The Family at Serpiente

by Raymond Tolman

  Several hours later Hidalgo found the pickpocket and returned his money to Penny’s father. Since it was the end of Hidalgo’s shift, Penny’s father invited Hidalgo into one of the local restaurants where they had dinner. They started talking and spent several hours over dinner talking about a wide variety of subjects. When my father mentioned the possibility of a job in Serpiente, Hidalgo jumped at it.

  Living on the ranch with Ken and June was heaven for Hidalgo. He made far less money, but he liked ranch work. He could pursue his own interest including going into Socorro or Albuquerque whenever he wanted to and most importantly he was still in a position to help his parents.

  The Wedding Announcement

  We had worked all summer long taking care of the mundane jobs of running a ranch and the weekend trips to Serpiente Mountain when finally, cooler weather was setting in. Corey and I had time on our hands so we packed all our personal belongings into a truck and headed to New Mexico State to attend college.

  Enrolling for classes was a special treat, a personal accomplishment. I had no idea what I was going to major in, all I knew was that although I was good at just about everything I set my mind to several areas of study held an interest for me. I was leaning toward biological science or even an English degree, but was also considering archeology because of my tutorage from Aunt June. For a while I even considered studying art. During my classes, I discovered I also liked to write and would forevermore keep a personal dairy of all my activities as well as hundreds of small drawings.

  While there and in a way not to offend Corey, I even went out on a few dates with some of my classmates, but they didn’t impress me. They all seemed like kids who were really at school as an escape from Mom and Dad and the possibility of a job.

  There were those professors that impressed me. Some of them reminding me of some of my favorite high school teachers whom I had met when I lived in Camp Creek in East Tennessee.

  I tried out for the college Volleyball team. Being a college sport it was much harder than any sport I had played in high school but, when the cuts were made, to my amazement I had made the junior varsity. I was offered a small scholarship, but I turned it down fearing that it would commit me to staying with the team for four years. Besides I could afford the tuition and I felt that the scholarship should be used for someone who needed it more than I did.

  No matter how hard the job or how boring or even dangerous the assignment was I could always count on Corey. Corey was there for every volleyball game and soon most of the other boys just gave up trying to pursue me. It was obvious to all concerned that Corey and I were destined to be a couple.

  We studied, we played, and sometimes we even fought with each other. Especially when I noticed that several of the girls on the volleyball team were flirting with Corey. This made me fell neglected and jealous and Corey didn’t even seem to mind. In fact, after a while he seemed to encourage it and that is what made me mad. But we always made up afterwards. Especially since Corey never actually went out with any of them unless they were in a group and I went along. I secretly decided that I was not going to take a chance and lose Corey to another college girl. I suspect that secretly, Corey was thinking the same thing about me.

  During winter recess instead of hanging around town we packed up the car with gifts for the workers’ kids and books for Hidalgo and returned to Serpiente. We had an announcement; we had decided to get married.

  Preparing for a Trip

  “When are you getting married,” asked Hidalgo?

  Waiting for Hidalgo’s grin to slowly subside, Corey answered with, “Well we haven’t quite decided yet.”

  “OK’ says Uncle Ken, “Where and when are you going to get married?

  “We haven’t really made any plans yet, “I answered for him. All I know is I brought up the subject with Corey, and he said he had no idea; that we needed to finish college, that he really wasn’t ready yet, that I wasn’t ready yet, that we were too busy, and finally that he just didn’t want to talk about it. He got really quiet and moody so I waited a few seconds then simply said to him that if he wasn’t interested in marrying me I was going to find someone else who would marry me. He then proposed to me within sixty seconds.”

  Uncle Ken looked at Corey and said to him, “And you are really in agreement with that story?”

  “Yep,” says Corey.

  “You realize that you were trapped like a rat,” says Ken.

  Corey answered with, “Maybe, but I have to tell you, I cannot stand the thought of Penny getting married to some other guy, and I do not want to live without her. I love her. I have always wanted to marry her and that’s that!”

  June finally got into the conversation with, “Have you kids made any plans at all?”

  I answered with, “Well I’ll tell you the truth. I...I stopped in mid-sentence and began my sentence all over again, “We have been thinking about making a trip back to East Tennessee. Corey has never been back East and I miss my friends. Besides I would like to see my mother. I might enjoy showing Corey some of the sights around my home. Then after we get married we’ll return to school, and maybe get an apartment in married housing and continue our education at the University.”

  So instead of returning to spring session of college we spent the next month working around the ranch in Serpiente, making plans, and packing for the trip to Tennessee. We bought a new pickup truck for the trip figuring that it would be more practical and could be to good use after the trip. After all, we still worked at the ranch in our off time.

  Early that spring Corey and I packed up our truck and headed across the country to Camp Creek, Tennessee. It was a much more pleasant trip than I had made last time. That long trip on the bus now seemed to have happened a lifetime ago to an entirely different person. Corey and Hidalgo agreed that Corey and I would visit with my family for a little while, plan the wedding in East Tennessee, and then Hidalgo, who was to be our best man would use a new pick-up that he had bought to drive to Tennessee for the wedding.

