A Visit to the Rancho

Elena giggled a little as one of the other students struggled with a math problem at the chalkboard at the front of the class. The teacher, Mrs. Winter, shot her a stern look of reproach and she rolled her lips inward, quenching the smile. Regina sat across from Elena, trying to ignore her friend's antics. Regina wasn't all that strong in math herself and she knew she didn't want anyone laughing at her. For the most part, Elena was sweet and generous but she wasn't always careful about the other girls' feelings. And not everyone at Miss Porter's School was as willing to overlook the remarks and laughter as Regina was.

Regina's first weekend at Elena's family rancho was like two days in a foreign country. Almost no one spoke English, except as an afterthought. And since Regina knew no Spanish at all, she understood very little of what was going on around her. The food was delicious and she shared Elena's room, sleeping in one of the two comfortable beds in the spacious room. Even in the heat of the Indian Summer, the entire rancho was cool. Elena explained it was due to the thick adobe walls and the tile roof. The abundance of plants and flowers and the lovely pool in the central courtyard added to the cool atmosphere and filled the air with their scent.

Elena's family was a fairly typical Californio family with several generations under one roof, even some cousins sharing the home. They were a lively, happy group, talking at the same time and when meal times came, the long trestle table was filled with bowls and platters and everyone ate and talked and enjoyed one another's company. To Regina, whose childhood had been spent in the company of adults, serious and quiet, it took some getting used to. She loved it but there was no way she could follow all the conversations at the table, especially since at least part of every one was in Spanish.

"You have to teach me to speak your language, Elena," she said one night as they were lying in bed, supposedly going to sleep. She rolled over onto her elbow to look at her friend in the moon's rays. "I have no idea what anyone's saying and it sounds so interesting."

Elena laughed and threw off her covers. "It's still too warm to sleep," she said. "So how about we start your lessons now?" She propped herself up on one elbow and waited for Regina's answer.

"Sure," Regina replied eagerly. "So what is 'novia'? That is what your brothers were saying, right?"

"Yes, yes, Luis was teasing Armando about a girl they both know. Armando seems to have crush on her. He says he doesn't but I think he does. And Luis probably does too. A 'novia' is a sweetheart, like a girlfriend kind of. Someone you're courting. It's the feminine form. For a boy, it would be 'novio'."

"Novio," Regina said, testing the feel of the word in her mouth. "I like it. Novio. Do you have a novio, Elena?"

Elena giggled, "No! Papa and Abuelita would never allow it. Nice girls from good families do not throw themselves at boys. They keep company with young men from good families and with duenas -- chaperones selected by the family to protect our honor."

Regina listened, thinking it was different but similar to back home in Kentucky. Chaperones weren't uncommon but Regina also knew there were many ways to escape the watchful eyes of duenas, parents and chaperones.

"Some girls bribe their duenas... or their novios do, to allow them time alone together," Elena said, her voice a low whisper as though she couldn't afford to let her parents hear this heresy.

Regina nodded, then realized Elena probably couldn't see her head moving in the dark. "Sounds like home," Regina replied. " Girls have chaperones and they make it a game to get free and spend time alone with their boys. They call it sparking -- not slipping away from their chaperone, but the courting."

"Sparking. I like that. It sounds... exciting!" Elena whispered.

"Mija!" Abuelita said from the doorway. "Time to be quiet and go to sleep, Elena. Tomorrow we're all going to the mercado and you'll want to be well rested."

"Si, Abuela, buenas noches."

"Buenas noches, Elena. Buenas noches, Regina."