The Hacienda Quotes
"Beyond the walls, beyond the main house and the freshly dug graves behind the capilla, the tlachiqueros took their machetes to the sharp fields of maguey."
"The air was thick and silent, our footsteps the only sound as we reached a set of low, broad steps leading up to the front door."
"I wore a hair shirt when instructed it would purify me."
"The war left no part of the countryside untouched, but it left its deepest mark on those who had the least."
"The kitchen was having the same effect on me. It was the kind of room that had no touch of men."
"Could I smile blandly at them and pour them chocolate? Could I chat mindlessly with their wives, coo over their children?"
"This was my house. I would not shrink away from it."
"Even if it meant facing a chest full of blood-soaked clothing."
"The silk was the dark, rich blue of traditional blown glass. And it was clean."
"The house watched me coyly as I descended the stairs."
"I glanced over my shoulder at the doorway. It yawned before me, crowned by black glyphs."
"Houses did not watch. It simply was not true or possible."
"A skull, white as the limestone, grinned coquettishly out at me."
"I stepped out of the last room we surveyed, then slowed near the foot of the staircase."
"Their eyes were wide, but not with fear. With something else."
"The darkness faced me, a tremor of sick joy rippling through it."
"I will be dining outside the capilla," I announced. "With Padre Andrés."
"That you invited the witch onto her property," she said at last.
"You cannot possibly mean Padre Andrés," I said, filling my voice with pious offense.
"Thank you for sharing your concerns," I said, keeping my tone crisp and neutral.
"For your guest," she said gruffly. "Never underestimate how much that flaquito can eat."
"No. It’s quiet," he said softly. "So, so quiet."
"That was why my mother wanted me to become a priest," His voice had a distant ring to it.
"If I died in this house, would I, too, be bricked into a wall?"
"I would not go so far as to say that."
"My heart shifted in my chest, disquieted, off-balance."
"Since I met him, I had placed him on a pedestal as my savior."
"A sudden wave of fondness for him flushed my chest."
"His was a bruised soul like my own, pitted with wounds and unhealed grudges."
"The conversation of the night before blurred in my mind."
"We do not speak. A reverent sort of silence."
"I knew he was worried. I knew he was frightened."
"Priest and witch, a source of curses and comfort."
"I was not afraid of crossing the empty countryside in the dark."
"Family is all we have when things fall apart."
"She can’t rest properly if you keep meddling."
"This house, the money. None of it matters unless I have Mamá."
"I surrender," I called to the clouds. "You win."
"I’m so sorry," I gasped between peals of laughter.
"Then don’t." I lowered my face to his. "Just be with me now."
"I will always trust you," I breathed. "Adios."
"Colonialism has carved the landscapes of our homes with ghosts."
"I will always remember you," I said quietly. "Always."