Subject: Book 3: Chapter 5 "Kuma, the curandera"
Author: Robin N (157.198.3.51)
Date: 10-21-1999 18:52
Chapter 5
Renato, a ghost of himself, wanders thru the center of the worker’s
barracks. It’s unfamiliar territory to him—indeed, he’s a stranger
in his own land. Somehow, everything seems to call to him very
deeply, as if for the first time. Yanina, who’s accompanied him,
asks him if he’s enjoying the fiesta and if it’s the first time he’s
been there. He replies, yes, and supposes that she’s never been
there either. No, dona Sofia would never have allowed that, but
Aimee has come many times. She’s even danced there. Renato responds
to this statement angrily, wondering why she’s saying these
absurdities. “Eres una embustera (trickster) y una necia! Mi esposa
no pudo venir aqui… no lo comprendes?” Yanina doesn’t let up. She
tells him that nobody sees anyone here. They come to drink and
dance. The alcohol and music makes them move their feet (but
apparently not Renato’s). An old negro worker approaches him and
offers a drink that’s strong enough to make him forget his own name.
Yanina tells Renato that Aimee’s drunk it many time. She wants to
force his eyes open as to the truth about his wife.
Renato has had enough. He tells her that perhaps it’s better for her
if he doesn’t understand what she’s trying to tell him. It’s not the
first time he’s ordered her to leave him in peace and she won’t do
it. “Acercate, bebe hasta caerte y no vuelvas a vigilar mi esposa ni
a inventar calumnias contra ella!” he tells her he doesn’t want to
hear her gossip, but Yanina gets in the last words, “Tal vez manana
te hiera el dolor como a mi me hiere!”
Meanwhile, in a rough shack, Aimee and Ana are in the presence of
the curandera. She’s tall and strong and ebony skinned. She’s
dressed all in black (wow! that’s got to be hot in the tropics!) Her
name is Kuma and she wants to know what they want—she thinks they’ve
come to mock her. Aimee tells her that’s not true—she’s come because
she needs her help. She’s brought money enough for her to live a
year, but remember that she has powers too, so don’t betray her
confidence. This doesn’t start things off on a good foot. “Quien se
atreve a decir que tiene mas poder que Kuma? Quien?”
Aimee sends the snivelly Ana out to wait for her and turns to do
business with Kuma. The shack is filled with amulets and dried
herbs. Aimee shows her gold and Kuma asks her what she desires.
“Kuma va a complacerte. Te dara la forma de que tu rival se vuelva
fea, el polvo que domina a los hombres mas rebeldes, las gotas que
haran tu escavo de aquel a quien desees, solo con hacerselas tomar
en una taza de café…” Aimee tells her that she hopes her powers are
stronger than that. She goes on to tell her that she knows that Kuma
helps women at childbirth, however she only wants Kuma to testify on
her behalf. She wants Kuma to tell people in words that will make
them believe her that she assisted Aimee after an accident… If she
does as she’s told, all will go well and she’ll get her money: if
not and she betrays her she’ll drive her from the D’Autremont lands.
After all, “Soy la esposa del amo, soy la duena de Campo Real!
Mirame bien, y piensa lo que te conviene!”
Kuma tells her, after long deliberation (spent controlling her own
temper) that she’ll do as she’s ordered. Aimee tells her that it
will have to be soon, perhaps tomorrow. She has a few things to get
ready and this time they can’t make any mistakes.
--Aimee ha ido hacia la puerta. Kuma la sigue, bebiendo cada gesto,
cada movimiento, como si la estudiase, como si se esforzase en
adivinar su mente sagaz, agil en la mentira y el engano. Al fin, una
expresion astuta humaniza su negro rostro: “Tu eres la senora Aimee.
Yo te vi de lejos el dia de tu boda. No entre a la iglesia, pero te
vi de lejos, y tambien se de ti algunas cosas… Dicen que vas a darle
al amo Renato un heredero.”
Aimee responds, “Es lo que dicen… si tu sabiduria no llega mas
lejos… No te dicen mas que eso tus poderes secretos?”
