13 - Alone, with no Protection

As a young girl, my mother had a great relationship with her brothers. Her nickname is “la niña”, which means the little girl and seventy plus years later; they still address her by that same name. They were all very protective of her and she was not allowed to go where the boys went or do what the boys did.

Sometimes the boys took off to go swimming in the river or go hunting and my mother had to stay home. Often, she would be seen dragging the old barn mare and bringing her near to the fence, trying to mount the horse and take off after her brothers.

My grandfather, while still alive, never permitted my mother to participate in those types of activities and was very strict about her activities outside the home. There existed certain etiquette for young ladies in those days. There were many activities and conversations that a young lady could not participate in and certain other subjects that were strictly taboo.

My mothers upbringing conformed to the times and customs; an amalgamation of ideas brought from Spain others from the local gentry and yet others made up by my grandfather.

My grandmother - home economics or family and consumer sciences teacher - taught her how to cook, although my mother would grow to become a much more accomplished cook. She was also taught how to sew, knit, embroider, and keep-house as well as many farming chores, usually relegated to the boys but nonetheless, my mother learned.

As the years went by, she developed a natural affinity and ability for all that is plants; until this day, my mother has an incredible green thumb; she can make anything grow even a rock.

As a young woman she was absolutely beautiful; silky white skin, blond curly hair and big brown eyes. I have pictures of her as a young child, as a teenager and in her twenties; she was beautiful – the allure and beauty of Sophia Loren. Despite her beauty, she like a few other women in my family never developed the ability to select a decent man for a husband, not even if their life depended on it. I have seen this phenomenon, odd, as it may be, repeated in my own sister; which is a whole other story yet to come.

Some time after my grandfather’s death – after an appropriate amount of mourning – my grandmother, with not many alternatives opened to her, decided to take in a suitor. What the real relationship between them was, your guess is as good as mine.

What I was able to surmise is that the family had known him for sometime but with the presence of my grandfather all was platonic in nature. This man had some means and was able to provide for the necessities of life. Eventually, he moved in with my grandmother and mother; this, however, would be the start of a two-year nightmare for my mother.

My mother was 14 by this time and never really had any serious male companions, as would be expected of a young woman of that time. Yes, she did have some male interests but from afar. Nothing had developed into anything serious, mainly due to circumstances. She remembers with fondness a professional young man who looked at her with longing eyes – I'm not sure if that was love or lust.

At the onset all appeared to be good and life moved on. Than slowly things began to take on a dark turn for the worse, unnoticeable at first but soon it would escalate.

At first, as my mother explains, it was just looks. Looks that made you cringe both with fear and disgust. The days turned into weeks and with each passing second, he came closer.

One day as my mother was bathing this man walked in and began to make sexual advances towards her. She would fight him off as best as she could, that worked for a while. Afraid to tell my grandmother, she kept that to herself. Now she felt completely ALONE and with no one to help.

A little time lapsed by and the man made no further attempts, until one day when my grandmother had gone on an errand, he had returned early, he approached my mother again. This time he would be successful in his intent of not only molesting my mother but much more – my discerned reader, use your discretion.