Chapter 24

"Milagros?"

I hear Huehue's voice reverb in my head.

"I am here."

Milagros appears before us.

"You fought the bad man, Huehue?"

"Yes. I left him for the soldiers."

"I'm certain that they will do nothing with him."

Sister Romina appears out of the darkened church aisle. We step forward as Milagros rushes to our side.

{Ha! You're actually surprised, Alvaro? I heard her shuffling through the pews. She even tripped once.}

{Sorry. I'm not used to your abilities.}

"Is it because the Commandante hand-picked him to stir trouble in the marketplace?"

Romina looks up and furrows her brow. "How do you know?"

"I've been watching this land for years. Ever since he decided to plant himself here the people of the land have been under duress."

{Huehue? Is this true?}

{Yes it is.}

{But the Commandante didn't become part of the community until a decade ago.}. As if to answer us both, Huehue continued.

"He's actually been making his presence known for some time. He orchestrated several skirmishes between the indigenous people and the settlers for years. He made me very upset, but at the time I couldn't do anything. I was "restricted."

"Probably to set a foothold on the land and present a case to the crown that he'd be the best protection of the colonists." Romina puts her hand to her chin as she thinks out loud. I feel Huehue nodding in agreement.

"And he orchestrated this event as well."

"Yes." Huehue's face is most likely showing no change in expression but I can feel her tail wagging.

"How do you know?"

"We…I mean, I overheard his conversation as the gunman appeared."

"How?" Romina's voice bounces off the walls of the dark, empty church.

"The same way that I can identify all the players in this room."

<Sniff, sniff>

"First, you all need a good bath! You're at least a month overdue."

{Huehue?!}

"Second, I can see their holsters in the darkness. Third, I can even hear their heartbeats."

The men step out of the shadows. Several have bandanas covering their faces.

"Huehue?" Milagros grabs onto our arm and presses her face into our thigh.

{Get Sister Romina out of there…please.}

{She's one of them.}

"Do not worry, Milagros. No harm will come to you." Romina tightens her lips in a subtle grin.

"Sister?"

"These are members of the Rebeldes." Romina holds her hand out to persuade them into the light. I never thought that of Sister Romina. Who knew she would be part of those rebelling against the crown and the Commandante himself?

"The Commandante and his people have been hurting everyone, including the indigenous people. He is pitting the poor against the poor. Making them fear one another and inciting violence among them. In the end, the poor remain poor and all look to him for help."

"I understand. But why tell us this."

"Because my men saw you fighting."

"Tsch. It could have been anyone."

"They saw you transform. I made it a point for them to follow Milagros around since Alvaro was last injured."

{She knew of that?}

"You care about Milagros, don't you?"

Romina looks down at her bare feet. "And Alvaro…". She stopped herself from speaking further.

"So those weird-looking men were watching over me?"

"Yes, Milagros. I'm sorry they frightened you."

"But how do I know who is who…is who?"

"They will be wearing a Rosario around their wrist. That's how we identify members of the Rebeldes."

{So you tie Our Lady with a group of thugs?}

{Alvaro, I'll ask the questions.}

"Isn't it rather deceitful to tie your Holy Mother with violence?"

"No. We are not trying to be violent. We look for alternatives to violence. Mainly deception."

"Lies?" Huehue counters.

"I'm afraid so. I have learned that life is not as black and white, or brown, then others once made us believe. I simply want to stop the death and the violence. If it means to deceive then so be it. I'll renounce my position in the church if need be."

"And tie yourself down with a man, perhaps?" Huehue pulls her ears back and I can feel her hair prickling along her spine.

{Huehue, you are making her uncomfortable.}. I can feel Huehue smiling from ear to ear.

I'm finding out that she can be pretty devious.

"So what do you want with me, Sister Romina?"

"You are strong…"

"Yes?"

"resourceful and…"

"Yes?"

"and not of this world."

"That's true for us both you know? But that is neither here nor there."

"I know not if Our Señora brought you to us, but you have definitely answered our prayers. We need help and we cannot defeat the tyrant alone."

"I don't know. I'm tasked to help Milagros and her father only. I need to ask them first."

"I don't mind, Huehue. If you help them, you help us in the end."

{What about you, Alvaro?}

{It's up to you Huehue.}

{I'm here to serve you two.}

{I am very thankful for your kindness and generosity, Huehue. But in the end, it is up to you. It is your life to do what you wish. Even if you desire not to help us anymore. We respect…I mean I respect whatever decision you make. And I will stand by you if you will allow me to.}

{Don't be dumb. Although, I…wasn't quite expecting that.}

{What is there to expect? You are a leaving, breathing, thinking creature. You have every right under the sun to decide for yourself and make yourself happy, most of all}

"Alvaro says that the decision is mine." Milagros and Romina look at Huehue with confused expressions on their faces.

"And I decide I will help. I've seen too much hurt, too much pain over the years. Maybe it's time to do something about it."

"That's great. Thank you, Huehue."

Milagros tugs on our blouse. "By the way…how do you know what Papi says". Milagros jabs Huehue with her finger.

"Ha…ha, ha, ha…". Huehue laughs nervously.

"Well you see, we have to get going. You know where I will be when you need me."

Romina bows at the waist towards us. "Thank you, Huehue."

We leave the back door of the sanctuary and into the darkness of the night back home…to me.

…