Female souls

Few daring clouds spread through the astonishingly blue sky. Way below, the shadows hide in the dark pavement confronted with the noon sunlight. Some people walk on the neighborhood street: a dirty mason, a speeding housemaid, and an old lady carrying a construction cart. She pushes her rusty metallic cart with noticeable effort, but not without drawing a smile on her wrinkled face.

— Good morning, Doña Marie! — salutes a gorgeous mother as the old lady passes by her front door.

— Good morning, my darling! — replies Maria, stopping in front of the house with her red cart. Her eyes are bright and happy.

More people gather around the cart as doña Marie unwraps several sheets of handwoven fabric. A mystic mist emerges, and a subtle corn smell invades the immediate surroundings.

— Five Quetzales for me today, please — says a humble girl dressing a worn apron.

— Two here, please — requests a guard.

Doña Marie nimbly wraps the requested amounts of tortillas and hands them to each person, receiving some coins as payment. After serving all the people, the first matron Maria saluted is still standing there, with a lovely smile, looking at her in the eyes.

— And for you, my daughter?

— Five Quetzales of tortillas, please Doña Marie.

Maria grabs one tortilla and looks at it with proud eyes.

— Today I did a great work; my tortillas are beautiful.

After handing the package of fifteen tortillas to Brenda, Maria smiles profoundly. Both souls recognize how pure the other one is.

— Oh, I have something for you today, doña Marie — says the lady as Maria gets ready to carry her way with the heavy cart.

Brenda hands her a nicely packaged lunch; it looks tasty. As Doña Marie sees it, her eyes widen, and her mouth opens in surprise.

— How much do I owe you for this? — asks Maria innocently.

— Nothing, nothing! It’s for you, so you get some extra strength today. — replies Brenda with a tear willing to scape before Marie’s courage.

— Thank you very much, my darling, I was pretty hungry!

They greet goodbye, and Maria continues her way down the street where she will sell more handmade beautiful tortillas to more people. Tomorrow she will do it again despite the summer heat.

Nobody knows where she comes from carrying her cart of tortillas, but every day at one pm, she will show up in front of Brenda’s house with a smile.