TO MONTOYA'S CHAGRIN
By Jo
EnyaJo@aol.com
TRIO CHALLENGE: - ox cart, turnip, clock
QUOTE 2: "April is the cruellest month..." (T. S. Eliot, the Wasteland)
I'm out of practice for these, but thought I'd give this week's a whirl.
~~~~~
Montoya thought that his aunt had been too quiet the last few days, but he had been too busy to investigate. As he stood on his balcony, looking over his pueblo, he spotted her by an ox cart, holding a turnip in her hand, and then kiss the merchant and bow to him. That wasn't like her. She was usually more apt to bop a salesman with her cane.
Marta, Maria Teresa's duenna, was sitting like a princess in the Alvarado wagon--is that a new dress?--as Tessa was loading the back with goods she had purchased.
Vera and Gaspar exited the blacksmith's shop, chains wrapped around Vera's torso, and she was pulling a laundry cauldron behind her. Gaspar moved toward the Hidalgo carriage, and encouraged his wife to speed up. Montoya actually thought he heard the don say, "You walk like a girl. Move it!"
Grisham was standing by the cantina, leaning on the rail, as he faced Helm. Montoya thought, Interesting. This should be good. All of a sudden, Grisham lifted his hand. Montoya smiled. He always did like it when his Captain tried to beat the hell out of the smug doctor. To Montoya's surprise, Grisham had lifted his hand to slap Helm on the shoulder, and they both laughed hardily.
Three carriages pulled up to the base of Montoya's staircase and Don Ricardo, Don Lopez and Don Castillo all departed their own, then pulled trunks from them and set them on the ground before Montoya still on the balcony. "Colonel," Ricardo called up. "Please, accept these riches from our stashes. You will never find our hidden reales on your own, and you have done such a marvelous job keeping us safe that we Dons thought we would save you the trouble."
Montoya blinked his eyes, then blinked them again. The scene before him had not changed. Something was afoot in Santa Helena, of that he was certain. Montoya cast his steely eyes upon all the residents in the square, daring them to go back to normal.
Montoya woke up in a deep sweat. He heard his grandfather clock chime the hour of six am. Montoya yelled for a servant, who arrived in the matter of seconds. "What day is it?"
"It is April first, Colonel," the man said.
Montoya waved him away as he sat up in bed. "April is the cruellest month. It starts with a day that holds such promise, but alas, never turns out as I dream."
~~Jo