Kuma’s silent a long time as she looks Aimee over head to toe. She
tells her that she’s seen in the fire a son who’s tall and strong,
one who’ll inherit. Aimee tells her that’s not so, nobody can see
that because that child doesn’t exist and never has. Because of that
an accident must happen that will prevent a birth. It will happen
close to her shack so that Kuma’s help will be necessary. Kuma tells
her that she’s asking her to risk a lot for her. She thinks perhaps
she’ll have to go far away and need much more money. Aimee promises
her first 20, then 100 gold pieces and Kuma agrees to the deal. She
calls to Ana who’s been enjoying the dancing. Ana tells her that
everyone’s there, even Renato, but he’s left. Aimee wonders if he’s
left to return to the house. She tells Ana that she should return
too because she (Aimee) needs to speak a little longer with Kuma.
She’s cooking up another diabolical twist to her plan. She explains
all to Kuma.
Sofia calls to Renato as he enters the house. He wonders at her
being up so late, but she tells him her fatigue has nothing to do
with the physical. She’s worried for him and looks at him with
anguished eyes. She wants to know where he’s been. He tells her that
he asked Yanina to tell her, but it’s clear that she’s forgotten her
task. Sofia comments that that’s strange in her, but Renato tells
her that everything about Yanina seems strange to him. He doesn’t
want to speak of this, but tells her that she’s someone “de quien
deberias deprenderte.” Sofia thinks that he’s picked up these
negative ideas from Aimee, who hates her, but Renato tells her that
it’s really Yanina who hates Aimee. For peace in the house he wishes
she’d send Yanina away. Sofia agrees to this. She wonders if it was
just something that happened this night but he tells her that it’s
always been like this. He begs her to accede to his wishes and she
again agrees. She’ll tell her, but she thinks her a victim. She
calls to her, but Renato tells her to leave it for now, besides
she’s not there, she’s at the fiesta. Sofia doesn’t believe this and
asks him to come with her to her room and she’ll have Yanina clear
this up. Renato tells her it’s true, he saw it with his own eyes.
Sofia’s shocked that he was there too. However, Renato has other
things to talk about on his mind, “la verdad de mi corazon.”
Sofia’s alarmed by this. “No la digas en este momento. La verdad de
tu corazon la se, no me la repitas… Espera, espera unos meses… Ven,
ven a mi alcoba. Te he vuelto a ver de pronto tan desorientado, tan
alucinado, como cuando eras nino. Quiero librarte de eso…”
Inside her room he sits with his back to the windows but it’s as if
he senses the mountains, the fires of the workers, the essence of
the world around him and it overwhelms him. Sofia tells him that she
feels that she must defend him against his worst enemy, his own
heart. First he’s friends with that canalla Juan, now he loves a
woman forbidden to him by laws both human and divine. He tells her,
“No ha ninguna ley que le prohiba al corazon los sentimientos. Lo
que la mente piensa, lo que el corazon siente…” She wonders if it
isn’t a mental sin then, perhaps, to continue thinking prohibited
thoughts. She reminds him of his position, power.
Renato tells her that her reproaches go too far. He’s done nothing
unworthy. She trusts in God that he never will. There’s still time
for him, and he shouldn’t return to Saint-Pierre. With a child on
the way, shouldn’t he put aside the shadows and look towards a new
life?
“Solo se vive una vez, madre. Quiero vivir mi propia vida… Yo
comprendo tu punto de vista, pero trata de comprender tu el mio.
Quiero mi vida, la mia, la que bulle en mis venas, no esa que, como
bien dijiste, hicieron los demas para mi… Debe bastarte con que en
lo material no haga nunca nada indigno, o trate de no hacerlo… Es
que crees que no es ya bastante mi martirio? Tarde halle la verdad
de mi corazon. Por que estuve tan ciego?”
Sofia asks him in return, “Why don’t you accept the consequences of
your error, now that you’ve made it?” He tells her that he can’t. He
can’t live that weak and mediocre life a slave to the land and duty.
