two policemen found a place
under a quincho[17].
Deolinda then told Clemente what had happened. Her husband was furious at the
audacity of the man. He understood that this was a very dangerous situation for
them. He asked her not to stay in the house alone, and that they continue
together on the trip to the capital. The next day they all started toward La
Rioja. One of the peons went on ahead on horseback to announce their arrival to
the government officials. Don Rudecindo continued in his small talk with
Clemente, feigning friendship. Clemente acted carefully. He was astute. The
policeman was up to something. They arrived at La Rioja. Don Rudecindo bid them
farewell and returned to Caucete. They were sure they would see him again.
Clemente told his wife that the next time they found him he would confront the
man and ask what sort of problem he had with him. Deolinda begged her husband
not to do so, since he might put them in conflict with the government. Clemente
assured her that he would find someone to protect them. Happily her worries
never materialized. Don Rudecindo never returned to Tama and Clemente did not see
him on his trips to San Juan.
Mother at last
By
the end of 1838, Deolinda was pregnant. They were very happy. Deolinda promised
to build an altar in Tama to the Virgen de los Desamparados[18].
Her father has put her under the virgin’s protection.
Her
son was born on the 15th of August of 1839, the day of the
Assumption of Mary, in La Majadita. Her mother and some of the women neighbors
helped in the birth of the child. The infant looked like his father and had the
blue eyes of the mother. Clemente decided to name him Facundo, like his hero.
Facundo Bustos was baptized on the first of September in San Agustín, Valle
Fértil. The couple felt grateful. Their first child had been born. They hoped there
would be many more. Facundo was a precious child. His mother sensed her boy looked
at her through her own eyes. Clemente believed he had inherited his blood and
his strength. It was an almost perfect union. They were three, and yet they
were one. They knew they were fortunate. They prayed daily, and Deolinda felt
her faith had grown. God had given her what she had so much wanted: a son.
She
committed herself to the sweet labor of motherhood. Her body and her blood were
now part of a transcendent reality. The roads of the world converged toward the
secret of her maternity. Every day she spoke to the Virgin. She felt that she
heard and understood her. Deolinda wanted to be her friend. Mothers are always
willing to give everything for their children. Every time Facundo took to her
breast, she was seized with an unmistakable emotion. The child looked at her
with his enormous, amazing eyes. They were the color of the sky over San Juan.
Pure, clean, of a velvety light blue.
Clemente
stayed in La Majadita to accompany his wife. His associates took care of
business in La Rioja. December arrived, and happiness seemed to have no limits
for the family. Their economic situation was constantly improving. The company
was well known and respected in the two provinces where it operated, San Juan
and La Rioja. They planned to expand, to hire more employees, mule train
drivers who would take the loaded animals down the roads and increase their
profits.
At
the end of the year, an unexpected entourage arrived at La Majadita. Friar and
General Aldao was passing through the area and stopped to visit Deolinda’s father.
He was accompanied by an escort of ten soldiers, who took a position under a
tree, close to the house. The Friar hugged Deolinda, congratulated her on her
son, Facundito, and greeted her husband. Clemente told the General he had been
a soldier under Quiroga and had fought at his side in La Cuidadela. Upon
hearing him speak of The Tiger, Aldao expressed a profound sadness. He
complained of the horrible crime and of the cruelty of the Unitarians, who
would not let the civil wars end. In Mendoza things were all right, but the Unitarians
were threatening to attack Buenos Aires. The English and the French were
looking for ways to enter their territory and take over the country. They had
convinced the Unitarian General Lavalle, who was in Uruguay, that the moment
was right to invade the Confederation. They were giving him arms and supplies
to form an Army, and had even offered to transport his men in their ships.
Lavalle had sold out to Imperialism. He was not satisfied at having started the
war in ’28, after having cowardly assassinated Dorrego. He still felt he had
the authority to invade. It could be that they would succeed in decisively defeating
Rosas one day, and that the country would be at the mercy of the Emperor of
Brazil and the French. That would be the day the Unitarians would be satisfied.
But before that, they would have to step over his dead body.
