Mary Peace Finley
Award-winning author of books for young people
© Mary Peace Finley 2012
"No, Eugenia! I feel it! Something is going to happen!"
"You and your hunches." Eugenia flicked a spray of water from her hand toward Teresita.
"Que chica tan loca."
Teresita hid her smile. The feelings that came to her were strange, but they came. And this time
the feeling was really strong.
Eugenia grabbed a pair of their brother Julio's pantalones. "After morning mass. Father
Martinez told Mamá that a wagon train is headed here into Taos today."
"There! See? The fandango tomorrow night will be the biggest dance since New Year's.
Ay! What a party that was, the first day of 1845! And this could be even better. More
wagons? Mmmmm...." Teresita batted her eyes. "Traders!" She pointed her fingers like
the horns of a bull, shouted "Olé!" and lunged toward the trousers. "Trappers! Olé! Adventurers!
Olé!"
"Ay, Teresita, don't forget what dragged in from the trail last time." Eugenia slapped a cotton rag
across a branch.
Teresita laughed. "Remember that old trapper who smelled like rotten beans and broke wind every
time he stamped his feet? And he wanted to marry us! Both of us!"
"I remember." Eugenia hid her face behind her hand, smothering a giggle.
"What I like about the foreigners isn't their dancing. It's their stories.
Eavesdropping on what they say, listening to all those languages," Teresita
said, wringing out a white camisa.
