The Tower of Il Serrohe (5 page)

“‘
Teresa,
loca,
what are you babbling about? There is no one here.’

“
Teresa looked at the two women who swayed slightly but remained more erect than the
viejas
(old ladies) who usually wore the widow’s garb until their dying day.

“
Mama, then who are these two
viejas
?’ pointing to the two who still blocked her way.

“
Her mother humored her by looking carefully in the direction of the door. ‘Teresa, go back to bed, I will fix you some
Manzanilla
tea to settle your nerves.’ Muttering something along the lines of, ‘I knew this would happen eventually! Twenty-one-years old and not yet married,
mi hijita
.’

Mama stepped to her daughter and put her hands firmly on Teresa’s shoulders, guiding her to her bedroom.

“‘
Mama! What are you doing? Who are these…’ And as she looked at the two mute figures, as if fanning away smoke, their ‘veils’ were blown away so she could see their faces clearly.

“‘
Pita! Pia!
Mi Dios!
You are here in my home… in Peralta… in—what did you call it—my plane?’

“
She turned to her mother. ‘Listen, last night these women…’

And then a wisp of warm smoke traced itself across her lips. Pita’s face stuck itself between Teresa and her mother.

“‘
No, Teresa, your mother cannot see or hear us. It is like last night when you visited us. Only
we
could see and hear you and so now, only you can know we are here. Shut up before your mother begins to believe you are possessed by a demon.’

“‘
No! Do nothing. Do not look us in the eyes; do not say anything to us with your mother or anyone else present. Just go to your room, lie down, and be quiet until she leaves you alone.’

“
With her mouth still open, Teresa stifled herself and allowed her mother to take her to her room.

“‘
There,
mi hijita,
you have not been sleeping well, I can tell by those dark circles under your eyes. You have been taking this curandera business much too seriously. The health and lives of the people of Peralta do not depend on your healing powers. Leave it to God and get more rest.’

“‘
Yes, Mama, you are right. I’m sorry. It was the shadows from the elm tree through the window in the door. I’ve been thinking of poor Senora Garcia and I just thought she was…’

“‘
That’s my girl. Now close your eyes and pray the rosary to clear your mind.
Buena.
’

“
After several moments to make sure she was truly settling down, she left Teresa alone. Pita and Pia drifted in, silent until she opened her eyes.

“‘
Don’t talk yet; your mother is listening at the door. Breathe deeply and regularly so she will think you’re asleep.’

“‘
Finally! She’s gone back to the kitchen. Just listen and when you do talk, whisper gently.’

“
Teresa nodded.

“
Pita sat on the foot of Teresa’s bed while Pia looked out the window fascinated that Peralta was like their Piralltah Steeples yet different because the modern age was making its presence known even in 1905 in this remote village in the territory of New Mexico.

“
Pita spoke. ‘As soon as you were taken back to your world, we knew we had to find you. We meditated throughout the afternoon and then went to sleep side by side in our bed.

“‘
We soon found ourselves west of here, then we flew over the river, the treetops, across the fields, and finally down into the plaza. We went into the church, then into each house around the plaza. We were determined to find you if we had to visit every house in the village. But it took only eight visits and there you were!’

“
Teresa whispered, ‘You should have come to my room first.’

“‘
But you are such an early riser, already up and done with breakfast and your chores!’

“
Suddenly Pita and Pia’s bodies faded and became translucent. Teresa sat up and called out. ‘No don’t leave yet!’

“
Pita and Pia’s images solidified. ‘Shhh, Teresa! Your mother!’

“
Her mother’s voice called out from the kitchen. ‘Yes,
mi hijita
? Are you sick?’

“‘
No, Mama, I was just wondering if the tea is ready yet.’

“‘
Not yet. I will bring it to you in a few minutes.’

“‘
Thank you, Mama.’ She turned back to Pita. ‘Sorry, I just don’t want you to go back yet. This is so frustrating. We are sisters of the soul, why do we have to be separated? Why can’t I touch you?’