Deolinda’s
father asked Frair Aldao to give the prayer before lunch. José Félix, as he
asked to be addressed (he told them that he was not their General but a
friend), read a section of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, and then they ate in
peace. They reminisced about the times they had shared at the seminary. Aldao
noted how much things had changed. The revolution had dragged all of them
along. They had to sacrifice themselves for the country. After lunch, the Friar
blessed Facundo and praised his mother. He said that Argentinean women were selfless
and courageous. Then, in a private conversation with his friend Correa and with
Clemente, he warned them of difficult times to come. The imminent invasion of Lavalle´s
forces might reach Cuyo. They had to be prepared. Fortunately, the governors of
San Juan and La Rioja were good Federals. Clemente noted that one should be
wary of how gold tends to corrupt men.
“If
the French are behind the invasion, it is dangerous, because they know how to
seduce the ambitious and will pay their price,” said Don Correa.
“That
is the way it is, my friend,” responded Aldao. “The foreigners have already
bought Rivadavia, and it is his fault we lost the Oriental Band. There they
inserted a wedge from where they can plot and threaten us. Thank God we have
Rosas. His cunning was always better than the hypocrisy of the gachupines[19].
Without him, today we would be a French or English colony, as my General San
Martín very well understood. May God grant health to our blond gaucho and may
he live many years. The imperialists are lying in wait.
They
drank their last cup and said their farewells.
The war once more
Months
went by, and the predictions of Friar Aldao came true. In the fall of ’40, they
received the news that the Unitarians had begun their invasion. Lavalle
convinced some of the provinces of the interior of the country to support him.
They united in a Northern Coalition. Brizuela, the Governor of La Rioja,
abandoned the Federal camp. He went over to the Unitarian side and was now a
part of the Northern Coalition. They could attack San Juan at any moment. Soon
after, Clemente’s associates, Tomás, Rosauro, and Jesús, arrived from Tama with
a mule train loaded with merchandise bound for Caucete in San Juan. They told
Clemente not to go to La Rioja while the situation did not improve. They asked
him to protect his family and stay in La Majadita. The province of La Rioja was
no longer a safe place for him. They would take care of the company there.
Clemente
thanked them and they all set out with the loaded mule train bound for Caucete.
There, the unexpected happened. Bad things never come alone. After turning in
their shipment, they went to eat something at the canteen of the general store.
They sat at a table, were served, and began a conversation when Police
Commissioner Alvarado came in. He immediately saw the group and approached
them. He called Clemente by his name. He greeted him and asked about his family.
He invited them to toast and had a shot of rum to his health, but they did not
accept. They told him they had to leave quickly with a new load for La Rioja.
Drinking made the heat unbearable.
The
Commissioner advised them to take care of themselves, since difficult times
were coming, and that people were changing sides.
“Are
you a Unitarian or a Federal?” he asked Clemente sarcastically.
“Federal,
of course. I have been and will continue to be a soldier of Facundo Quiroga,”
he responded.
“What
a pity!” he said mockingly, “Facundo is dead.”
He saluted them all and left.
Alarmed, his friends asked him what had happened with that man. Clemente
explained the situation. Jesús told him he should be very careful, and that if
something were to happen, they would be there to help him.
His
friends went back with the mule train for La Rioja, and he, preoccupied,
returned directly to La Majadita and told Deolinda of the encounter. She
confessed that she was afraid of the Commissioner. He was still resentful that
she had rejected him.
“If
they take you away to fight in the war, who will take care of me?” she asked.
“If
that happens, don’t let him come near you. Hide until I return,” he told her.
“I
would rather be dead than with that man,” Deolinda responded. “I am yours and
no one else’s.” They kissed tenderly. Afterward, she fed the baby. Her breasts
were filled with milk.
At
the end of October, a squad from the army arrived at San Agustín of Valle
Fértil. Clemente was in town. He was at the general store when the soldiers
came in. They said they were recruiting people for the war. Clemente quickly
found out they were Unitarians. The commander was dressed in blue and he look
like somebody from the city. His beard was in the shape of a U. The Unitarians
were unmistakable. There were three other gauchos in the store in addition to
Clemente. One was an old man, and they let him leave. Another said he could not
join them because his wife was expecting. A corporal whipped him across his
face, and they took the man away in shackles. The third one agreed to go.
