Roots of Indifferences

by Terri Ragsdale

  Fred blinked and took a deep breath. He looked away from Victoria, not knowing whether to believe her and not knowing how to respond. "Manita, I will handle this. I will speak to Emily—Martha—whatever her name is, and get the story straight."

  "Can you see the whole picture?" She said in a cynical tone of voice. "You're a big boy now and should know better. I'm only looking out for you, and I don't want to see you bring dishonor to your profession. I've read the cards for you, and I saw deception, treachery, and trouble—and there is more than one person involved. These people know about you and have been planning something. At this moment, I do not know exactly what this lying Emily is up to, or what her intentions are, but the cards indicated that more than one person is involved, and they want revenge."

  Fred stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do next. He was obsessed with the girl called Emily, and the information had stunned him. At this point, he didn’t know quite what to do with it. Victoria was more like his mother, and he knew her worries were for his own best interests. He should have known better; after all, he was going against the medical code of ethics, since Emily was his patient. He had to be especially careful not to tarnish the family name.

  "Revenge for what?" he asked finally. He had not done anything that he considered wrong. He was a young man in the prime of life whose hormones naturally raged.

  That evening, Fred was still ill at ease and lost in thought. He stayed home and had changed from his white physician's coat to a dark navy blue, Italian silk suit. He had to admit he looked dashing. He admired himself in the mirror as he tied his patterned silk tie around his collar with his delicate hands. He was taller than the average Mexican-American individual and, as a matter of fact, taller than the average man. He was handsome and graceful and, with his gray eyes and romantic ways, he could charm the pants off any willing woman.

  He seemed pleased with the planned evening meal and enjoyed meeting the charming Castillo family. They had brought as the customary gift to their hosts a large basket of imported wines, chocolates, nuts, and cans of salmon and other fish. Señor Castillo, a distinguished looking gentleman with black hair graying at his temples, spoke very eloquently. He was an intelligent man, educated in the city of Veracruz, and had lived many years in Texas before the Mexican raids. The Castillos had been very successful as established merchants in McAllen. They had a large store that supplied clothing, shoes, and groceries to the Mexican-American families from the surrounding area. Señora Castillo seemed solicitous and kind, and was very attractive, with large green eyes, and black hair arranged on top of her head. Sparkling diamond earrings and a brooch adorned her stylish gown.

  Fred was staggered by the exotic beauty of Catalina Castillo. Victoria knows how to pick them! He thought. The petite girl had an hourglass figure, with beautiful black hair down to her waist, and large green eyes, much like her mother's. She wore a long, black, lace gown scooped in front to display some cleavage and her light delicate skin. A diamond brooch on her right shoulder and two small diamond earrings completed her stunning look.

  The two families were quick to notice the subtle glances winging their way between the young couple across the dining table; they were all careful in their conversation, each aware of the chemistry at work between the charismatic Fred and the lovely Catalina.

  Fred's insides turned to mush. Catalina smiled serenely, and her appearance reminded him how his mother must have looked when his father fell in love with her and decided to marry her. The only difference was that his mother was taller, leaner, and her eyes were dark. He was impressed with Catalina's glossy, light- pink complexion, large beautiful eyes, and long, thick eyelashes. She was like a rare and delicate blooming orchid kept hidden in the shade and away from ordinary men full of temptations.

  Occasionally loud bangs could be heard from the back of the house. The guests would stare at one another in question while eating. Señora Castillo's eyes would widen and stare at Gloria Hinojosa, while Señor Castillo's eyebrows would rise, and Catalina would blink and blush.

  "I apologize," remarked Don Federico trying to keep a calm demeanor. He patted his mouth with his dinner napkin, looking straight into Don Castillo's eyes. "My sister is sick and disable, and lives with us. The only way she can get attention is by hitting the walls. I will send one of the servants to see her." He nodded toward Victoria and asked her to have one of the servants check on his sister. Mexican families were responsible for their elders and took care of them, regardless of their sacrifice.

