Page 26 - Fiction Rough draft--The Great Elopement_La Gran Fuga, setting rural PR, early 1940’s_Float

And he knew he had to do this right. One chance. Up to the window. He thought of when he

played ball with his brothers. They used to say he was a ​malango (not good ). But he would

show them. I can do this. Carefully wrapping all items like a ball,With all the strength he could

muster, he threw the precious dress up and the brooch. Delmita caught it at once. She wasn’t

kidding around, thought Cheito.

What happened next, he wasn’t sure. Life seemed to move fast and at the time in very slow

motion. He could hear himself breathe. It was that moment when you know things could go very

well or very, very badly. He knew Delmita was changing up there in his room, and he kept

hiding behind the house, every so often to peek into the front of the house and the balcony, and

seeing Don Manuel, his uncles and grandmother, and a few neighbors. It sounded like the

father was very angry at first,and Petrona did cry a little loud a couple times, but suddenly the

voices became quieter. He heard the front door open and quickly looked to see Delmita, with a

beautiful dress, one of those with lots of encajes ​/lace, and an ivory brooch decorating the front

neckline.

. Her father ran to her. Delmita, “oh Delmita. My beautiful daughter. . You have always been

stubborn Delmita. Porque me has hecho esto?”
Then he looked angrily at Cundo. “Cundo, ud se llevo a mi hija. “
​
Delmita said, “Papa , yo lo amo. Yo me quise ir.​”
​

It got a little tense for a moment. Cheito could see don Manuel furrow his brow and give Delmita

a look that seemed both angry and hurt. “ NO me averguenzes hija! You know we had better

plans for you.! Que haz hecho?”

Then Cheito saw a side of don Manuel he had never seen. For some reason, the grumpy man

seemed to tear up and look at his daughter intently, at first angrily and anxiously, but then a

softer look for his daughter. It was clear that seeing his mother’s old wedding dress worn by her

had a message. And the beautiful brooch he had given to for her quince, the party in her honor

showing that she was a growing young lady, carried a message as well. Delmita had chosen

her outfit well. Despite his anger and frustration, he knew the best way to care for her now

would not be to take her back home. HIs determined daughter,a determined young lady, had

made up her mind.

“ Lo que está hecho, está hecho”​, what’s done is done, Said the father.

“ ​Cundo, NOw you will come with me and make things right. Vas a guardar la honra y el

nombre de mi familia. You will do the honorable thing. You should have asked for her hand in

marriage. You should have honored our family’s name instead of running away together. Now

We are going to the priest in town in San Juan., at least 4 hours. And you will properly be man

and wife. And you will work and find a house for you and her. I am close by and will be watching

you!”