A Life Immaculate

Summer stretched out between spring and autumn quite well, filling the empty spots in several people’s lives. Now, the days grew shorter and it was time for the girls to return to their parents in Arequipa.
On Lina and Teresa’s last night in Cusco, they stayed up late at night with Uncle Jorge and Aunt Paola, playing cards, talking, and telling jokes. Aunt Paola had even stirred up a brew of coffee, chocolate, and sugar. The girls thought it was delicious.
Uncle Jorge rose early the next morning, but let the girls sleep in. There was to be a long trip home.
“Good afternoon,” greeted Uncle Jorge as Lina rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“Afternoon? Already?” groaned Lina.
“And your plane is leaving in just a few hours,” added Uncle Jorge.
“I’m not even ready.”
“Aunt Paola and I packed your bags early this morning.”
Lina breathed a sigh of relief.
“Wake your cousin. Your Aunt fixed a going-away meal.”
Uncle Jorge returned to the kitchen, helping Aunt Paola prepare the table. In short order, Lina stirred Teresa from sleep, took a shower, then returned to Teresa’s bedsde. Teresa had fallen back to sleep.
“Get up!” she said.
“I’m up! I’m up!”
Teresa went to the bathroom while Lina brushed her hair. Lina gathered her thick black hair in her hand, pulling it into a ponytail with her red and white elastic band. At that moment, Teresa came out of the bathroom.
“What should I wear on the plane?”
“Whatever’s comfortable,” replied Lina.
“Will you help me pick something?”
Lina nodded. “You really don’t need my help. Put on a pair of comfortable shorts and a shirt.”
“Which one?”
“Any one. Here, take this brown one.”
“I like green better.”
Lina sighed. “Then wear your green one.”
Teresa pulled on her green shirt and looked in the mirror.
“Do you really like brown?”
“Not as much as green,” replied Lina as she rolled her eyes.
“Then green it is,” said Teresa. As she brushed out her hair, she watched Lina watch her in the mirror.
“May I borrow your red and white elastic band?”
“The one I’m wearing?”
“Oh! Yes, that one! I love that one!”
Lina pulled the scrunchy out of her hair and handed it to her cousin.
“Thank you so very much.”
Lina figured Teresa was just in one of her moods. Without another word, Lina went to the kitchen to see what her Aunt Paola had cooked.
On the kitchen table, there was enough food for a holiday gathering. Casseroles of beans and potatoes and carrots surrounded a large platter of sweet roasted ham.
“Is your cousin awake?”
Lina nodded, “We will never be able to each so much.”
“What you don’t eat, I’ll pack up and you can take home.”
“Where should I sit?”
“Wherever you want.”
Just then, Teresa came out of the bedroom and joined everyone at the table. Uncle Jorge led the prayer, giving thanks for good food and great company. Everyone said Amen and then began eating.
“That’s a pretty ponytail holder. It looks just like Lina’s,” said Aunt Paola.
“It is mine,” grumbled Lina.
“I don’t have a ponytail holder of my own,” replied Teresa.
Uncle Jorge cleared his throat. “I think this would be a perfect time to give you two your going-away presents.”
“We get presents?” asked Teresa.
“You sure do. I have a feeling they’ll come in handy right about now.”
Uncle Jorge reached under his chair and pulled out two small boxes. One had a green ribbon. The other had a red ribbon.
“The one with the red ribbon belongs to Lina and the one with the green ribbon belongs to Teresa.”
“Just like our favorite colors. How did you know?” said Teresa.
Uncle Jorge smiled, “An Uncle knows these things.”
Teresa and Lina opened their boxes at the same time. As they removed the lids, each of the girls crinkled their noses. Teresa held up a black ponytail holder and lina held up a pink hair band. Teresa crinkled up her nose.
“Don’t you like it?” asked Aunt Paola.
“It’s…nice,” she replied.
Lina also wore an unpleasant face as she frowned at the hair band.
“You don’t like yours, either?”
“Well…”
“I think it’s pretty,” said Teresa.
“Would you like to trade?”
“Boy, would I!” exclaimed Teresa. The girls exchanged gifts. Teresa pulled the red and white ponytail holder out of her hair, handing it to Lina.
Lina wore her old ponytail holder around her wrist while she tried out the new black one. Lina smiled, happy with her new accessory. Teresa pulled her pink hair band over her forehead, pushing her hair out of her eyes.
“Perfect!” said Uncle Jorge.
“Perfect,” answered Lina.
After everyone ate to their heart’s content, Aunt Paola packed some sweet ham for the trip. Uncle Jorge also gave the girls bundles of Suri fur to take back to Arequipa.
Everyone squeezed into Uncle Jorge’s hatchback and rode to the Airport. Aunt Paola and Uncle Jorge kissed the girls goodbye and wished them a safe journey. As the plane took off, they stood in the parking lot and watched the jet fly into the sunset.
Although Lina had dreamt of being a world traveler, this summer she had gotten quite enough of planes, trains, busses, motorcycles, and fishing boats to last her quite a while. Arriving home was the only thing she wanted now.
Life in Arequipa was much the same as when they left. The girls returned to their daily lives, going to school and studying hard. Months passed in the blink of an eye. The girls almost forgot what living on the Alpaca Ranch was like. In fact, the excitement they brought back from their trip died soon after the school year started. It wasn’t until some time later that Lina Vasquez was remind of her Uncle Jorge and Aunt Paola Vasquez.
In early December, condors flew high above Arequipa, Lina and Teresa joined their mother and father for the Festival of the Immaculate Conception.
Lina and Teresa sat in the cathedral, listening to the bell choir. Bell ringers stood in a line, wearing purple robes and holding polished brass bells in the gloved hands. They played songs celebrating the Virgin Mary. Sunshine streamed through the slits of stained glass windows. Lina giggled as she thought about Uncle Jorge.
“What’s so funny?” Teresa whispered.
“Uncle Jorge and the magic egg.”
Teresa chuckled. “That was funny.”
“Shhh!” commanded her mother.
The girls sat in the pew, whispering back and forth during Mass. As soon as they arrived home, Aunt Beatriz scolded the girls.
“The two of you were awfully talkative during Mass.”
“We’re sorry,” replied Carolina, “we were just talking about Uncle Jorge and Aunt Paola.”
“You miss them?” asked Beatriz.
“I do,” said Carolina.
“Me, too,” added Teresa.
“You’ll see them next summer,” said Aunt Beatriz.
“It seems so far away,” sighed Teresa.
“It’ll be here before you know it.”
As was tradition, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception was a time for quiet prayer and good food. Everyone changed out of their good clothes while Aunt Beatriz fixed a hearty breakfast, including sweet roasted ham and fried eggs. She scrambled a pan of eggs with onions and tomatoes. She made a second pan, with only eggs and cheese, for Teresa.
“May I have an egg?” asked Teresa.
“I’m cooking yours right now,” replied Aunt Beatriz.
“I’d like a fresh one, in the shell,” she said.
“What on earth for?”
“A magic trick,” replied Teresa.
Teresa went to her seat at the kitchen table with her egg. She balanced the egg on its end.
“Tah-dah!” she exclaimed.
“You can’t do that! It’s Immaculate Conception!” cried out Lina.
The girls laughed themselves silly, until they finally told the story of Uncle Jorge, the hitching post of the sun, and the magic egg.
“That sounds just like our little brother,” chuckled Uncle Arturo.
“As stubborn as a mule,” added Uncle Jose.
Still, the girls missed their Uncle. In addition to his stubbornness, he was a good joke teller. Sometimes, the girls would laugh until their sides hurt and Aunt Paola would have to get him to stop.
Uncle Jorge’s favorite part of the summer wasn’t the extra workers, but two extra bodies to liven up the otherwise quiet and lonely house.
Although Aunt Paola cooked for Uncle Jorge every night, it seemed a rare occasion that they got to enjoy each other’s company during dinner half as much as they did in the summertime. Aunt Paola would also miss the girls.
“Mom?” asked Carolina.
“Yes, dear?”
“Can we write a letter to Aunt Paola and Uncle Jorge?”
“I think that would be a splendid idea.”
As soon as the girls finished their last bite of sweet roasted ham and fried eggs, they went off to the bedroom with pencil and paper.


