Sunday, April 25, 2010
October
My anger can barely be put into words. The acts recently performed by Tita are appalling. The amount of disrespect shown by her was disgusting. Tita told me that she doesn’t care about maintaining a decent reputation as a family. After encouraging her to be a respectable woman, Tita accused me of having a child with another man. Although this statement is true, I was outraged by her allegation. I raised her to know better than to talk to her mother like that! That girl has gone too far! Soon everyone will know about Tita’s baby. When everyone finds out what my daughter has done, people will be asking questions, and Dr. Brown, the man she plans to marry, will be furious.
September
The drug I had taken for my stomach pains were too strong and had eventually killed me. This was my first journey back to my ranch after my death. I learned that Tita is pregnant with Pedro’s baby! Her selfishness and recklessness is ruining the de la Garza family’s good name! My sweet and patient daughter, Rosaura, doesn’t deserve this kind of torture. I cannot believe that Tita would betray her own family this way! I took it upon myself to reprimand her. However, the action has already been performed. There is nothing that I can do to save her or my family’s reputation. I cursed Tita and the baby she carried, which caused her to plead for mercy. If she had taken after her older sister, she wouldn’t be the wild and uncontrollable woman she has become.
July
Just as Chencha came home a few nights ago, the ranch was attacked by bandits. Chencha was raped, and due to severe injuries to my spine, I became paralyzed from the waist down. Tita returned to the ranch, neither of us wishing to talk to the other. I felt helpless and humiliated, because I needed Tita to care for me. The soup she prepared tasted bitter, and I refused to eat it. Dr. Brown came to check on me and mentioned that he hoped to come back someday and ask for Tita’s hand in marriage. It was then that the idea occurred to me… Could Tita be poisoning me? There is nothing she desires more in the world than to be free of my rules and restrictions so that she could marry whoever she wants. After Dr. Brown visited, I rejected all of Tita’s food. In an attempt to ruin Tita’s plot, I demanded that Chencha prepare my food. Everything was going well. Chencha prepared and delivered all of my meals and waited in my room until I tasted it. However, one day Chencha tried to mislead me. She brought me my meal, but it tasted unusually bitter. I immediately knew that Tita had prepared that meal, and I sent Checha out of my house. Tita continued to hire new chefs for my ranch, but most of them left after only a few days. After we had gone through almost every chef in town, I was forced to eat meals prepared by Tita. I was very careful about the food Tita had made, and I demanded that Tita taste the food before I did. Tita’s meals occasionally brought me sharp pains in my stomach, which I relieved by using a very strong emetic called ipecac.
May
The Mexican Revolution didn’t directly influence my family until this month. Rosalio, a worker on our farm, came to inform us of the Rebels’ arrival. No one ever had any good news to share about the Rebels. I had heard that upon entering homes, they ruined or stole everything they could find and raped all of the women. I instructed Tita and Chencha to hide in the cellar, so that they would remain safe. I cleaned my shotgun and kept it in my petticoats. Rosalio and Guadalupe, two workers who were at my ranch at the time, stood by my side at the entrance of my house.
When the Rebels arrived, I told them that they could take as much as they needed from the corn crib and the stable. I was very stern, hoping that they would understand that I was very serious about the matter. After the men looked around the ranch and found very little, a sergeant announced that he was going to look inside my house. This I most certainly would not allow. I removed my shotgun from my petticoat. With my finger placed firmly on the trigger, ready to shoot, I told them again that no one was to enter my house. I shot the two chickens that the sergeant carried as he made another attempt to come into my house. I warned the captain, telling him that I was capable and prepared to kill him. They respectfully backed away and continued to look around the rest of the ranch.
The captain inquired about my three daughters, and he seemed very upset after I told him that Gertrudis died, unaware that Gertrudis was alive. I am still unsure whether that statement is the truth or a lie. Although Gertrudis may physically be alive, in my eyes, she is dead. Gertrudis can never undo her actions, and I will never forgive her.
Felipe came to tell us that Roberto had died because of the food he has been eating. After hearing this news, Tita became wild and aggressive. She screamed at me, telling me that Roberto’s death was my fault. Disgusted by her rude and bold words, I struck her face with a wooden spoon. Tita then took off and climbed up to the dovecote. Tita brought with her the pigeon and a bucket of worms, the only things she had left to relieve her pain. I removed the ladder, forcing her to stay up in the dovecote all night.