  Corey and I enjoyed the drive to Tennessee, taking many side trips, so that we could take in all the sights that a seventeen hundred mile trip could afford. But I had mixed feelings about confronting my mother. We had not communicated with each other since I left, other than the postcard I had sent to her after I had arrived in Serpiente. Other than that postcard there had not been a word between us. I had a gut feeling that it could be an ugly scene when I arrived.

  Mona

  When we finally arrived in Tennessee, Corey was amazed. Having lived in New Mexico all of his life, the greenness of Tennessee was a revelation to him. The tall trees, the wide, green fields, and the rolling hills and tall mountains were a source of amazement. He had never in his life seen anything like it. It took his breath away. From the time we entered Tennessee, I began to get more and more nervous. I had mixed feelings about this trip. Seeing my friends would be great fun, and I could not wait to introduce Corey to all of them, but the meeting with my mother was going to be awkward.

  Despite my nervousness, when we entered Nashville, we both wanted to stop for the day to see some of the sights. We had read about the Parthenon, but neither had ever seen it. The Parthenon is a replica of the original Greek building newly erected in Nashville. We also wanted to see Opryland. We both were music fans and I was looking forward to shopping at the Mall. We spent a day in Nashville and then headed east toward Camp Creek and my mother.

  Entering Greeneville, I was amazed at how much the town had changed in just three years. Houses now occupied places that had been open fields when I left. There were new gas stations and businesses that had not been there when I lived there before.

  Driving through town it was only a short time until we arrived in Camp Creek which looked just like it did when I left it. When I got to grandfather and grandmother’s farm, I was surprised to find that my mother no longer lived there. My grandparents seemed to have aged more that I had expected. Farm work had taken its toll on both of them.
I introduced Corey to them and my grandmother fixed glasses of tea for us all. She also brought out a freshly baked coconut pound cake to share with us that made me think that I had forgotten how good Grandmother’s cooking really was, and just how much I had missed southern cooking.

  Grandmother told me that Mona had finally found the man she had always looked for. His name was Jed and he and Mona lived in Greeneville, the county seat. My grandparents seemed to like Jed a lot and seemed happy that Mona had finally grown up. Grandmother called Mona and told her that I had come back to Camp Creek for a visit, and Nora insisted that Corey and I go to see her, so in about an hour, with directions to Mona and Jed’s house, we got back into the truck and headed back to Greeneville.

  When we got to Mona’s house, Mona and her new husband, Jed were waiting on the porch. I introduced my mother to Corey and Mona introduced both of us to Jed. Jed was a big man, who towered over Mona’s height. I would have called him plain with wiry grey hair and big ears, but after I got to know Jed, I understood why Nora had been drawn to him. He was a gentle giant who worshiped the ground that Mona walked on. He did anything that Mona asked without any complaint and was extremely protective. He had acquired the café where Mona had been working when I left Camp Creek. He was someone who treated her like a queen and had plenty of money to spend on her, he let her be the boss. I was sure this was the man of mother’s dreams.

  The visit was uncomfortable at first, but as the afternoon wore on we became easier with each other. I told Mona and Jed about my trip to New Mexico and our Native American friend, Hidalgo. I mentioned to my mother that I had become very interested in the Native American cultures out west and that Corey and I had learned much about the subject from Hidalgo, but I carefully did not mention anything about the serpents. I did not believe that was a subject that would make her comfortable about her daughter returning to the west.

  Mona and Jed asked us to stay with them for dinner and we agreed. After another scrumptious southern fried chicken dinner, my mother and I told the men to take their dessert into the living room while we washed the dishes. This gave mother and daughter a little time to talk.

  “Mother,” said I hesitantly,” I realize now that a lot of the arguments between us were my fault. I believed that I was all grown up and I didn’t believe that I still had a lot to learn about the world.”

  “I understood at the time and I understand a lot better now,” answered Mona. “I still had a lot to learn myself and I don’t feel that I am through with the learning process yet.” Don’t get me wrong,” Mona was very hesitant about her next remarks, but I felt that it was important for her to express her opinion. “Why are you in such a hurry to get married? I got married to your father when I was young like you are, and look what a mistake I made.”

  I felt a rise of anger as I answered, “What’s the matter Mama? You were much younger than I am now when you first got married. Don’t you like Corey? I love Corey and he understands me better than anyone I have ever met. He is gentle and kind and the best friend anyone could ever have. We have been friends since I first arrived in New Mexico. Besides, look around you. Most of the girls I went to school with here are all married.”

  Mona interrupted, “Everything that you say about Corey may be true, I don’t doubt it, but how many other boys have you dated seriously? He seems like a nice boy, but you are both very young. Don’t make the same mistake that I made, by marrying the first boy that you have ever dated and as for the other girls around here, they always get married because they are expected to get married even if they can’t afford too. It is the grandparents who wind up raising those children that are produced. Even if he is ‘the one,’ you may regret your hurry in the future, and if you don’t, he might. There is an old saying, ‘You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet your prince,’ I am living proof of that saying. Learn from my mistake. Go back to school. If he loves you, he will still be in your life. If not, you are better off without him. Fear is a very poor reason to get married.”

