Juanita and Alaria had been friends since childhood. They attended boarding school together and even had a joint Quinceanera both wearing beautiful dresses sewn with little handmade roses made of silk. Juanita’s was red and Alaria’s pink. Their mothers cooked for days to get ready for the event. With fresh corn tortillas, tamales stuffed with chicken, dark rich mole with creamy beans and empanadas, it was a feast to be remembered. The party was so remarkable and the food so luscious that it inspired Alaria to attend cooking school. She studied to become a chef and graduated from culinary school in Los Angeles. Juanita went another direction. She was more bookish and pursued a degree in art history. She graduated from Boston University. They had both become accomplished women.
But these two were extremely different. In the looks department, Juanita was the stunner. Although she was prematurely grey, she was still lovely. She always wore pearls and a skirt (always in fashion). She had a good curvy figure and when she was happy she was a pleasure to be around. But when she was mad, she was a storm of crashing waves and thunderclouds. So during those moments, you steered clear of her.
Alaria was much shorter and a much more eclectic dresser. She liked to wear more bohemian outfits with sparkle and shine. Her temperament was much more even, which was good since she worked as a sous chef in a busy kitchen where she always kept her cool in the midst of the stress.
One summer many years later the two young women returned to their home of Veracruz. They both took a vacation at the same time to visit with each other and their families since neither had been home for a very long time. It was a three week holiday in the warm sun.
In Los Angeles, Alicia had fallen in love with a young up and coming film maker. His teachers considered him a visionary. Alicia fell hard and before you know it she was pregnant and alone. The filmmaker, his curls and nerdish glasses had moved on to another girl.
Alicia was ready for this vacation and needed to introduce her daughter Ana to the family. She had kept Ana a secret as her family was very traditional and would not approve. However, Alicia knew that her family loved babies and would fall queasy in love with Ana.
Juanita had her own troubles in love. She was more the man-eater type and intellectual men would fall for her. She kept them around for awhile and then pushed them away. It was a game and she grew bored quickly.
That summer they both fell smack in love, unable to think straight, besotted and giddy. This was a problem - they were both smitten with the same man! Anserto was not the best looking man in Veracruz, or the richest, but he was kind and very, very tall and thin. In his crumpled cowboy hat and faded clothes, Anserto had swagger and charisma which all women found alarmingly addictive. He was a mask maker and specialized in Day of the Dead masks for festivals and tourists. He was masterful at his craft and people came from everywhere to buy them.
Both girls made a play for Anserto. Alicia was a bit hesitant at first – after all, she had a baby- but she had to try. Either he loved children or not and she would soon find out. Alicia’s attempt at seduction came in the form of food. She cooked a meal a man would die for; steak grilled in butter and capers, mashed potatoes with ricotta and garlic, salad with sweet tomatoes and crisp croutons and for desert a chocolate cake with toasted crushed almonds. How could he resist? Anserto loved the attention, and was taken by the dinner and Alicia’s sweet daughter Ana. The evening was a success.
Not to be outdone, Juanita had her own tactics. She got all dolled up in high, high heels, a flirty dress and black silk shawl. Watch out, Anserto. Here comes Juanita! Of course all she had to do was walk in, strut around a little bit and he was a goner. They dined al fresco at an intimate café, feeding each other fresh calamari and langoustine.
Little did the two girls know, but Anserto already had a girlfriend and a jealous one at that! Petricia had been dating Anserto for three years and was bound and determined to keep him. Whenever another woman appeared on the scene, Petricia would go after them with her father’s ax! She never hurt anyone, but when they encountered an ax wielding harpy, the other women would flee. It was an effective deterrent. Although they didn't know that Anserto and Petricia were dating , Alicia and Juanita had grown up in Veracruz with her and they knew about her jealousy . Nonetheless they were not intimidated . Many times in the past, Alicia would back down and give up on winning a man’s heart but not this time. She paid no attention to Petricia or Juanita. She was determined to have Anserto as her husband and it ended up not being as difficult as Alicia might have imagined. Petricia grew tired of Anserto’s attention to other women and left town. As for Juanita, she just grew bored like usual. She wanted Alicia to be happy. After all, they grew up together and had remained friends after all these years. It would just be stupid to end the friendship over a man. Besides, she knew she could get any man she wanted - maybe not keep him, but that didn’t interest her.