  Victoria excused herself and said she would be right back. As she walked the long hallway she realized how upset she was becoming over her mad aunt, with her incessant screaming and wild surprises, which were getting out of hand. Her behavior was wearing on everyone's nerves and unbalancing everyone's schedule. She was afraid to have guests or friends over for any length of time for fear of their finding out that Josie was insane, something which would reflect on their family's name and honor. But Josie was her father's only living relative, and half of Spanish Acres had been bequeathed to her. One day, though, Victoria would inherit all of the property, and she was going to run the land, the cotton, and the oil field her own way!

  When she returned, she motioned to Fred to come out into the hall.

  Fred immediately excused himself and joined Victoria in the hall, noticing the disturbed expression on her face.

  "You're going to have to sedate her," whispered Victoria. "We simply cannot put up with her like this all the time, especially when we have company."

  "What's wrong with her now?" asked Fred, concerned. "Has she been given her late meal?"

  "Of course, she has!" snapped Victoria. "She has it plastered all over the walls and has messed the bed and used her hands to wipe it all over the sheets and covers. The servants and the nurse are cleaning everything up at this moment. They left her alone for several minutes while they were eating and this is what happened."

  "I'll get my medical bag," replied Fred in his calm, good-natured way.

  The rest of the evening went smoothly, as the family enjoyed the political rhetoric and discussed current events. All shared the excitement of the coming changes promised in the modern age, while they sipped on the gifted wines from crystal goblets.

  Later, the men stepped outside onto the porch, sharing brandy and smoking Cuban cigars, enjoying the magnificent sunset. Victoria, Grandmother Gloria, and Señora Castillo disappeared into the parlor to discuss women's rights issues, quilt patterns, and new recipes for making orange pineapple marmalade.

  Fred and Catalina walked outside into the lush patio, drinks in hand, laughing and conversing as though they'd known each other forever.

  CHAPTER 36

  The next week, in the late evening, after all, his patients were gone, Fred confronted the girl named Emily in his office. He mentioned that the family had investigated her, and she needed, to tell the truth. Insulted by Fred's remarks, she did admit that her name was Martha, but she went by Emily. Her full name was Martha Emily Ferguson, and Otto Foster was a distant relative, by adoption. Not completely telling him the whole truth, she made up the story that while downtown, she had overheard several men who were talking about Fred and how important his father was to the community. "They said that if it hadn't been for your grandfather that you people wouldn't be anything. They said your chicken-shit grandfather was a crooked, thievin', shrewd, businessman, and would sell his mother down the river for a dollar since there was a possibility that you people had Jewish blood." She also admitted that the men who were talking were all white men who envied the Juelson family because of their being Mexican-Americans and because of all the money they had acquired.

  Fred, disturbed by what Emily had said and by Victoria's stern conviction, had to swallow his pride. He decided not to see her again. "It is best not to come around here anymore," he said with a commanding authority. "You are right! I am a Mexican-American. There are other doctors in the area that would love to take you as their patient.
For your safety and mine, it is best this way." He became strict and to the point. "It was nice meeting you. But I take my profession seriously, and I do not tolerate lies, and I don't want an embarrassing scandal to come to our family." He turned a cold shoulder, ignored her, and continued looking into his microscope and examining bacterial specimens lying on the table.

  "You cannot dump me like this!" Emily yelled. "You and I had something special going—you told me you loved me! Just think of all the wonderful sex we had, and how you were able to completely satisfy me—how you said you never wanted it to end!"

  "Yes, I know all that, but that was before I knew you lied," Fred replied evenly. "I do not like your, foolish pranks."

  "You dirty Mexican! I've heard that you Mexicans are all the same—love 'em and leave 'em! Is what ya'll do? You're going to pay for this! You owe me something! My father will see that you get yours, you asshole! You cowardly bastard!" she continued, becoming hysterical. Her face was ugly and twisted with rage, and she began throwing his books and kicking anything in her way.

