By: JB Abner
At the age of eight, Maria and her family live in Ourense. A city nestled in the province of Galicia, Spain north of Portugal. Maria’s parents Cesar and Dorotea are respected tailors in the community known for taking in apprentices to teach the trade. One such apprentice was Carmen, a 17-year girl from town. Very late one evening in 1935, Carmen’s mother knocks on Cesar and Dorotea door. She had come to ask if they would take her daughter as one of their apprentices. Maria’s parents knew, as did everyone in the region, about this single mother’s infamous involvement in a promiscuous scandal as a teen. Since then she has always felt shunned in the community for taking part in one of the towns most deep dark secrets. Feeling sorry for her they wanted to help and agreed to take the unwed mother’s daughter, Carmen. Soon after she moved in with the family, sharing a room with Maria. However, things did not go as planned. Carmen had an acquaintance with Asuncion, an older girl known for her risqué lifestyle as the live-in girlfriend of a seminary-priest. One night Asuncion came by unannounced and left with Carmen without saying anything. Worried Cesar and his brother went out looking for Carmen.
Maria’s dad and uncle found Carmen with the priests and Asuncion at his flat. She was very intoxicated and partially undressed. Cesar and the young pretentious seminary-priest had words; then he took Carmen back home. The priest in a fit of rage went to the civil authorities accusing Cesar of illegally delivering the mail for the official mail carrier. Which is a capital offense in Ourense.
For many years Cesar’s dad was an official mail carrier for the Ourense community. Most people knew Cesar would occasionally deliver the mail for his dad when being ill or unable to make deliveries. However, legally, this was considered a significant offense in Ourense. When illegal acts were committed, the constables or civil authorities handled such matters. Many small townships would not have enough money to pay for an official police force. Typically, they would hire local part-time citizens to be civil authorities or constables. When the seminary-priest made his accusation to the civil authorities about Cesar, they hastily set out to place him under arrest. Of course, it was not long before the town’s gossip, traveling faster than a text on a smartphone, caught word over Cesar pending arrest. After hearing the news, Cesar’s brother quickly ran back to his house to inform him of the priest and the constables coming to get him.
Later that very evening as the constables’ approach. The whole family was in an uproar over them coming so late to arrest their father fearing for his life. Constables were like volunteer firefighters. They received minimal pay and were known to take matters into their own hands. Soon the men were at Cesar’s home. As the men entered, Maria watched and listening as the issue unfolds before her. It was very confusing for an eight-year-old, too young to understand what was going on. She began to cry, fearing for her father as these men were going to take him away from her.
Cesar asked, “Why have you come for him at such a late hour?
One of the constables stated, “Cesar, we must take you into custody. A seminar-priest has accused you of tampering with the mail, which is a capital crime. So, you must come with us NOW.” He knew these men and their reputation. Most of the community knew their reputation. It was well known that many of the civil authorities could be bribed and were not beyond committing deceitful acts. It was not uncommon for prisoners to disappear while in custody. Many prisoners would never make it to the jailhouse.
As they were preparing to take Cesar into custody, he asked, “Very well, could I please take a shower before leaving with you?”
At which Cesar’s mother quickly offered to make them dinner while the constables waited for him. Of course, they agreed and sat down for a home-cooked meal. Cesar thanked them and went to take his shower. While chatting while finishing their meal, they noticed Cesar had not come back to the kitchen. The constables became edgy quickly getting up to see what was taking him so long. The bathroom door was locked. They could hear the water running.
Chatting while finishing their meal, they noticed Cesar had not come back to the kitchen. The constables became edgy quickly getting up to see what was taking him so long. The bathroom door was locked. They could hear the water running.
They knocked, “Cesar open the door?” They heard no sound. They knocked once more, “Cesar?” No response. Finally forcing the door open to find no one there. Frantically searching the home, he was gone. Cursing loudly with embarrassment and anger they left the house to begin searching for his whereabouts in the city.
Maria stated, “My dad fearing for his life slide through a tiny window in the bathroom and made his escape.” Then snicker, “The irony is he went to his priest, Pedro, for protection.”
Now a fugitive the entire civil authority was in search of Cesar. Pedro, the priest, would move him from house to house, hiding him from the constables. Things became even more explosive as rumors were ablaze about the young seminar-priest having a sexual affair with Asuncion his live-in girlfriend while taking voles into the priesthood. This scandal became the headline news for the community’s juicy rumor mill. The seminar-priest was unable to walk the street without people gawking or whispering under their breath about his sexual prowls. Enraged by the judgmental looks the priest blamed Cesar for destroying his reputation and trying to ruin his life. The priest desperately tried to play the victim to no avail as the townspeople already knew the truth.
Such a sensational rumor, especially one over a promiscuous priest spread like wildfire throughout the region. Asuncion could no longer take the stares and looks of disgust on the faces of her neighbors. Feeling cheap and dirty, she left the priest. This made him became even more belligerent, causing his blood to boil vowing for revenge. This was the final straw with the taste for vengeance against Maria’s dad engulfing him. The seminar-priest feeling the weight of whispers, dirty looks, and continued gawking brought forth a fury that would not be quenched as he became obsessed with revenge.
In a vindictive rage, he did the unthinkable placing a bounty on the head of Maria’s dad. A new round of threats and rumors began suggesting it was just a matter of time before someone would turn Cesar’s in to collect the reward. Many unscrupulous residents in the small town could use the money, so the uncertainty lasted for many months as rumors and threats continued to escalate. The entire family lived in fear for Cesar as threats continued to heighten. Despite all the tension, the scandal, the anxiety, bounty, and rumors going around town, Cesar remained in the care of Pedro, a dedicated priest who continued protecting him.
Even with a priest’s help, Maria’s father seemed doomed by the rage of a scarlet letter seminar-priest whose persistence continued to close in on Cesar. That is until a more significant twist of fate brewing over the horizon would change everything.
This was no little rumor it was a new storm called – Franco!
Chapter 5: At age nine Maria now faced a new chapter of life. The Spanish Civil War.
Source: Maria’s Story