Chapters (24)
Ritual, in addition to its potent symbolic meanings, was a calming force. Tuesdays and Fridays she prepared a baño for herself. Sundays she cleaned her altar, dusting the statues and pictures of saints she prayed to and the framed photographs of her loved ones—with special care to the one of Esperanza who by then, it was known, was a famous prisoner of war. Every night on the ten o’clock news, instead of Esperanza giving the news live in person like she did in the old days, her picture was flashed and an update was given on her status. It was still assumed by the press that Esperanza was alive but being held captive.
Sofia and Domingo wrote letters and made telephone calls to congressmen and senators and were even invited by one big shot to Washington, but nobody had yet found out anything about what happened to Esperanza and her crew.
Loca prayed.
Doña Felicia tried to divine some news through the Tarot, sticks, and a raw egg dropped in a glass, but only had vague images of Esperanza.
On three occasions Caridad woke from a deep sleep in a sweat and felt her sister’s presence. All Caridad could say of it was that Esperanza wanted to come home.
On Sundays Caridad always lit at least one white candle so as to start the week with her head clear, changed the manta on the altar, and cleaned out the incense brazier.
Her “moon” became regular by taking rue at least three days before she estimated that it was due. Te de anis she drank for anxiety and she also prescribed it on a regular basis for her sister Fe. Romero, the woman’s herb, she also took a cup of each day.
She kept to a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables; once a week she and doña Felicia shared a small piece of medium-rare hormone-free steak for added protein. They liked yogurt fruit liquados as a snack with a piece of rennetless cheese. They worked long days, going to bed around midnight, the last of their clients (or patients, if you will) being seen no later than 10 P.M. Since many people worked and had to go home first to make supper for familias and put their hijitos to bed, they often could not get away any earlier to see doña Felicia and Caridad.
The two women were usually up just after sunrise, except during those occasions when Caridad fell into trance, which usually were followed by bouts of sleeping for days and nights on end. On most days doña Felicia went to seven o’clock Mass but she was no longer as fixed about such habits as when she was the keyholder and dressed the saints of the church at Tome. Caridad never went to Mass; instead, a new student of yoga, she rose with a salute to the sun.