Bless Me, Ultima(64)

I turned at Allen’s Market and the blast of wind struck me in the face. There was no protection here. I thought of going into the store, but I remembered that Andrew hadn’t come to work. He was probably home, sleeping safe and warm.

I buried my head in my jacket and edged my way down the sides of the buildings. I was moving carefully, so as not to slip on the ice, when I passed the doors of the Longhorn Saloon. Suddenly the door of the bar crashed open and two giant figures came hurtling out. They bumped against me as they tumbled into the street, and sent me reeling against the wall. From there I watched the most savage fight I had ever seen.

“¡Te voy a matar, cabrón!” one of the men screamed, and I recognized the evil voice of Tenorio. My blood ran cold.

They tumbled into the snow like two drunken bears, kicking and striking at each other, and their cries and curses filled the air.

“¡Jodido!” the heavier man grunted. It was Narciso!

When I recognized Tenorio my first impulse was to run, but now I could not move. I remained frozen against the wall, watching the fearful scene.

“¡Hijo de tu chingada—!”

“¡Pinche—!”

Blood from their battered faces stained the snow. They dropped to their knees clawing for each other’s throats. It was only the bartender and the two men who followed him into the street that prevented them from killing each other.

“¡Basta! ¡Basta!” the bartender shouted. He grabbed Narciso and tried to pull him off Tenorio. One of the men helped him while the third one got in front of Tenorio and pushed him back.

“¡Por la madre de Dios!” they pleaded.

“I am going to kill that bastard!” Tenorio screamed.

“You do not have the huevos!” Narciso shouted back. “You are only good for raising putas—”

“¡Ay maldecido!” Tenorio grunted and hurled himself at Narciso. The two came together again, like two rams locking horns, and the bartender and the other two men had to pull with all their strength to pry them loose.

“¡Cabrón! Cuckold of the devil himself, who slept in your bed and left your wife fat with brujas for daughters!” Narciso taunted, and even as the men struggled to separate them his huge arms flew out and landed with dull, sick thuds on Tenorio’s face and body.

“No more! No more!” the bartender cried as the three men struggled and grunted to hold the two apart. Finally Tenorio pulled away. His face was dripping with sweat and blood. He had had enough. I thought I would vomit and I wanted to run away, but the frightful scene held me spellbound.

“¡Borracho! ¡Puto!” Tenorio called from his safer distance. When he backed away I thought he would see me leaning against the wall, but the snow was thick and his attention was focused on Narciso.

“Old woman with a hot tail for gossip!” Narciso retorted. Both men stood trembling with rage, but they would not clash again. I think they both realized that a second encounter would mean death to one of them. The three men did not have to hold them anymore.

“It is not gossip that another of my daughters is sick!” Tenorio shouted, “and she too will die, like the first one! And it is because of the old witch Ultima from Las Pasturas—”

It isn’t true I wanted to shout, but my voice stifled in my throat. The wind snapped around us and flung our words away.

“It was your daughters who started the evil!” Narciso retorted, “and if you seek to do evil to la Grande I will cut your heart out!”

“We shall see!” Tenorio sneered and backed away with a parting threatening gesture. “I shall find a way to get to the bruja, and if you get in my way I will kill you!” He stumbled across the wind-swept street to his truck.

“¡Ay que diablo!” Narciso cursed, “he is up to no good!” The other men shrugged and shivered in the cold.

“Ah! Only words. Forget this bad thing before it gets you in trouble with the sheriff. Come and have a drink—” They were relieved the fight was over, and wet and shivering they moved back into the bar.

“That devil is up to evil, I must warn la Grande!” Narciso muttered.

“It is nothing!” the bartender called from the door. “Come in before you freeze out there! I’ll buy you a drink!”

Narciso waved them off and the door closed. He stood and watched Tenorio’s truck pull away and disappear in the blinding snow. “I must warn la Grande,” Narciso repeated, “but in this storm I cannot go to Márez!”

I was trembling from fright, but now the nausea left me. I was covered with snow and wet, but my face and forehead felt hot. Like Narciso, I was now concerned with Ultima’s safety. I thought that no man in his right mind would take on Narciso’s brute strength, but Tenorio had and so he must be desperate because of what was happening to his daughter. I was about to approach Narciso to tell him I was going home and would warn Ultima, but he stumbled off into the snow and I heard him mumble, “I will go to Andrew!”