Having made his decision, he
rode back to the camp. It was
when he returned to inform the
elders of his choice, that
Anito told him she was once
again with child.
It was hard to believe at
first. True his wife was still
young. At twenty six, she
still had many years before
age would render her totally
incapable of childbirth. But
eight years of barrenness was
a long time. How was it
possible now?
They consulted the healer. It
is true she informed them.
Anito was now eight weeks in
pregnancy. They also visited
the soothsayer to see what the
signs foretold. She also
informed them that the stars
had indicated that there a
child would come to Lomez
family. When Habby pressed her
for more details, she became
vague. There was now nothing
more for them to do but wait.
He stopped drinking and once
more their marriage seemed to
be working. But as the
pregnancy developed, so did
Habby's fears. Would she
miscarry? Would the child be
healthy? A boy or a girl?
Eight months into the
pregnancy, Anito went into
labour. It was a long and
painful labour Anito suffered.
Habby grew more despondent as
the days drew on with no sign
of birth. A premature birth
was a bad sign. It usually
indicated a stillborn, or at
best a weak and frail child.
In desperation, Habby sought
advice and comfort from Pierre
the wise. `You must be
patient', he told Habby, `and
see what tomorrow brings'.
Tomorrow came, and still his
wife’s painful labour
continued. He returned to
consult Pierre, again that
evening.
`Tomorrow always comes',
Pierre cryptically informed
him. But the following day
there was still no birth
forth-coming.
A third evening, Habby sought
solace from the wise old man,
and this time Pierre could
only tell him that tomorrow
can never wait.
The following morning, a
daughter was born to Habby and
Anito Lomez. Habby looked to
his wife, an unmeasurable
amount of pride and
satisfaction evident in his
features. He also gave thought
to the suffering his wife had
been through. The torment and
despair they had both endured.
He remembered the words of
Pierre. Tomorrow had indeed
come. Looking to his new
daughter, an overwhelming
sense of, joy and hope filling
his soul, he announced. "She
will be called Manana, which
is our tongue for tomorrow.
For she is our hope, she is
our new beginning".
As he bent over to pick up his
daughter, he noticed for the
first time her eyes. He looked
to his wife, then to the
healer, who had remained by
his wife’s side, the woman who
had comforted her throughout
the painful process. He also
looked to the soothsayer who
had assisted the healer
throughout the ordeal.
Finally, to confirm what he
now knew was true, he looked
once more to the crying bundle
of flesh and blood that was
the product of his union.
Gently he laid her alongside
his wife again and made the
sign of the cross about her,
so as to give her the
protection of god.
Once more Habby looked to his
daughter. It was then that he
noticed her eyes which seemed
to absorb his attention. They
looked to him with a mixture
of puzzlement and love. Yet it
was not the look which had
made him involuntary shake. It
was the colour of the eyes.
They were a milky shade of
green. The colour of emeralds
seen through a fine veil.
Green eyes, thought Habby.
Never before had he seen eyes
so green. This was indeed a
mark of god.
He looked to the women
assembled in the room. Their
expression confirmed what he
now knew. His child had been
blessed by the earth mother.
Never before in the recalled
history of the clan had a
child been born with the mark
of the land. Instinctively, he
knew like everyone else in
that room knew, that his
daughter was different.
She had a destiny to fulfil.
For good or evil. he could not
know. He knew already that he
loved her. And for Habby that
was all he needed to know.
Habby's thoughts were brought
back to the present. They were
now entering Herreria's
plantation.
Within five minutes, they
entered the first field. As
they rode through, Habby
looking at the trees, could
see that they were laden with
fruit. This was a good sign.
Full trees meant a full
harvest which in turn meant
more money for the clans
future.
It was not long after entering
Herreria's land, that they
arrived at the spot designated
by Herreria as the starting
point.
Herreria ordered Habby to
organise his group and start
the days work.
The Gypsies wasted no time in
dismounting and unloading the
wagons. Having completed this,
they moved over to the pile of
equipment that Herreria had
placed in the field
previously. The men collected
their nets and barras, and the
women the baskets and olympida,
soon the field echoed to the
sounds of barras clashing
against leaf and branch.
Herreria walked around the
field inspecting the nets.
Satisfied he approached Habby.
"I need to fetch the donkeys",
he informed Habby, "I will be
gone for about an hour, at the
most two". Habby, busy with
his barra nodded in agreement.
Mounting his horse and taking
a final look around him,
Herreria then rode away. He
knew the Gypsies would work
non-stop. In comparison to the
trees they first saw, this
field had not yielded such a
good crop.
He had already informed Habby,
that he would pay them by the
Kilo. To make their money they
would have to work hard and
fast. In a few weeks, when
they reached the prime fields,
he would change them on to a
daily rate.
As he left, a sardonic smile
played over his features. He
wouldn't tell them this until
they had seen the good trees.
There was no doubt they
wouldn't like it, but they
would just have to put up with
it.
Singing a religious ditty
recently come to the valley,
he rode away a happy man.
The Eagle
&
The
Dove 
