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Months later, we met once again in that room off of the alley. I was the last to arrive. I still had my back to the room as I secured the door. A new member of the group, Number 12, stood and addressed the rest of us. “To have been defeated in war is one thing. Brave and honorable men died fighting to protect their lands. The abuses that followed the conquest are inexcusable. The blame lies with those in power. King Phillip must accept blame for the greed which fueled the conquest. The soldiers, themselves, must accept blame for the excesses which debased and demeaned the captured people. But the greatest responsibility rests upon the Church. How can an organization which speaks of love of mankind stay silent when atrocities occur? How can Christ’s servants look away when wrongs are done ? Can such a thing be allowed to be hushed up and forgotten? I say the time has come for the Maya to rise up !” I had recognized that voice the moment Number 12 had started speaking; it was none other than Brother Ignacio!
After the meeting, Brother Ignacio asked me to stay when the others had gone. “So, Luca, now you know. The time is ripe for action. I cannot stay much longer in the church. It has become a symbol of all that is wrong in our world. The final straw was learning that De Landa had torn down our pyramids and used the stones to build his church. This happened in more than one place. And, of course, the enslaved Mayans had to do the actual work. All this was done for the glory of God. What a God He must be! So, I will stay until I learn what I need to know about coming events.”
I could see the rage in Ignacio’s face. This emotion was contagious. I was ready to do whatever was asked of me. I was ready to strike back. I could not reach back in time and confront De Landa. I could not face the conquistadors in battle. But the Church, which had covered up the facts and had looked the other way when outrage upon outrage had been done, must be brought to justice .How could I, half a world away from the Vatican, make my statement? It seemed impossible. The Yucatan Peninsula is not at the crossroads of the world. It’s odd how things fall into place, though. Sometimes the stars really do align. And I had almost forgotten that all things are possible in Izamal.
What Ignacio said next almost made me faint. “Luca, the rumors we heard a year ago were true. I have it on good authority that soon the Pope will visit Mexico. Over 130 years have passed since the last papal visit to this country. He will surely be in Mexico City. But I have also heard that he will visit Merida and, if time allows, will appear in Izamal. We must wait for a clearer picture of his schedule. We must prepare for any timetable. It’s our chance. This opportunity will not likely come again.”
Itzam`na whispered to me ,”The time is near, sharpen your weapons.”
August 1993 would be a time to remember.
~~~
It was now three months before the Pope’s visit. I had been working steadily for Yaxche’s father. I went home after work and after a bite to eat, I would sleep very deeply. In spite of our differences about the group in Merida, Yaxche` and I took every opportunity to be together. We never spoke about those meetings. We had just walled off that part from the rest. There was never another woman that I wanted to be with. Every day would start with thoughts of her; every night I fell asleep with a picture in my mind of her wondrous face. I would catch her, while I worked at the pottery factory, spying on me from across the workroom floor. Our eyes would lock, and with never a word, we would say much.
“Let’s go swim in the ocean, Luca. Let’s go lie in the sand and watch the seagulls,” she said.
And I, joining in, said, “And we’ll drink cold drinks and have camarones!”
When we could get away, we took the bus to the coast near Progresso. We didn’t consider the consequences of such a trip. We never thought about how it might appear improper for us to travel together. Yaxche` was a strong-willed young woman. For my part, I only wanted to be near her. Every moment together was golden. We would face criticism, if it came, as one. There are times when you can look back and say, “Yes, that’s when we really became close.” This was our time, and we only wanted each other. The rest of the world was outside our field of vision. There was only Yaxche` and Luca.
About Wes Oldham