“
Pita smiled. ‘Perhaps we can find a way. There is much that is the same in our worlds except here it seems—I don’t know—like you are giants and we come from a tiny little world at your feet. Even though we can look you in the eye, we feel like we’re standing on one of the highest Steeples of Piralltah just to be able to meet you eye to eye.’

“‘
Yes, Pita, I know what you mean, except when I was in your village and home, I felt like a child lying down with my face to the ground... I don’t know quite how to explain it. Everything was so vast and far away…’

“‘
Teresa, Pia and I must return; it is becoming hard to stay here. There is a wind blowing, trying to take us back. We will search for a way to be truly together. Good-bye for now.’

“
Pita joined Pia at the window, becoming translucent again. They turned to drift out when they were stopped as if it were solid. The wind of their world blew them around the window, and they quickly disappeared flying westward.

“
Teresa made an effort to go to sleep, but she only found a dark place of confusion and insubstantial forms. Sometimes trees, endless swampland, and cattails seemed more reflection than real.

“‘
Mi hijita,
your tea is ready. Sit up, drink it, and then lay back down. You are not to get up until lunchtime to help me when your father comes.’

“
There were no more dreams that morning or the next several nights.”

eight

“
At last Teresa dreamed and traveled to Piralltah Steeples to visit her sisters. Each time, she would emerge just west of the river, which was called Dream River, and then travel northwest to Piralltah Steeples.

“‘
These ghostly visitations are not enough!’ Teresa complained to the ever silent Pia. ‘I want to touch you and live in this world which is more accepting of who and what I am.’

“‘
Don’t wish too hard, you may get it. But once having it, it may be more than you can imagine,’ Pita said as she brewed a tea of Manzanilla for a child who suffered from colic.

“
Pita continued, ‘There must be a way we can be together in the physical sense, but we must tread carefully. You wouldn’t want to live here all the time. You are not meant for this place; otherwise, you would have been born here.

“‘
But I’ve always felt so out of place there, but here… Still, I do love my parents.’

“‘
Isn’t there a man in your life?’

“‘
There is Juan Chavez. He is a good man, only ten years older than me. Some of my friends have been married off to
viejos
who make their grandfathers look like boys. My father has more or less promised me to Juan and I have not objected, but I have put off my agreement to wed him for many years. My father is frustrated, but he respects my work as a curandera. Still… I wonder if there is more.’

“‘
Perhaps more, but someone here for you? We doubt it. There is a difference between your people and us. Pia and I cannot explain it even to ourselves, but we sense a difference so deep that it shouldn’t be bridged. Yet to have you come here from time to time would be a blessing.’

“‘
And to have my sisters be with me in Peralta would also be a blessing. The work you two could do among my people…’

“
Pia smiled, nodding but ended with a shake of her head. Pita laughed. ‘As my sister has indicated, we could only do so much. The disbelief we would face and the very nature of your world would sap the bit of healing powers we possess.’

“
Outside, the sky began to ignite into frozen flames of orange and gray-blue. Sunset was approaching.

“
Teresa got up and wandered to the window, gazing out. ‘It is time to leave, morning approaches in Peralta. Goodnight, sisters.’

“
She faded from their kitchen as the winds of her mind whirled her not through, but around the window, then through the wall, and out into the blue twilight glowing in the east.

“
Pia suddenly jumped to her feet and ran to the window, unable to catch her breath. She looked wildly at Pita and almost uttered a cry. Pita’s eyes widened as she peered into her sister’s mind.

“‘
Mi Dios,
as our sister would say!
Of course, our two worlds are so different except for the basic elements. When we left her home, it was the same. We could pass through anything except the window just as she could not pass through ours!

“‘
Glass.
Earth
in the form of sand refined, purified, and melted in
fire
! But what else?
Air
?
Water
? These basic elements seem to exist as real in both worlds when we visit. They may be a barrier to our spirits, but given their reality to the three of us, could just the opposite be true in terms of our bodies? Could these elements be used to build a portal for us to pass our bodies from this world to hers and for her to pass into ours?’”

