Bless Me, Ultima Page #5

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Dummy! You got us

all mixed up!

Darn!

I almost choked.

Do you feel anything?

I feel hungry.

Now that

I was one with God,

I would ask him why Tenorio

was alive instead of Narciso?

Why he had allowed evil

to happen?

Why it went unpunished?

I called out to him

that now was a part of me.

Go in peace

with Christ.

Thanks be to God.

But there was no answer.

In time,

everyone got up to leave.

It was over.

After Communion,

I spent more and more time with Ultima

whose wisdom

gave me comfort.

I learned that the ways of healing

attended more than just the body.

And no road was too long for her

to travel to ease someone's pain,

or to lift a curse,

or cool a fever.

But often when

their miseries passed,

they shunned her

just the same.

What'll you do

this summer?

I don't know.

Play.

Fish.

Take care of my animals.

Go to El Puerto to learn

about farming from my uncles.

Do you wanna

be a farmer?

I don't know.

Ultima says a man's destiny must

unfold itself like a flower.

With only the sun, earth,

and water

making it blossom,

and no one else

meddling in it.

She sounds like

a very wise woman.

Yes.

Goodbye, Miss Violet.

I'll come by

to see you next year.

Goodbye, Antonio.

Race!

You know that there are

hidden lakes in those hills?

You know, with mermaids

in them, right?

And they call you,

and you go to them,

but no one ever

sees you again.

I can't see him!

He's been down there

way too long!

They're not supposed to be there!

Something is wrong.

- Hurry!

- Where is he?

He's under!

Hurry up!

What happened?

It's Florence, he's down there!

Bones dared him

to go in!

He didn't come up.

Look!

I told you kids

not to swim here.

Florence died without confession,

without the grace of God.

Alone in death

as he had been in life.

Was he wandering

in purgatory?

Would he burn

forever in Hell?

I wondered if God was angry

with him for not believing.

But mostly I wondered,

if he even cared at all.

Tony!

Tony!

Tony!

Tony!

Antonio.

It's all right.

It's all right.

He feels

everything too much.

Maybe he's seen

too much.

He needs to rest.

A visit to El Puerto

will do him good.

Women will take an hour saying

goodbye if you let 'em.

Papa?

Why is there evil

in the world?

Ay, mijo, you have

so many questions.

Didn't the priest

talk about it in church?

But I'd like

to know your answer.

Oh... Oh, okay, well...

In that case,

I'll tell you how I see it.

I think most of the things we call evil,

aren't evil at all.

It's just that we don't

understand what they are,

so we call 'em evil.

Like, when Lucas, he...

He got sick,

and we were all afraid.

But Ultima,

she wasn't afraid,

she understood

what was wrong.

But, I took

the Holy Communion

because I wanted

to understand.

Understanding doesn't

come that easy, Tony.

Doesn't God give

understanding?

Understanding

comes with life.

As a man grows,

he sees life and death.

He's happy,

he's sad, he works,

he plays,

he meets people.

Sometimes it takes a whole

lifetime to acquire understanding.

But, mijo, in the end,

understanding simply means to have sympathy,

sympathy for people, yeah?

And Ultima...

Ultima has sympathy

for people.

But with her, mijo,

with her it's so complete that she

can touch their souls and cure them.

That's her magic?

And in all this world

no greater magic

can exist.

All summer

I worked alongside my uncles.

I watched the care and the respect

they showed the earth and the plants.

Only Ultima showed such reverence

for the land and its offerings.

I learned that the phases of the

moon not only ruled the planting,

but almost every part

of their lives.

That's why they were Lunas.

They would not gather plants or save next

year's seeds until the moon said so.

I thought of my father too.

His wild and restless spirit,

that forever

reached out somewhere.

I didn't know if his or my mother's

blood would claim me in the end.

But the bad dreams that had plagued me,

did not come.

Antonio! A letter

from your mother!

They'll come for you

in a few days.

School starts

early this year.

It comes early

every year.

Your mother says

you do well in school.

You like school?

Yes, I like it.

Well, that's good.

A man of learning can go

far in this world, Antonio.

It makes us all

very proud.

It's been a long time since

there was an educated Luna.

I'm Marez.

That's right.

You're a Marez first,

and then Luna.

But I just wanted

to say that, ah,

that we're very pleased

with your work.

We know that you must choose

what you'll do as a man,

but if you ever decide

to become a farmer,

you'll be

welcome here.

This earth that was your

mother's will be yours.

Pedro, can I

see you a minute?

There's trouble

in town.

Antonio!

Something's come up,

so we'll drive you home today after supper!

There's only a few hours

of work left to do,

so, go to your grandfather's

house and pack your clothes.

Hey, if anyone asks

why you're back early,

tell 'em you got time off for

being such a good worker.

Okay, to.

I hope you've broken

your neck, you little jerk!

Eso vieja bruja has killed

another of my daughters!

I'll avenge

her death tonight!

Do you hear me?

Don't you crawl about!

The coyotes will have sport

when they devour you tonight!

You, hijo de la bruja!

My uncles

had betrayed Ultima before,

so I ran

to save her myself.

I ran to save the spirit

that protected us from the evil

that men brought to our hills.

That had been there when the

heavens looked on in silence.

I ran from the river

and took to the Ilano.

Antonio!

- Pedro? Qu? Qu pasa?

- Is Antonio here?

Qu pasa?

Aqu! Tenorio's here!

Too!

Antonio!

Antonio!

Oh, my God!

Ultima?

Where's Ultima?

Antonio!

Antonio!

May God help me.

The owl!

It's dead.

Not dead.

Winging its way

to a new place,

a new time.

When I was a child,

a wise old man

gave me the owl

as a... As a bond

to the time

and harmony

of the universe.

Evil men

create disharmony

that reaches out

and destroys life.

But it passes away,

it passes away.

Gather my medicines,

and burn them

somewhere on the river.

Everything.

But take the owl now

into the hills,

and bury it at a...

At a forked juniper tree.

Go...

Go quickly.

Bless me, Ultima.

In the name

of all that's good

and strong

and beautiful

I bless you.

Go.

Go, quickly.

Grande...

My father

built a fine pine coffin,

and people came from miles

around to mourn La Grande,

her cures and her magic.

But, I knew to look

beyond their sadness.

Ultima taught us how to make

strength from our experiences.

To hold wonder in our lives.

She taught us that the eternal

soul expands by embracing life,

and all that happens,

both good and evil.

No, I did not cry.

Her voice is everywhere.

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