Head back home...
The sky was clear as the marauders made their way through the town. Their voices were light and their horses’ hoofs were steady on the paved roads they rode on. A few cars drove by as they headed towards’ another house, the children inside looking at their outrageous, homemade costumes and their large steeds.
Their leader grinned, his red-and-gold/black-gloved hands holding the reins. His sister was nice enough to make his costume some five years back, after the one his mother made got ripped in two. He always blamed the bushes out by the highway for ruining the best outfit he owned.
His second looked a bit nauseous as he swayed on his saddle. He should have known better than to take the coquito so early in the day, and without any food in his stomach. He wasn’t one to hold his liquor correctly. His wife was going to have a fit when he got back.
The man taking up the rear watched his companions warily. He knew better than to doubt their abilities with the horses, and he owe a debt to the leader’s sister for the green and blue/gold outfit she made for him… and the other’s wife for the great blankets she gave him for his pets. Yet, he still hasn’t forgiven the leader for that scratch he gave his horse five years ago by galloping into those bushes.
The second groaned. “How much farther, Duo?”
The leader looked over his shoulder, his hat and mask doing nothing to hide all the fun he was having at the moment. “Not far. What, you sick or something, Wufei?”
“No,” Wufei said, a scowl on his lips as his stomach did flip-flops. “I just hope they have something other than crackers and cheese for us.”
“Damn, for a marauder, you are such a punk.” A car drove passed them.
“Yeah, and for people whose children are about to be slaughtered, they are such cheapskates.” Wufei held back the urge to vomit. “What I wouldn’t give for some chicken… or rice and beans… or mondongo… something decent!”
“Can’t say I disagree, man,” Duo said as he steered his horse closer to the curb that wasn’t even there. It was swerving a bit.
“Duo,” the third asked, “what does Relena have for us?”
“That’s a secret, Trowa.”
“It better not be cheese,” Wufei groaned as he buckled over, finally unable to resist some of his urges.
“Wufei, it’s as much a tradition to give us cheese and crackers as it is that we wear costumes and ride horses,” Trowa said dryly. “Now, do you see me complaining about these hats or the fact that Duo is still riding one of my horses?”
“I don’t see you complaining, but I *hear* you just fine,” Wufei muttered into his horse’s mane.
“Jesus Christ, Trowa, it was just a scratch. Let it go.” Duo blew some air into his bangs. “We’re almost there, so both of you can stop bitching and just chill. It’s almost over.”
The marauders trotted up to the pastel-colored house and stopped their horses in its driveway. The white metal blinds were opened completely to let sunlight and air into the one-floor house. The garage door was up, allowing the few people inside it to see the marauders make their appearance. They smiled as they got up to greet them as one.
One of the women rushed into the house for snacks as her friends smiled and shook hands with the newcomers.
“Welcome back Duo,” said one of the men as he kissed him on the lips and led him to the table set up inside the garage. “Did you get anything this year?”
“Same old, same old. But, you know J up near where the old courthouse used to be? He gave each of us a fifty. The old nutjob’s getting more generous, I think.” Duo’s smile took a darker gleam. “And poor Wufei got sick from some coquito we got back at the church. Father Maxwell’s crazy too.”
A young woman stormed right up at the blanched Wufei. Immediately, he went on the defensive. “It’s not what you think, Meiran…”
“Wufei, how many times have I told you not to drink this early in the day? It makes you naseous!”
Duo chuckled. “Wufei should have known that by now…”
“But, it was the priest! How can I refuse something from a priest?”
“Oh, it’s not that hard.”
Trowa took the reins of the three horses and handed one to the woman that appeared beside him. He gave her a shy smile.
“Did Duo scratch one of them this year, Trowa?”
“No, Catherine. He was watching where he was going this time around.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want to see Hilde try to make another costume for him.”
“I heard that!” Duo cried out. Catherine smiled in embarrassment.
“So Duo,” the man who greeted him said with a light tone in his voice, “how many innocents did you slaughter this year?”
“Unfortunately, Heero, none. Everyone kept giving us cheese and crackers instead.” Duo looked over Heero’s shoulder and spotted someone coming from out of the house, a plate covered with snacks in her hands. “And speaking of the Devil… Relena, I thought Heero told you we’re only accepting cash this year.”
“Please, who can resist cheese cubes and Ritz crackers?” Relena cooed as presented the traditional fare to the crowd standing in the driveway. “Who wants one?”
It was that precise moment that Wufei stopped resisting the urge to vomit.
It was almost sunset when the marauders decided to take the horses back.
“We should have left sooner,” Trowa griped as he mounted. “People won’t be able to see us soon.”
“Relax,” Duo said as he did the same. “It’s only across the field. Jesus, what, are you afraid of them getting anther scratch?”
“Duo, calm down,” Heero said as he mounted Wufei’s horse. “Trowa, everything’s going to be fine.” He eyed Meiran and Wufei warily. “Are you sure you’re okay, Wufei? Because we need your guitar for the paranda on New Year’s Eve.”
“He’ll be fine,” Meiran said as she picked at the cheese cubes. “Just as long as he stays away from Father Maxwell.”
Duo waved to the hostess. “See you later, Relena. And thanks for the cheese and crackers!”
With that, the two remaining marauders and their new ally rode across the street and in the knee-high plants of the field, towards Trowa’s place and Duo’s car. Another year has passed, and the innocents have not been slaughtered once more.
Duo grinned. “God, I love the holidays.”
It was at that precise moment that the horse he was on began galloping in its own, throwing Duo off and consequently ruining his outfit of red and gold/black.
~~~end
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Notes
--The holiday was 'The Feast of the Holy Innocents', or 'Day of the Children' (translation). It's when Herod ordered the death of male children two years or younger. Some towns celebrate the day by seeing a few young men in costumes and horses wandering through town like shown above.
--'Coquito' is a liquor. It's white and pretty sweet and the form I usually see it in is 'homemade, in a bottle of Bicardi'. It's similar to eggnog...
--'Mondongo' a stew with vegetables (none that you may know, however, unless you live or have lived in tropical and semi-tropical areas... mostly roots (like potatoes, but not really) and plaintain) and pork skin. Salty and great with white rice. Why Wufei wants something that heavy in his state is beyond even me.
--'Paranda' is like charroling (sp?) in the US. A group of people go from one house of another, singing songs in return for drinks and food. Many times, the food is cheese and crackers and the drinks beer and soda. Most songs are about getting the snacks and about visiting friends with flowers and songs. Guitars are necessary, among other things.