“
Pia looked at her sister with a smile growing at the corners of her mouth. Pita laughed, ‘Yes, sister, that sounds crazy; maybe just crazy enough to work!’

nine

“
They were too excited or perhaps tried too hard because they could not accomplish a visitation to Teresa’s home for several nights. They gave up for the time being and turned to their healing.

“
Months went by and soon it was spring in the Valle Abajo.

“
Almost a full day’s walk to the southwest was the underground Place of Homes at the edge of the small, dense forest of cottonwood and elm where the Nohmin lived. Though talented in keeping out of the way of larger beings of the valley, Nohmin were no match for avoiding the spring allergies that provided not only the scents to which they were addicted, but pollens that irritated their tiny nasal passages.

“
Only the herbal mixtures with elements of juniper pollen, yerba buena, and secret ingredients of the curanderas, could Pia and Pita provide relief. So the sisters made their annual sojourn with enough remedies for the season.

“
The trek was not without risk. The cantankerous Soreyes’ village on the high cliffs of the west mesa overlooked the open floor of Valle Abajo that lay between Piralltah Steeples and the Place of Homes. A trip through the swamps around Dream River was safe, but the dangerous bogs and maze of waterways would add days to their trek. Besides, Pita and Pia could get lost easily being unaccustomed to navigating the dense undergrowth.

“
So they traveled in the middle of an arroyo that passed between the west cliffs and Dream River swamps. It was deep and far enough from the Soreyes they could not be seen by lookouts.

“
As they braved the spring winds that blasted their faces with a torrent of sand like needles, the sisters hurried to complete their passage before nightfall. According to local superstition, they mistakenly thought Soreyes did not stir much during the day because they were nocturnal beings. However, it was their adaptability to function either at night or during the day that confused the clanspeople.

“
The midway point was marked by a dead cottonwood twisted in gray dominance over the east bank of the arroyo. This was the most dreaded part of the trip. As they approached and then left the vicinity of the tree, the sisters, once again, entered an area of absolute darkness that tried to physically press them into nothingness.

“
Holding each other tightly, they passed into the darkness. Fighting the combination of pressure and weightlessness, they moved into light and shadow underneath the overbearing tree. A few paces and again they entered darkness.

“
Passing out of it, they hugged and patted each other, happy that once again, they had passed through without horrible incident.

“
They had barely taken ten steps when Pia jerked as if thrown into cold water just as she had at the revelation about Teresa’s inability to pass through glass.

“
Pita absorbed her sister’s thoughts in a sickening flash.

“
They both looked back at the tree and thought about the darkness.

“‘
Pia, again you have grasped something my poor mind does not understand! Of course, no one has ever mentioned this ring of darkness surrounding the dead cottonwood. Why? Because no one experiences it! We have kept our mouths shut because Mama and Papa told us to never speak such foolishness again.

“‘
Of course, they knew what we were talking about, but no one else would. It would only sound like demon-talk and make us pariahs in the eyes of the clanspeople of this valley.

“
Pia grasped Pita’s hand and led her back through the darkness. Out again in the light under the tree, they stopped and looked around. Everything looked normal, but it
felt
quite strange.

“‘
Yes, my sister, like being in the center of a large dust devil: strangely peaceful, a depth of quietness only because you are surrounded by a spiraling wind. Except here, it is the darkness surrounding us.’

“
They climbed the steep bank to the tree, risking exposure to a Soreye lookout, and walked directly east toward the distant Mountains of the Sky, three times as massive as the Manzanos in Teresa’s world.

“
They entered the darkness and came out into the more normal feeling of the sandy plain. They moved north of the tree and walked through the darkness again. Then they headed south of the tree along the edge of the bank and into darkness. They stopped. What if they came out in midair above the floor of the arroyo several feet below? They walked backward into the eerie calm around the tree.