Clemente did not resist either. He told the commander he would go, but that he
had to say good-bye to his wife. He asked him where his house was. Clemente
answered that it was in La Majadita. He took out a sheet of paper and unfolded
it.
“What
is your name?” he asked.
“Clemente
Bustos,” he said.
The
official perused the sheet of paper slowly, carefully.
“Aha,”
he said. “Your name is right here. It says that we should be careful with you.
We are to guard you well. You will not go to your ranch. Desertion is
punishable by death. We are in times of war. You are now part of the Army of
General Brizuela. Prepare to fight against the tyranny of the Federals.
“Until
recently, Brizuela was a Federal,” Clemente responded. “And a supporter of
General Rosas.”
“Times
change,” said the official. “Nobody wants Rosas anymore. Not the French. Not
the English. Nobody. He will not last another year in power. In 1841 Argentina
will be free.”
The
squad of soldiers left in the direction of Caucete. The Unitarians looked to
control the province of San Juan. Deolinda, upon learning of what had happened,
went to speak to her father. Don Correa tried to calm her down. He asked her to
be patient. He was very concerned about what had taken place. Clemente was very
well established in his mule train business. Everyone knew him. They respected
him. He could be more useful to them as a mule train driver and as a
transporter than as a soldier. Deolinda told him that the Unitarian official
had a list of names. Someone was looking to harm him. Deolinda was afraid. Her
husband was a Federal and she was convinced he would not fight against his own
side.
The escape and the sacrifice
Two
days later, they learned that the Commissioner of Caucete was in San Agustín
del Valle Fértil. Deolinda knew that he was coming to look for her. He was
capable of anything. She built up her courage and decided to escape. She took
her son and wrapped him up well. In her bag she put a loaf of bread and various
slices of beef jerky. Across her shoulders, she hung three small goatskin water
canteens. She told her father that she would follow in her husband’s footsteps
before it was too late. Her father asked her to take his horse. She told him it
would be difficult to ride with a baby, and that she didn’t want to leave him
behind. It would be very easy for someone to follow the horse’s tracks and
catch up to her. She had to go on foot. If she noticed that someone was coming
close or if someone was following her, she would hide. She would be brave. She
was very familiar with the road and with the countryside. Clemente’s
associates, Jesús, Rosauro, and Tomás, would soon go by with a mule train. She
asked her father to tell them that the Unitarians had taken Clemente and that
she had gone after him. Her enemy, the Commissioner of Police, was looking for
her. She begged them to come to her rescue. The father and daughter embraced.
Crying, she said her farewells to her mother and her siblings. They kissed
Facundito and hugged him. This was the end of the month of October.
Deolinda
left with her son. She walked for an entire day and an entire night. Every so
often, she would stop to breastfeed the baby. She constantly watched the road.
She made sure no one followed her. In the morning she left the road and lay
down with Facundito beneath an algarrobo tree, on the hillside. She hid as best
she could. She didn’t want to be seen. She had already emptied one of the
containers of water. She had two more.
She
told herself that she had done the right thing in fleeing from La Majadita. She
would rather die than end up in the arms of the Commissioner. She asked God to
protect her son. “God,” she prayed, “my own life is not important to me, I am
in your hands, but please do not take my son.” She lay her son’s head over her
breasts and fell asleep.
She
waked up at midday and continued on her journey. She walked at a good pace. She
wanted to see her husband. She thought that the column from the army had
already reached Caucete. Perhaps they would be quartered there. Jesús and the
mule train would soon pass by and rescue her. With them, she and her son would
be safe.
Her
son did not seem to suffer the effects of the trip. He slept peacefully. When
he got hungry and cried, Deolinda would stop to breastfeed him. By the end of
the day, she had already finished the water in the second container. She ate
the rest of the beef jerky. Her legs were strong and were holding up well. That
night she prayed again. She asked God to protect them. She pleaded for her son.
