The Dove of San Isidro

Soledad Ríos would have laughed and returned to grinding corn if someone had informed her that jealousy might cause girls to dig a pit with their own hands. Now that she was looking back, she understood. Envy doesn't make an announcement. First, it smiles. It delivers presents. It doesn't reveal its teeth until you've stopped looking for them. From the moment she was old enough to bring water jugs down to the arroyo, the hamlet referred to her as Paloma, or the dove. She never inquired about the name. The only thing she had done to deserve it was to be born with a face that attracted unwanted attention. Her parents were simple farmers who worked a small plot of squash and maize on the outskirts of San Isidro del Valle in the arid hill country south of Zacatecas. Herlinda, her mother, could light up an entire room with her laugh. Anselmo, her father, thought that if you remained silent long enough, most issues would resolve themselves. Their life wasn't simple, but it was theirs, and it was tranquil until the jealousy of others began to mess with it. It started with whispers at the well, as these things always do. Refugio, Dolores, and Consuelo, a slender, sharp-tongued girl, constantly moved in unison like a single, six-legged animal. Just because God granted her a respectable face, look at her, striding as if she owned the entire valley. Even though Soledad thought kindness may wear them down, she still smiled. It didn't. All it did was provide them with an unresisting target. The taunting became more acerbic. They made fun of her stitching, imitated her gait, and informed her that the priest would never be able to find her a husband since God detests conceit. So that her mother wouldn't worry, she sobbed softly at home. Nevertheless, her mother was concerned. "Even the sweetest honey attracts flies," Herlinda said to her one evening while braiding her hair by moonlight. That does not imply that the honey acted improperly. The words were helpful. The loneliness persisted despite their efforts.