She wonders why it’s his destiny to run into the abyss. He tells her
that it’s the course of all D’Autremonts: to live for their passions
and die by them. He leaves.
Bautista enters the room to tell her his plans for the next day.
He’s surprised that Yanina’s not there, but assures Sofia that she
should return soon. Sofia tells him that Yanina’s at the fiesta and
that she’s offended Renato enough that he wants to send her away.
Bautista tells her that if being at the fiesta is such an offense
then he’s going to have to fire everyone, starting with his wife.
Sofia asks him what he means by that and he tells her that there’s
no light on in that side of the house. She replies that Aimee could
already be asleep, besides, it’s not for him to judge her. She
demands respect for her son and his wife. Bautista eats crow and
offers to find Yanina. Sofia tells him to go do that. Bautista tells
her that Renato’s drinking, and a lot, but he’s different than his
father was. His father was always good company while drinking.
Sofia’s had enough; she sends him away. He leaves saying that he’s
sure there’s some mistake about Yanina.
At the fiesta, Bautista is told that Yanina’s not there. However,
while he’s there, he spots someone leaving Kuma’s hut. Suspicious,
he demands to know who it was. He’s pretty sure it’s Aimee. She
won’t tell him though. He leaves. In comes Yanina who’s also seen
someone leave. She tries to convince her to tell her who too but
Kuma won’t. She’s nobody’s friend, nor enemy. If he wants some kind
of remedy, then come see her. Yanina plunks down some money. It’s
the last that she owes and she’s not paying any more. Kuma’s amulets
and prayers didn’t work and she was afraid to put the potion into
the coffee (apparently a love potion for Renato). She asked that
he’d love her, smile at her, and nothing happened. Kuma asks her why
she looked so high for love and Yanina tells her, “If my mother won
the love of her master, for one hour, one day, why couldn’t she do
the same?” (Interesting detail here!) Kuma tells her that times have
changed. It used to be that the masters lived amongst them and drank
the same rum and white women were far away. She tells her that she
gave her the medicine she wanted. She can’t help it if Yanina didn’t
have the guts to use it. She’s got to use it drop by drop, more each
day. Perhaps then he’ll come to see her as whiter, more beautiful.
Yanina’s furious that Kuma’s mocking her. She tells her that
Renato’s wife is evil. Kuma tells her she’s seen the ama, on the day
of the wedding. Yanina tells her, no, it’s most likely been a lot
more recent! She’s sure of it. She’s paid her silver, now tell her!
Kuma, the sly fox, tells her that others have paid her gold. This
confirms it for Yanina. Kuma tells her that she’s not afraid of
Yanina as an enemy. “Kuma no teme al alacran, ni a la arana, ni la
hormiga. Tu eres como una viborilla que se arrastra.. Quieres llegar
hasta la rama mas alta del pimentero, pero no podras subir. Tendras
que esperar a que el rayo que baja de las nubes parta la rama, y la
rama baje hasta ti… Aunque no mereces, voy a darte un consejo de
amiga: No quieras llegar hasta el amo, aguarda a que el amo baje
hasta ti. Te di el remedio… usalo poco a poco… y ahora, vete…”
Yanina doesn’t leave right away. She asks Kuma what she sees in the
smoke. She tells her that she sees, “Sangre… fuego… ruina… Lagrimas
en la casa D’Autremont, sangre en las piedras del desfiladero, tanta
sangre como cuando se mato el amo don Francisco. Y despues, ruina… y
despues, fuego… Vi hundirse la casa D’Autremont, y hervir el mar…”
Yanina is shocked by this vision. She begs her to tell her it’s not
so but Kuma remains immobile. She leaves and runs into Bautista
who’s not happy to find her there. He wants to know why she’s there
and don’t bother lying, Renato told him. She begs, calling him tio,
but he doesn’t want her to call him that. He did enough for his
sister supporting her when her mother died, but now the master’s
displeased with her forget it. He wants her to go beg forgiveness
from dona Sofia and Aimee. She feels the flask given her by Kuma and
feels anger at Aimee that Renato should hate her. It strengthens her
resolve to do what Kuma told her!