SURGERY
By Jim
TRIO CHALLENGE 35
: Shears, chair, tomato~~~~~
Doctor Robert Helm sat on his horse on a hill overlooking the Alvarado Hacienda. The young Dona Alvarado had invited him to dinner. Dinner was at seven but it was now only half past four. His last patient had been at two and he cleaned up his surgery before attempting a culinary surprise for his hostess.
Many of his patients paid him with food instead of coin. He always seemed to have enough vegetables and chicken. Today he would put some of it to good use as he hated to be invited to dinner and come empty handed. He took out a tomato, onion, bell pepper, cilantro and some jalapenos. He would make a sauce to die for; or of. The jalapenos were hot and the local inhabitants preferred their food a little spicy but this would be real spicy.
As he watched the house, he noticed Dona Alvarado walk out of the vineyards with a basket full of grapes in one hand and heavy shears in the other. His mind was in turmoil. His heart belonged to the mysterious bandita who visited him at the most inopportune moments. Now he was here to be with a young spoiled rich brat whom he normally would not have noticed. All she cared about was parties and gossip. At least that is what everyone assumed. Helm's eyes scanned the hacienda. It had been in ruins when Tessa had come back to Alta California. Now it was a beautiful hacienda with even the roses coming back to bloom.
He always had thought of her as a spoiled rich brat. Now, looking at this hacienda he knew he was wrong. Over the last few weeks his thoughts had started to change. Sometimes the perfect person for you is the one you least expect, thought Helm. Would a spoiled rich brat go into the vineyards herself to cut grapes? No she would send a servant.
Maria Teresa Alvarado was not the person she presented to the public. He knew that sometime ago she had faced down a racing horse and buggy and calmed the horse. She had stood side by side Mary Rose to defend the former pirate's son.
All alone except for her companion and friend, Marta she had single handedly rescued the hacienda from ruin and made it as successful as it was when her father was alive. There was definitely more to Senorita Alvarado and Helm wanted to know more.
He nudged his horse down the hill, dismounted and knocked on the door. Senorita Alvarado opened the door with the shears still in hand.
"Buenos Tardes, Senorita. Do you always answer the door with a pair of large shears in your hand?"
Tessa looked at Helm trying to see the back of his neck. "What better timing Doctor, you do need a haircut, come find a chair."
"My hair is fine the way it is Senorita, I didn't know you were a barber. I brought this for you," he said handing her the jar of sauce.
"I didn't know you were an expert in the culinary arts, Doctor, you surprise me," she teased.
"One does not stay a bachelor as long as I have without learning how to prepare a meal. It isn't everyday I get invited to dinner by the most attractive Senorita in the pueblo."
"Why Doctor, you are much more than you seem. A Physician, a chef and a charmer all rolled up into one handsome package."
Suddenly both seemed uneasy by the exchange as both were blushing. Fortunately Marta appeared and ushered them into the kitchen. Helm pulled a chair away from the table for Tessa to sit on. Marta brought out some toasted tortilla and broke them into pieces after pouring the sauce Helm brought into a bowl. Marta dipped a chip into the mixture and dropped it into her mouth. She nodded enthusiastically and then went for a glass of water. Tessa also took a bite and the steam could almost be seen coming from her ears and a red flush appeared in her face.
Marta came back to the table.
"That was wonderful. What do you call this salsa?"
"It doesn't have a name. It is just something I concocted today. Why don't we just call it salsa? Tessa did you enjoy it?"
Tessa opened her mouth and nodded her head but no sound emerged. Her eyes were still filled with tears. Finally she was able to gasp, "what did you put it there?"
"Tomato, onion, jalapenos."
Marta laughed, "maybe next time you should cut down on the jalapenos. You know if I breathed on a lit candle I would probably explode."
Suddenly there was a sound of racing horses. Tessa, Marta and Helm went outside to see a work wagon racing to the hacienda. Aboard was Pablo the manager of the winery, Julio one of the vineyard workers and Maria his wife.
"Senorita," called Pablo as he pulled back on the reigns, "Juanito fell and has been hurt, we need help."
Helm out ran Tessa and Marta to the wagon. Helm issued orders to Pablo and Julio as he carried the boy into the kitchen. The boy had fallen onto a log and a broken branch had penetrated the boy's body on the side. Pablo retrieved Helm's medical bag from Equus, as Helm never left home without it.
Putting the boy on the kitchen table, Helm looked around. "I need some more light, please get some more candles."
Tessa and Marta raced around the house getting several candlesticks but Helm was not satisfied.
Tessa took Julio with her down the hallway and returned with two wall mirrors. They positioned them so that the reflection from the light concentrated on the boy's wounded body. As Helm carefully examined the boys wound, Tessa approached the boy from the other side of the table.
"It is times like this I need four hands," muttered Helm.
"Can you use my two?" replied Tessa.
Helm looked up and their eyes met.
"Yes I can."