  Fred managed to get a hold of her arm, and jerked, dragged, and pushed her out the door. "Because I'm a dirty Mexican-American, you need to go. It's dangerous for you to be here," he replied, vexed and looking her straight in the eye. "It is best not to see each other. And I do not owe you anything. You're the one that was sick and came to see me, remember?" Fred slammed the door hard and locked it, then moved to the window, where he watched Emily stomp down the sidewalk in her high heels toward the palms area of the park, still crying and screaming epithets. "You dirty Mexican bastard!"

  He watched until she disappeared among the tall bushes and trees and then questioned himself on his reactions to the criticism and puzzled over his feelings. He paced the floor and sat absently eyeing his bacterial specimens, but looking past them, deep in thought. He was provoked by what she said and began wondering what she meant by my father will see that you get yours! What did she mean by that? Had her father planned this? She was an adopted girl, he had gathered, but he could not make the connection. He remembered her mentioning earlier that if her father found out that she was seeing a Mexican doctor, he would whip her. Fred knew something was not right. She was not telling the whole truth. He was glad now that he had made the final decision not to see her again. He would avoid that excruciating tension in his life. Victoria was right! She was always right.

  In the following weeks, Fred and Catalina strolled around the palm park together when the Castillo joined the family for their weekly dinner and visit. At other times, Fred would make an exodus from his sick patients and find time to visit the family at their Ranchito near McAllen. There was talk in the Castillo and the Juelson families of the couple's engagement and future marriage. The mixed ethnic group in Mercedes had become a hotbed of gossip and scandals, and when Fred and Catalina sauntered around the park, the people would whisper among themselves, while others would admire the handsome couple.

  Bad news came the following week. The mournful Lechuzas had been circling around Spanish Acres, and dear ol' Manuel, who hadn't drawn a sober breath in sixty years, died, probably from a corrupted, wasted liver from drinking too much. Manuel, fearing that someday he might run out of liquor had stashed enough bottles around the place to sink a battleship. Many weeks and months later, bottles were still being found. Yo-Yo, especially, would sorely miss his ol' drinking buddy. The funeral was small, among the families at Spanish Acres and a few others who knew him. He would be missed the most by Don Federico, who had known him the longest. He was buried next to Mamá Maria in the Juelson cemetery. Victoria sobbed for a week since he had been a part of her life since she was a child and was one of her favorite people. Carlos, now a young man of twenty-six, was not present for the funeral since he was in San Antonio handling the sale of the Juelson's cattle.

  One day Emma, all excited, called Victoria on their chattering, ten-way Southern Bell party line. She had gotten a letter informing her that Dr. Benjamin Burr had retired, sold everything in Houston, and was moving to Mercedes. Anytime the phone rang, everyone on the party line picked up the phone and listened in on the conversations of others. It was a hotline for steamy mudslinging, and within hours, the whole community had heard the news. Unperturbed, Emma began planning for his arrival. She painted the bedrooms and cleaned the whole house and bought new rugs and furniture. Dr. Burr was coming to Emma's house and moving right in. This not only raised eyebrows in the community but Felicia and Dan, who now had three youngsters, were equally astonished. Emma's house was getting crowded.

  The times were changing and it was an opportune time for Dan Land to start building his own home for Felicia and his family. Don Federico sold the couple several acres of vacant land across the street from his property, and immediately construction began on a beautiful three-story home. Victoria was overjoyed since they would only be a step away from seeing one another, and she and Felicia could raise their children together.

  The news that Dr. Burr was coming to live in Mercedes pleased Dr. Fred, who had more than enough patients to go around.

  Dr. Burr seemed to fit right in and became very accommodating to everyone around him. He assisted Fred with hard-to-diagnose cases and was there to take over the office when Fred needed to travel to visit his homebound patients and on emergencies. In Emma's household, there was never a dull moment, as he would recommend solutions for everyone's ailments. Within two months of having the doctor move in, the couple decided that it was more convenient to get married than to have the whole community pointing fingers and whispering about their scandalous behavior right in front of them.