In the morning, when Chencha climbed to the dovecote to bring Tita down, Tita refused. I sent Felipe to get Dr. Brown, who spent hours up in the dovecote with Tita. He reported that she was naked, her nose was broken, and she was covered entirely in pigeon droppings. When he finally managed to bring her down, they drove off in Dr. Brown’s carriage to bring Tita to an asylum.
When the Rebels arrived, I told them that they could take as much as they needed from the corn crib and the stable. I was very stern, hoping that they would understand that I was very serious about the matter. After the men looked around the ranch and found very little, a sergeant announced that he was going to look inside my house. This I most certainly would not allow. I removed my shotgun from my petticoat. With my finger placed firmly on the trigger, ready to shoot, I told them again that no one was to enter my house. I shot the two chickens that the sergeant carried as he made another attempt to come into my house. I warned the captain, telling him that I was capable and prepared to kill him. They respectfully backed away and continued to look around the rest of the ranch.
The captain inquired about my three daughters, and he seemed very upset after I told him that Gertrudis died, unaware that Gertrudis was alive. I am still unsure whether that statement is the truth or a lie. Although Gertrudis may physically be alive, in my eyes, she is dead. Gertrudis can never undo her actions, and I will never forgive her.
Felipe came to tell us that Roberto had died because of the food he has been eating. After hearing this news, Tita became wild and aggressive. She screamed at me, telling me that Roberto’s death was my fault. Disgusted by her rude and bold words, I struck her face with a wooden spoon. Tita then took off and climbed up to the dovecote. Tita brought with her the pigeon and a bucket of worms, the only things she had left to relieve her pain. I removed the ladder, forcing her to stay up in the dovecote all night.
In the morning, when Chencha climbed to the dovecote to bring Tita down, Tita refused. I sent Felipe to get Dr. Brown, who spent hours up in the dovecote with Tita. He reported that she was naked, her nose was broken, and she was covered entirely in pigeon droppings. When he finally managed to bring her down, they drove off in Dr. Brown’s carriage to bring Tita to an asylum.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
April
What a frightening and joyful month this was! While on his way to find Dr. Brown, who would deliver Rosaura’s baby, Pedro was captured by the federals. After shooting broke out in the village, Chencha and I, who were planning to get supplies for Rosaura’s baby, were forced to quickly seek refuge. I cannot believe that the Revolution caused me to miss the birth of my first grandson! My dear Rosaura’s life was jeopardized, because Tita was the only one present to deliver the baby! Surprisingly, Tita managed to safely deliver the baby, Roberto, on her own. When Chencha, Pedro, Dr. Brown and I arrived back at the ranch, we learned just how dangerous Roberto’s birth could have been.
I have also noticed that Tita seems to be spending much more time with Roberto than Rosaura is. Tita is almost acting as the boy’s mother, which doesn’t bother Pedro at all. Something must be going on between Tita and Pedro. Determined to put an end to Tita and Pedro's relationship, I have sent Rosaura, Pedro, and Roberto to San Antonio. In addition to separating Tita and Pedro, San Antonio will bring new opportunities to Pedro and Rosaura. I have arranged for Pedro to work as an accountant with my cousin, and Rosaura will receive much better medical attention. Hopefully their new location will bring about positive changes for this family!
I have also noticed that Tita seems to be spending much more time with Roberto than Rosaura is. Tita is almost acting as the boy’s mother, which doesn’t bother Pedro at all. Something must be going on between Tita and Pedro. Determined to put an end to Tita and Pedro's relationship, I have sent Rosaura, Pedro, and Roberto to San Antonio. In addition to separating Tita and Pedro, San Antonio will bring new opportunities to Pedro and Rosaura. I have arranged for Pedro to work as an accountant with my cousin, and Rosaura will receive much better medical attention. Hopefully their new location will bring about positive changes for this family!
March
Things continue to complicate on my ranch. I am tired of hearing Pedro praise Tita’s cooking every night. I’m worried that Rosaura will notice his compliments towards Tita’s meals. The Revolution is tearing my family apart. Gertrudis has run away with a young soldier named Juan, and Tita lied to me about it! Gertrudis has run away to a brothel! No daughter of mine has ever acted so disgracefully! I have chosen to burn every memory this family has of Gertrudis. I have destroyed her birth certificate and every picture of her. If she cannot live up to the standards I have set, she may no longer be a member of the de la Garza family.
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