Facundo was an innocent soul.
The
following morning she continued in her march. It was very hot. She wondered
what day it was. The Day of the Saints was approaching. That afternoon she
stopped and slept a while. She walked at night. She was running out of water.
It was three days since she had left her home. She couldn’t be too far from the
closest town, she thought. She could load up on water and ask for food there. When
the moon was at its height, she lain down by the side of the road and felt asleep.
She
awoke at dawn. She felt strange. Her son still slept. The surrounding countryside had changed. It
seemed different from the day before. It was drier, more arid. The water had
run out. At times she was dizzy and felt
faint. It was very hot. She saw a carob tree nearby and sat down under its
branches. She wanted to rest and feed Facundo. Perhaps Jesús and his associates
would soon pass by with the mule train. God had to help her. Her mouth was dry.
At nightfall she fell asleep.
The
following day she woke up without any strength. She made sure her son was all
right. He kept feeding at her breasts. She told herself that she did not regret
having set out from her home on foot. She preferred to die with the name of
Clemente on her lips than to fall into the arms of another man. She climbed a
few meters of the slope of the hill to see if she could spot a country house
nearby. She noticed the barren and lifeless countryside, and it reminded her of
the Vallecito region, close to Caucete. But Caucete was far from La Majadita.
She could not have travelled such a distance on foot. Perhaps as she slept, God
had granted a miracle and had taken mother and child far away from where they
were to protect them. Be it as it may, she prayed that His will be done. She
and her son were in his hands.
Perhaps
this was the Day of the Saints. No one came along the path. She descended the
hillside and sat by the road. She covered her baby’s head and lain him over her
breasts. Her eyes began to close and soon she lost consciousness. Her son began
to move restlessly. He was hungry. He put his lips up to his mother’s nipple.
He began to stretch and suck. When he was full, he fell asleep.
Deolinda
died that night. She delivered her soul unto God during the night of the Day of
the Dead. At dawn, Facundo again looked for the milk in the breasts of his dead
mother. He suckled until the milk started to flow. Under the uncertain light of
the early morning an angel descended from heaven. He had smooth skin and a
feminine form. He sat next to Deolinda’s body. Facundo looked at him bewildered.
The angel returned his gaze. In his eyes there was heaven and eternity.
The
sun came up and the temperature started to rise. Hours went by. The child
continued to rest on his mother’s breasts as if he were laying on a bed of
roses. At noon he was hungry and again sought out his mother’s milk.
Miraculously, it continued to flow. The angel folded up his wings and sat next
to the child. He looked on lovingly as the child ate. He was his guardian
angel. He elevated his gaze onto God, the Father. It was the All Soul’s Day,
November 2. After eating, the baby slept peacefully for a long time. The angel
stayed by his side.
The
baby woke up and looked at his guardian. The angel unfolded his wings and rose
up into the air. He looked down the road. A caravan was not far away. It was
Jesús and his friends. The angel left.
The
caravan soon arrived and saw the mother and child. They knew everything. They
wondered how Deolinda could have arrived there by simply walking. They had
hoped to find her sooner. It seemed a miracle to them that she had walked such
a great distance. When Facundo felt someone’s touch, he began to cry. He was
hungry. Jesús tried to awaken the mother, thinking she was asleep. He soon
realized that she was dead. From her naked breast emanated a thin string of
milk. He let the child approach her nipple. He ate until he was satisfied.
Deolinda’s
body was already smelling bad. The friends lamented her fate. They wrapped her up
in a red poncho and loaded her onto one of the mules. They realized they could
not go very far with her corpse. The sun was getting hot. They finally decided
to bury her in Vallecito and take the child with them. They covered the cadaver
with rocks and placed a cross on the mound. Jesús used a piece of carbon to
write, “The Deceased Correa”. They continued on their journey to Caucete to
deliver the load and to find out if Clemente was there. Upon arrival, they learned
that the soldiers had stopped by there but left shortly.
They
decided to return to La Majadita to deliver the child to his grandparents. They
took a canteen with goat’s milk to feed him. But the child did not want to eat.
