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(Author's Note: The Mexican legend of La Llorona (the crying woman) tells of a woman who went crazy, drowned her children in the river, and now wanders in search of them. The Llorona tradition also bears similarities to the banshee of Ireland. Those who hear her cries are said to die soon thereafter.)

From: lupita@mailme.com
To: paco@dealsystems.com
June 21, 2009 10:23AM
Subject: boda

Hey Paco,
Wedding was great—lots of people and waaaay too much booze. :) I got so totally borracha—there's not enough aspirin in the world for my head today. Happy couple sends their regards. Shoot me if I ever have to wear purple satin again, OK?
Lupe

From: paco@dealsystems.com
To: lupita@mailme.com
June 21, 2009 8:35PM
Subject: Re: boda

Lupe,
You so crazy! Please tell me that this time I'm not going to hear that you were stripping. That was embarrassing.
Paco

From: lupita@mailme.com
To: paco@dealsystems.com
June 22, 2009 4:04AM
Subject: Re: boda

Are you kidding, Paco? I was good the whole time! But I hate coming back to the rancho—you know the freaky stuff that goes on out here. I heard her tonight, crying for her babies. You know how Dad used to scare us by saying he'd call her to come take us? I thought I was too old to be scared until I heard it. “Mis hijos,” she said, just like when he used to tell us the story. I still haven't been able to get to sleep, it scared me so bad. I can't wait to be home, man. This place sucks.
Lupe

From: paco@dealsystems.com
To: lupita@mailme.com
June 22, 2009 10:46AM
Subject: Re: boda

Get a grip, sister. You're too old to believe in la Llorona. I know the tequila down there is good, but be serious.
Paco

From: lupita@mailme.com
To: paco@dealsystems.com
June 22, 2009 2:35PM
Subject: Re: boda

I didn't drink last night, just the night before. Besides, you know I drink mezcal when I'm down here.
But for real, 'manito. That scared me. All those stories they told us when we were growing up about people hearing her and then dying, or young people wandering off and her taking them ... I'm going to be home on Friday, and hopefully I can forget about it then. But you'd better believe that Maite's not getting out of my sight before then.
Lupe

From: paco@dealsystems.com
To: lupita@mailme.com
June 22, 2009 9:17PM
Subject: Re: boda

You know she'll be fine. She's got the best big sister in the world watching out for her. Besides, you'd better be watching for her anyway, Llorona or no. She'll be like you, out in the barn with some ranchero.
Paco

From: paco@dealsystems.com
To: lupita@mailme.com
June 25, 2009 8:25AM
Subject: You there?

I tried to call down there last night, but nobody picked up. You can't tell me there's nobody there with all the people that came for the wedding. Is everything OK?
Paco

From: maite416@inbox.net
To: paco@dealsystems.com
June 25, 2009 9:43AM
Subject: Yebate pa ca

U need 2 come down here. Tell u y when u get here.
~*~*~*~Maite~*~*~*~

From: paco@dealsystems.com
To: maite416@inbox.net
June 25, 2009 1:39PM
Subject: Re: Yebate pa ca

Not until you tell me what's going on. Where's Lupe?

From: maite416@inbox.net
To: paco@dealsystems.com
June 25, 2009 1:58PM
Subject: Re: Yebate pa ca

Dats y I need 2 talk 2 u. Shes dead.
~*~*~*~Maite~*~*~*~

From: paco@dealsystems.com
To: maite416@inbox.net
June 25, 2009 7:03PM
Subject: Re: Yebate pa ca

If this is a joke, it's not funny, and I didn't work 60 hours a week to send you to private school so you could write “Dats y.” Write like you have some sense.

From: maite416@inbox.net
To: paco@dealsystems.com
June 25, 2009 7:26PM
Subject: Re: Yebate pa ca

Fine, cabrón. (See? With the accent mark and everything, jerk.) I'm not kidding, Paco. She's dead. I'm scared. Come down here.
~*~*~*~Maite~*~*~*~

From: paco@dealsystems.com
To: maite416@inbox.net
June 25, 2009 11:41PM
Subject: Re: Yebate pa ca

Got your ticket canceled. Flying into DGO tomorrow 6:45PM. Don't make any decisions until I get there. What happened to her?
Paco

From: maite416@inbox.net
To: paco@dealsystems.com
June 26, 2009 1:26AM
Subject: Re: Yebate pa ca

Like I'm going to do anything without you. I don't know ni madres about funerals, and the cousins won't let me decide anyway—I guess 18 is old enough to get married down here but not old enough to get a vote in what to do about my sister's body.
I don't know what happened.. We went to the dance, and she got bored and went outside for tacos. The guy selling them said the wind started blowing really hard all of a sudden, and she started screaming, like “I hear her, I hear her.” All crazy, you know? Then she fell down and didn't get up. I'm scared, guey.
~*~*~*~Maite~*~*~*~

From: paco@dealsystems.com
To: maite416@inbox.net
June 26, 2009 11:39AM
Subject: Re: Yebate pa ca

I'm in Dallas. My flight leaves from here in an hour and a half. I'm going to try to set up the Mass for her tomorrow, then the burial Sunday, and we can come back Monday. That way you don't have to miss work Tuesday, OK?
Paco

From: maite416@inbox.net
To: paco@dealsystems.com
July 4, 2009 10:45PM
Subject. Hey Paco

Happy 4th, hermano. Thanks for understanding about my staying here. I hope you got pics of the fireworks for me—the ones in Faith are always so pretty, and Lupe spent a lot of money to get you that fancy camera for Christmas. It feels weird to talk about her though, you know?
I thought I saw her last night down by the barn. I feel like she spent her whole life fighting against being a ranchera like the rest of us, and at the end the rancho won. I've got an interview tomorrow in the city, for a job as a translator. You know that's better than I could do in the US without a work visa. I think she'd want me here with her. She was always saying “Don't leave me alone here,” and I'm not. Hope you can make it down here for Christmas or something. Take care of yourself. Te quiero mucho!
~*~*~*~Maite~*~*~*~

“RIP Guadalupe Rosario Gutierrez Escobedo 22.05.1978-24.06.2009, Siempre estarás conmigo”

END

Copyright © 2009 Stephanie Hamrick

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