Bless Me Ultima

Summary

As the summer comes to an end, Antonio spends his mornings walking with Ultima, gathering herbs and medicines from the llano. During this happy time, Antonio grows to love both the llanoand the river. Ultima teaches him that plants have spirits like people and tells him stories about the old days. Antonio realizes that Ultima is happiest when she is out on the llano, and her happinesshelps him to realize that he too is a part of the llano and a part of nature. Antonio tells Ultima that he will soon visit his mother’s brothers, and Ultima tells him that she is an old friend of hismother’s father. He asks her why his Luna relatives are so quiet, and she replies that it is in the Luna blood to be quiet like the moon, just as it is in the Márez blood to be loud and restless likethe sea. (In Spanish, la luna means “moon” and el mar means “sea.”) Antonio feels the presence of the river and wonders again about Lupito’s soul.

Back at home, Antonio and Ultima dry the plantson the chicken shed. María tells them over dinner that, as Antonio had expected, it will soon be time to visit the Lunas to help with the harvest, a yearly ritual that keeps Antonio close to hisgrandfather and uncles. Antonio spends the rest of the afternoon playing at Jáson’s house and then cuts wild alfalfa by the river to feed to the rabbits.

Every night, Antonio’s family prays beforeMaría’s statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a beautiful, two-foot-tall likeness of the Virgin in a blue gown. Antonio loves her because she always forgives; the Virgin is his favorite saint. He knows that sheis the patron saint of his land. On the foot of the statue a little paint has chipped away so that the white plaster is visible, and Antonio thinks of the plaster as the Virgin’s pure soul.

Thatnight, Antonio hears Ultima’s owl singing its mournful song outside his attic window. Antonio slips into sleep and has a dream in which the Virgin speaks to María. The Virgin promises María that his...