They saw that he had a fever. They gave him water and moistened his forehead,
to see if his temperature would go down. By the time they arrived to Vallecito,
where they had buried Deolinda, the child had already died. He was an innocent,
a little angel, and they thought he had wanted to join his mother in heaven.
They wrapped him in his little blanket and buried him there. They made a small burial
mound next to the other tomb. After the ceremony they continued toward La
Majadita.
Clemente’s fate
The
second of November, a few leagues from there, Clemente, who was marching with
the squad, decided to escape. They had told him they were going to fight the
Federals. He would rather risk his life and desert from the squadron. He would
not spill the blood of his people. This would offend the memory of his leader.
He was a man of honor and was not afraid of death. He had learned to hold his
ground when he rode with Quiroga. One had to live fighting and die on one’s
feet. That night, while the others slept, he escaped. The Unitarian Lieutenant
that led the squad sent three of his men to follow Clemente. Two days later
they caught up to him. He had lain down to sleep. They returned him to the
Lieutenant. Someone who knew Clemente spoke on his behalf and said he was a
good man. That his life should be spared. The Unitarian showed no mercy. He
formed a firing squad and had him executed immediately. Some time afterward, the
Unitarians were defeated by the Federals. The Lieutenant that had Clemente
executed was one of the prisoners executed by General Aldao, in retaliation for
the murder of his brother, whom he had sent to negotiate with them.
The final miracle
Jesús
and his companions arrived at La Majadita and told Deolinda’s father about the
fate of their daughter and their grandson. He wondered how his daughter could
have traveled such a great distance on foot, carrying her child. God had to
have intervened. It wasn’t something humanly possible. As much of a believer as
he was, he asked himself if God could have granted this miracle. The locals
always looked for favorable signs from Him. They were a people of a profound
faith.
The
family was devastated. The Commissioner of Police of Caucete had gone by there
a few days back. He had asked for Deolinda. When told she wasn’t there, he left
without explanation. The father decided to visit the tombs of his daughter and
his grandchild. He prepared his horse and set out. While he was on the road, he
prayed fervently. He pleaded to God for their souls. He soon felt a great
thirst, took his canteen and drank. The water had a strange taste. It was
sweet. He spilled a little of the contents and noticed that the water had been
transformed into a whitish liquid that tasted like mother’s milk. He understood
that it was a divine sign. He wondered if God had chosen his daughter to make
His presence known among them, and if by this sacrifice He wanted to remind
them of the sacrifice of His son, who had also suffered from thirst upon the
cross. The world was thirsty for miracles and for love. God was very much
needed.
“Some
day, I foresee,” he said speaking to the soul of his daughter, “that mothers
and travelers will do pilgrimages to visit your tomb, to ask you for favors and
miracles. You were a model of marital fidelity and of maternal devotion. You
gave your life for your husband and your son. You were inspired by the Mother
of God, the mother of us all. You, who were so strong, will keep vigil over all
of those who need your protection. You will intercede before God. You shall be
the Mother of Love and of Justice. You will guide travelers on their journeys,
calm their thirst, and protect their homes.”
When
he arrived at the graves, he prayed for the two souls. At that moment the Angel
who had previously visited his grandson appeared. The father saw that the Angel
had blue eyes, much like Deolinda’s. He looked up to the heavens and thanked
God.
“We
suffer so much in this world, Lord. We need Your solace and Your love.”
Translated into
English by Rolando J. Díaz, Ph.D.
[3]
An Argentinean cowboy.
[5] Federals and Unitarians were two
opposing political parties during the civil war of the time.
[6] Mule team driver.
[12] A rustic guitar, made by a local
craftsman.
[13] Traditional folk songs of
Argentina.
San Juan, San
Luis and Mendoza.
[15] A general store that also serves
as a drinking establishment.
[16] A sweet, rice and milk based
drink.
[18] The Virgin of the Helpless.
[19] A pejorative term for Spaniards.
Published in Alberto Julián Pérez,
Cuentos argentinos (La sensibilidad y la pobreza),
Lubbock, TX 2015, p. 199-216.
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