Holy Tortilla and a Pot of Beans (eBook)

Chencho's Cow It all began when Chencho's cow kicked over a pot of beans. The very pot of beans that Chencho had so painstakingly prepared the night before for the Amados' baby's celebration. He'd selected the beans with care, cooked them on a low fire for hours, added salt, chile, and bacon, then put in the tomate, cilantro, onions, and more bacon near the end. Then, of course, the crowning touch - a can of beer - to make them frijoles borrachos, little drunk beans that he would ladle up into small cups. People downed them like chocolate syrup, only better, not leaving even a teaspoonful of juice at the bottom, and always going back for more. It was a special occasion. Elena and Javier Amado had given birth to a round-cheeked boy whom they named Carlos Javier, after both their fathers, and Chencho, their neighbor, was invited to the gathering at the house after the baptism. In fact, he was on his way to the party with the aromatic pot of beans cradled in potholders when he heard the cow 'moo' loudly and decided to make certain she still had enough water to last until he returned. It was for being in a rush (as problems usually are) that he laid the pot down so close to her, thinking just to run the hose a minute and continue on his way. But the smell of those delicious drunk beans must have made the cow more energetic than usual, and when Chencho turned around to pick up the hose, she followed him, kicking over the beans and all their jugo onto the thirsty dirt. Chencho found himself in a true quandary. He wanted to go to the party, but he wanted to take a pot of beans with him. He thought about making up some quick papa con huevo, or squeezing some juice for aguas frescas into a large, galn bottle, but that wasn't what he wanted to take. He wanted to take a pot of beans. Worse than that (and the truth had to be told), he wanted to take that pot of beans- the very pot he had made with young Carlos Javier Amado in mind, and that now lay flavoring the red, sandy dirt.