By now, Anserto had fallen in love with Alicia and her fine cooking. So off they went to the Salton Sea for the wedding. It was not the most beautiful spot for a wedding, but Alicia had a different view of beauty and to her it was paradise. Juanita even attended the wedding and stayed for several months to do a photographic book on the area. During which time she met Lars, a fish taxidermist. Alicia, Anserto and Ana lived in Veracruz and Petricia became a renowned marine biologist in Florida.
But these two were extremely different. In the looks department, Juanita was the stunner. Although she was prematurely grey, she was still lovely. She always wore pearls and a skirt (always in fashion). She had a good curvy figure and when she was happy she was a pleasure to be around. But when she was mad, she was a storm of crashing waves and thunderclouds. So during those moments, you steered clear of her.
Alaria was much shorter and a much more eclectic dresser. She liked to wear more bohemian outfits with sparkle and shine. Her temperament was much more even, which was good since she worked as a sous chef in a busy kitchen where she always kept her cool in the midst of the stress.
One summer many years later the two young women returned to their home of Veracruz. They both took a vacation at the same time to visit with each other and their families since neither had been home for a very long time. It was a three week holiday in the warm sun.
In Los Angeles, Alicia had fallen in love with a young up and coming film maker. His teachers considered him a visionary. Alicia fell hard and before you know it she was pregnant and alone. The filmmaker, his curls and nerdish glasses had moved on to another girl.
Alicia was ready for this vacation and needed to introduce her daughter Ana to the family. She had kept Ana a secret as her family was very traditional and would not approve. However, Alicia knew that her family loved babies and would fall queasy in love with Ana.
Juanita had her own troubles in love. She was more the man-eater type and intellectual men would fall for her. She kept them around for awhile and then pushed them away. It was a game and she grew bored quickly.
That summer they both fell smack in love, unable to think straight, besotted and giddy. This was a problem - they were both smitten with the same man! Anserto was not the best looking man in Veracruz, or the richest, but he was kind and very, very tall and thin. In his crumpled cowboy hat and faded clothes, Anserto had swagger and charisma which all women found alarmingly addictive. He was a mask maker and specialized in Day of the Dead masks for festivals and tourists. He was masterful at his craft and people came from everywhere to buy them.
Both girls made a play for Anserto. Alicia was a bit hesitant at first – after all, she had a baby- but she had to try. Either he loved children or not and she would soon find out. Alicia’s attempt at seduction came in the form of food. She cooked a meal a man would die for; steak grilled in butter and capers, mashed potatoes with ricotta and garlic, salad with sweet tomatoes and crisp croutons and for desert a chocolate cake with toasted crushed almonds. How could he resist? Anserto loved the attention, and was taken by the dinner and Alicia’s sweet daughter Ana. The evening was a success.
Not to be outdone, Juanita had her own tactics. She got all dolled up in high, high heels, a flirty dress and black silk shawl. Watch out, Anserto. Here comes Juanita! Of course all she had to do was walk in, strut around a little bit and he was a goner. They dined al fresco at an intimate café, feeding each other fresh calamari and langoustine.
Little did the two girls know, but Anserto already had a girlfriend and a jealous one at that! Petricia had been dating Anserto for three years and was bound and determined to keep him. Whenever another woman appeared on the scene, Petricia would go after them with her father’s ax! She never hurt anyone, but when they encountered an ax wielding harpy, the other women would flee. It was an effective deterrent. Although they didn't know that Anserto and Petricia were dating , Alicia and Juanita had grown up in Veracruz with her and they knew about her jealousy . Nonetheless they were not intimidated . Many times in the past, Alicia would back down and give up on winning a man’s heart but not this time. She paid no attention to Petricia or Juanita. She was determined to have Anserto as her husband and it ended up not being as difficult as Alicia might have imagined. Petricia grew tired of Anserto’s attention to other women and left town. As for Juanita, she just grew bored like usual. She wanted Alicia to be happy. After all, they grew up together and had remained friends after all these years. It would just be stupid to end the friendship over a man. Besides, she knew she could get any man she wanted - maybe not keep him, but that didn’t interest her.
By now, Anserto had fallen in love with Alicia and her fine cooking. So off they went to the Salton Sea for the wedding. It was not the most beautiful spot for a wedding, but Alicia had a different view of beauty and to her it was paradise. Juanita even attended the wedding and stayed for several months to do a photographic book on the area. During which time she met Lars, a fish taxidermist. Alicia, Anserto and Ana lived in Veracruz and Petricia became a renowned marine biologist in Florida.