  “Mother, I can’t understand you,” I yelled, “you used to want to have nothing to do with my life and now you want to ruin my life. Corey and I know who we want to be married to right now and we are not going to change our minds. Leave us alone, and stop meddling.” With that I ran into the living room and said to Corey, “We are done here. Let’s go back to Grandmother’s house.”

  Corey and Jed had been having a similar conversation in the living room, but Jed was a little more careful about his opinions, because he knew that he was still an outsider in the family. As soon as I came into the living room, obviously very upset, Corey jumped up and put his arms around me. He too had had enough of this conversation and was more than ready to leave.

  After we got into the truck and pulled out of the driveway, Mona began to cry. “I really just want what is best for my daughter, but she will not listen to anything I have to say,” she sobbed.

  “Honey, Jed quietly comforted her, “Very often kids her age have trouble believing anything their parents tell them and you are in a difficult position because she has been away for almost three years. She may have heard more than you think, and she may remember some of it later, when she is not so upset.”

  I was very quiet on the way to my grandmother’s house hardly saying a word to Corey. I was deep in thought and so was Corey. More of my mother’s talk had gotten into my brain than either of us had believed. Was this the right time for Corey and me to get married? Did I trap him, when I told him that if he didn’t marry me, I would find someone else? Did Corey really want to get married, or for that matter did I? Corey and I had had a wonderful adventure the last three years. We learned a whole lot about ourselves, each other, and the world around us, but did that make us ready to be a married couple?”

  Corey was having some of the same thoughts. He knew that he loved me very much. He felt comfortable with me, more than with any other human being, but he had felt so alone when his parents were suddenly killed and I had felt the same way because I was also away from my immediate family. Being away from my parents had made Corey feel lonely too. Being isolated on the farm with only Hidalgo to hang out with had started to get old. Had either one of us experienced enough in other relationships to measure our relationship? I thought back to my dreams I had on the way out to New Mexico. It seemed that Corey was in that dream but I could never be for sure. It seemed that something was plotting against our marriage. What kind of an evil entity could that be?

  Lost in our own thoughts, we arrived at Nora and Nick’s farm. Nora saw as soon as we came into the kitchen door that something was wrong. “I bet Mona said something that made Penny mad,” thought Nora. “That daughter of mine never knows when to keep her mouth shut.” She decided to bide her time and talk to me when she could get me alone. In the meantime, Nora decided to bring up a thought she had while we were gone thinking that maybe it would take our minds off of dealing with Mona and Jed.

  To Marry or Not to Marry

  “I had an idea while you were gone,” Nora said brightly, “that might interest you both. You told me that you had become very interested in the culture of the Indians out west. Why don’t you explore the culture of the Cherokee Indians in North Carolina? It’s only about three hours away, and you might find it as interesting as the Native American culture out west. Nick and I would enjoy taking you to visit Cherokee, North Carolina for a couple of days.”

  I glanced at Corey and said, “I think Corey and I had better talk this over before we give you an answer. How about we go for a walk and discuss your idea? Visiting Mona and Jed today turned out to be a very stressful occasion, as I expected it to be and I could use a walk to help me relax. By the way Corey, what in the world was Jed talking to you about?”

  “Well actually he seemed to have some pretty good advice. He said to live in the moment, that I should not attach myself to physical things, that I should treat others the way I would like to be treated, find happiness in the service of others, make the
most out of today, follow my dreams, and don’t take myself too seriously and that I should be aware that there are hypocrites and manipulators in the world.” Corey grinned shyly and said, “It all sounded like some great ideas to me. But I was not expecting to be put on the spot by Jed. The conversation hit some sore spots and I will need some time to figure them out. A walk might clear my head a little bit too.”

  Still being young lovers we went out the kitchen door and slowly started down toward the dirt road that ran through the farm land. “What else did Jed say to you?” I asked, and I knew that Corey heard the concern in my voice.

  “He asked me if I really wanted to get married this young, he replied hesitantly. He just got me to thinking about it. “Neither of us has graduated from college yet, and while that is not unusual, I know that both of my folks wanted me to graduate from college and you will be the first one in your family to graduate from college. Don’t you think that all your family would be proud of you if you finished? Wouldn’t it be fun for you to do the things that you didn’t get to do in high school only on a much grander scale?”

  I interrupted him with tears in my voice, “You sound as if you have changed your mind about wanting to marry me. Is that what you are trying to say? Is the wedding off?”

  “No,” said Corey impatiently, “That is not what I am trying to say. What I am trying to say is; why are we in such a blazing hurry to get married? We are only twenty. We have the rest of our lives to be married.”

  “But if you really loved me, you would want to be married as soon as possible so that we can spend the rest of our lives together,” I cried. You are just looking for a way to get out of this marriage. I do not want to talk to you anymore tonight and maybe not ever again!”