Dear Uncle and Auntie,

We spent Immaculate Conception eating and balancing eggs. School is fun. Teresa read four books about Machu Picchu for her reading class. She had some things she wants to show you when we return. Lina is taking a sewing class. She has been learning how to work the loom. She is making a poncho with the Alpaca fur we took home.
Our moms and dads both say ‘hello’ and wish they could see you for the holidays. If not, maybe they will drive us out to Cusco next time we visit.

Take care and kiss Paco for us,
Teresa and Lina

They folded the envelope and sealed it with a stamp and a kiss. Carolina placed it in the mailbox. The next day, the postman picked it up and delivered it with care to the post office. The note rode in a plane to Cusco, where another postman delivered it to the mailbox of Aunt Paola and Uncle Jorge.
Aunt Paola read it to Uncle Jorge one night during dinner. Afterwards, she tucked the note back into the envelope and kept it with all her other cherished notes, tucked in the pages of her bible.
Late at night, she sat at her kitchen table and wrote the girls.


Dearest Lina and Teresa,

There is not an evening your Uncle and I do not share memories of this last summer. We have made it a regular activity to eat dinner at the kitchen table. We both miss you a ton. We hope your studies are going well. Uncle Jorge is anxious to wear his poncho.
Even now, Uncle Jorge would not believe the truth about eggs and the Equinox. I balanced an egg on the table for him today. Unfortunately, tomorrow is the Equinox. He argues that this proves his point even more. Eggs can only balance on the their end during Equinox and the Solstice.
I don’t think I’ll ever win!

Take care,

Auntie Paola