Instructing Tessa on what he wanted her to do, Helm set about removing the wood from the boy and cauterized the wound with a hot poker supplied by Marta.
"I would rather not have used the poker, but since I didn't have all my instruments and there was no time, I had to do it."
"You saved his life, Doctor."
Helm looked at Tessa and saw the blood that had gotten on Tessa's clothes. "You helped. That was not the action of a spoiled rich brat, Tessa. There is a lot more to you than meets the eye."
Tessa suddenly out her hand to her forehead. "I think I am going to faint." With that she withered into Helms arms.
"Marta, I have been reading of a cure for fainting."
"What is it Doctor?"
"Come I will show you." Helm picked up Tessa easily in his arms and went outside. Marta followed closely. Tessa open one of her eyes to see where they were headed.
Helm stopped at the horse trough. "A woman who can stop racing horses, rebuild a hacienda, help an injured boy during surgery doesn't suddenly faint unless they are ill, and Tessa does not appear to be ill. The treatment is to dunk them in a horse trough."
Tessa opened both of her eyes and tried to squirm from Helm's arms. "You wouldn't dar . . ."
Her sentence stopped as her body made contact with the water and her head went under. Tessa fought her way to the surface, spitting and fuming. A few Rom curses exited her mouth but she stopped when she saw that Helm and Marta were walking away from her laughing.
"I hope she stops portraying the meek mild Dona in front of me."
His words were cut short, as he and Marta were suddenly drenched with water. They turned to see Tessa standing in front of them with an empty bucket and a crooked smile.
"Come children let's go dry off. This night air is not good for us," snickered Marta as she took Tessa's Helm's arms in her own and led them to the house.
END
THE VISITOR
By Jim
A mystery, a pistol and a shawl
Rating G
~~~~~
"Marta, have you seen my cameo broach?" Tessa asked as she waded through her room like a tornado.
"Tessa, I couldn't find the floor if I tried," replied Marta as her eyes took in the devastation of the room. Every piece of clothing in the armoire and dresser had been scattered around the room. "I swear Tessa, you tore through all your clothing. Did you check the bed?"
Marta clasped her hand over her mouth at what she had just said and watched as Tessa turned and ripped the bedclothes from the bed, the sheet landing on Marta and covering her completely.
"Nothing," shouted Tessa and then turned to see a sheet shrouded Marta standing in the middle of the room. Giggling, she undraped Marta, who had a scowl on her face. "Marta this is getting to be a big mystery, one I don't find amusing. There is a thief in this house."
"Does that thief wear a mask and a red sash?" Marta countered as she flipped her hair out of her face. The look she got from Tessa would stop a horse at full gallop.
"It isn't funny Marta."
"Who's laughing?" replied Marta stifling a giggle. "Let's pick up all these clothes and start over."
The two women searched every piece of clothing again, replacing the items in their proper place and remade the bed. After two hours, they gave up. Tessa took off her hoop earrings and placed them on the dresser.
"After all of this, I want a glass of wine, Marta. Will you join me?"
"Most assuredly," replied Marta.
They went to the kitchen and as Marta opened a new bottle of wine, Tessa returned to her room for a shawl.
"Marta!"
Startled by the yell, Marta ran towards Tessa's room to find Tessa staring at the dresser top.
"Tessa, what is it?"
"My earrings. I put them there not five minutes ago and they're gone."
Suddenly they heard a soft scratching as if something was being dragged across the floor. They followed the sound to the steps of the cellar. As Marta lit a hurricane lamp, Tessa went and picked a pistol and loaded it.
"Let's go," said Tessa.
Marta hesitated. Tessa looked at her; "he who hesitates is a damned fool Marta, come on."
Seeing the emotion of anger in Tessa's face, Marta held the light high and followed Tessa down the dark stairs. The lamp illuminated the cellar. A scurrying was heard towards the back of the cellar.
Cautiously, Tessa approached the intruder with the loaded pistol cocked and aimed.
Marta suddenly started laughing hysterically as the light clearly showed a determined armed Tessa ready to engage in battle with the owner of 2 beady eyes. The pack rat stared back at her with the hoop earrings in its mouth.
"Bang!" Marta yelled causing Tessa to jump and fire the pistol toward the wall, the bullet striking a wooden post. The terrified pack rat dropped the earrings and high tailed it into a hole in the wall. Carrying the lamp to the wall she shone the light into the hole and looked in. Reaching into the hole she felt around and pulled out twenty gold reales, three forks, a small dagger and the cameo broach.
"To the victor goes the spoils," said Marta grinning and holding up the items.
Tessa looked at the items, the pistol in her hand and the hole in the wall and realized how foolish it looked. "Would that be called overkill?"
The women laughed and started back up the stairs. Two beady eyes looked out another hole in the wall four feet higher than the first hole. I will get those gold circles back, thought the furry body sitting on top of a black piece of lace with eye holes.
THE END