  The small wedding reception held for the immediate families was a joyous occasion, as it also presented an opportunity for everyone to see Jaime and John. The twins congratulated Fred for finishing his studies and were impressed by his medical office and his roster of patients. They always knew that Fred was smart and would be very successful in the medical profession. They were also pleased that Carlos was successfully taking over the family cattle empire. Jamie had become an attorney in Austin, and John, who lived in San Antonio, was an engineer. "If you ever need an attorney," Jamie said with a wink before he left, "just give me a chime. I work in a corporate office with ten other lawyers, each specializing in their own legal field."

  *****

  One chilly, rainy night in the middle of January, when all the patients had been treated and had left his office, Fred remained, spending hours studying a certain virus infection from a woman patient who had sores in her ears and now on her eyelids. It was completely baffling him. No matter what he had prescribed for it, the virus kept eating at her and was getting worse. He had tried treating it with powerful chemical ingredients he had at hand, but nothing had worked. It only kept reproducing. Wondering if he could ask Dr. Burr's advice, he got up from his desk and started to dial the wall phone next to the window. At the same time, he thought he saw a dark shadow outside the window but dismissed it as something blowing in the wind. Then he saw movement again and stayed near the window.

  Hearing a noise outside his door, Fred hung the phone up and went to the door to investigate. He opened it to find Emily standing there, soaked and shivering, her blonde hair dangling and dripping around her shoulders, her clothes drenched. He had never expected to see her again.

  "What are you doing here?" he questioned, as he led her into the office. He had not seen her in several months. His first thought was to get a warm blanket to cover her up, and he found one immediately. "You're all wet and going to catch a cold!" He wrapped the blanket around her shivering body and sat her down in a chair near his desk. Baffled at her presence, he asked again, "What brings you here at this hour and in this weather?"

  "Fred," she spoke nervously, looking at him with a solemn but anxious gaze, "I need to talk to you. I need to tell you something. I'm in trouble, and you need to know about it. I'm sorry for the name calling."

  "Nah, go ahead," answered Fred, dismissing her apology with a wave o
f his hand. "I'm listening." He watched her expression change from frustration to fear. "What's wrong?" he asked kindly.

  "I need to start from the beginning. My stepfather, Bill Wild, threatened me and made me pretend that I was ill. He ordered me to go to your office and get acquainted with you. He also ordered me to have sexual intercourse and to see how far I could go with you. Mind you, I did have a cough. Remember?" She spoke as if she were a young innocent, simpleton girl afraid of the consequences and wanting help to defuse the problem that she had created.

  "What a minute! I'm not quite sure how I'm involved. So, tell me, what was the reason he threatened you?" He knew Emily was not educated, and with little schooling, she had trouble explaining things. Fred studied her intently as she continued revealing her story.

  "My stepfather and a Mr. Hanson have become good friends. After listening to Mr. Hanson telling his story—and I've heard it over and over again—he apparently hates your father for what he did to him years ago in Mexico, and he's trying to get even by getting to you. Mr. Hanson also became angry when he heard that you are the one who uncovered Otto's insect farm and blabbed it to the officials. Judge Ale was Mr. Hanson's good friend and had been helping him secretly, all the time he was a fugitive in Mexico. After hearing what happened to Judge Ale, Mr. Hanson began plotting with my stepfather, waving dollar bills in his face. He hates the whole Juelson family. He began using me as a scapegoat, to get to you and get even with your father by doing something terrible—I don't know what. They never told me their plans. All they did was used me," she said sadly.

  "Wait a minute," interrupted Fred. "Hanson, the ex-Texas Ranger, is here in Texas?"

  "Yes. He was pardoned by the governor of Texas months ago and is living in a shack in La Feria."