Remembering

By James Guy jimguy46@hotmail.com

Character T mention of the other main characters

Tessa remember her life and the truth comes out.

The old lady replaced the quill in the ink well and dusted the fresh ink. She was tired, everything had changed in the last 80 years since she had left Spain and came home to California. Her friends and her enemies were long gone, but she did have her family.

There was a ringing in the parlour and she heard her great granddaughter or was her great great granddaughter answer the telephone. So many changes.

She had come around Tierra Del Fuego when she was 20 after her father died. California was part of the Spanish Empire. Then it became part of Mexico, then the California Republic and now a state in the United States of America.

Ships had been powered by sail and now there were powered by steam and coal. Horses had been partially replaced by the horseless carriage. A military commandant had controlled the pueblo but now it had local police and no soldiers. Communication no longer took months but instantaneous with the invention of the telephone. Mail took days. She even had electricity in her home as well as running water and an in door toilet. A war had been fought with Mexico and now recently with Spain, the land where she had spent much of her youth after her mother died.

She had been married twice and now was a widow again. Her first child was born while she was in her 20’s, a daughter and a son born when she was in her 40’s. Between the two she had 8 grandchildren four great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren.

"Grandma" said the voice of a young woman in her 20’s, her great granddaughter. "There is a reporter here to see you. He wants to write an article about early California> He said he wants to hear about it from someone who was there." "You mean someone who is still alive. Please show him in.," said the old lady.

"Senora I am Tom Grisham and I thank you for seeing me. My paper wants to write an article about Santa Helena in the early days. You are the only one I could locate from those days. I am the great nephew of a Marcus Grisham, whom I think you knew. His eyes traveled to the crossed swords hanging over the fireplace. "Are those your husband’s swords?" he asked. She laughed.

"One was given to my late husband Jacob by Jean Lafite after the Battle of New Orleans. He gave it to the Queen of Swords. The other belongs to the Queen of Swords. I hung them there 20 years ago after Colonel Montoya died. "Who was the Queen of Swords?" Tom asked. " I have heard stories of her, of her exploits 80 years ago and of course, there are stories that the Queen and Marcus were foes."

The old lady stood up, straight as an arrow. She walked to the mantle, her walk, that of a much younger woman, not one almost 100 years old. "The secret of the Queen of Swords does not matter now. No one from those times is still alive. I, Maria Teresa Alvarado was the Queen of Swords. My daughter Anna-Maria took over when she became of age to fight. There were only 2 Queens, By the time Anna-Maria turned 40, there was no reason for the Queen of Swords to ride any longer. Now a days, the Queen is retired and so are her swords, at least these 2 swords are." Said Tessa.

"Surely you don’t mean you can still use a sword." Asked Tom. "Young man, I may be almost 100 years old, but my 80 year old daughter crossed swords just this morning as we have every day since she was 16. Then we crossed swords against my great great granddaughter and great great grandson. Not to train them to fight but for the sheer enjoyment of what do you call it, ah yes the sport of fencing. All of my children and grand children and their children have been trained to use the sword. One of my great grandsons was a cavalryman with the Rough Riders in Cuba. He is now training his 8 year old son."

For four hours the reporter questioned Tessa about her fights and many times he saw a tear in her eye as she spoke of Marta, Robert Helm and even Marcus Grisham. But the whole time her eyes were lit with a fire of defiance.

It was evening when Tessa broke off the interview. "If you will excuse me, at my age I do need my rest. I am very tired." "My many thanks Senora." Said Tom.

Two days later the paper ran a 3 page article on the Queen of Swords with the banner:

The End