The Hernandez couple were busy this sunny morning, preparing for the wedding of their daughter Eloise, who would marry Ernesto Montilla, the eldest son of their best friends, next Sunday. The place chosen for the reception: the paternal grandparents' country house. Large and surrounded by gardens, it was the ideal place for Eloise, who loved to visit it, but not for her mother, who disliked the countryside.
"Gustavo, remember to tell the gardeners to prune the daisies. The bees like to visit them and I don't want any accidents to happen on the wedding day"
"All right, Marlene, I must go there today to arrange the tables and chairs and when I get there I will talk to old Pedro so that he can do it himself."
"And Pedro is not too old for that?, he must be about a hundred years old."
"Pedro is a trustworthy person, and he is a strong man, he is still working, and he must be about seventy years old"
Pedro had learned the gardening trade at a very young age. He began accompanying his father and when he died, he continued doing it. In the old houses of the Loma Verde sector, he was very much appreciated.
Gustavo found him pruning the azaleas that grew profusely, covering with their foliage the iron gate through which one entered the gardens of the house. He raised his head as soon as he heard the carriage coming and took off his hat.
"Hello, Pedro, I have something to tell you, especially my wife". And he explained what he had to do.
"Don't worry, Mr. Gustavo, when I finish pruning the azaleas, I will cut the daisies. Your wife is right, they are the bees' favorites, they are always fluttering around, and you have to be careful not to disturb them".
"All right, I'm going to walk home, it's a beautiful day".
Pedro, having finished pruning the azaleas, went to where the daisies were.
But he thought better of it: this is not a good time to prune the plants, it is already close to noon, I'd better go to lunch and in the afternoon I'll do it and then the bees won't be visiting the flowers.
Pedro arrived home, where his daughter Carlota was waiting for him. She was in a bad mood, and Ernesto's marriage made her feel sad and angry. She was in love with him, but Ernesto adored Eloise, you could see it in the way he looked at her.
While they were eating, Pedro told his daughter what Mrs. Marlene had asked him to do.
"Dad, I don't want to know anything about that marriage, and I am not at all interested in what that lady has told you. She is pretentious and always sees us as her slaves, she never asks for anything nicely".
"That doesn't matter, daughter, one must always do one's work well, not because others demand it of you, but because you like it and enjoy it. It is the love you put into everything you do that defines you as a person"
"Yes, Dad, you're right about that, but I don't feel up to it right now".
"And can you tell me why?"
Carlota looked into her father's dark eyes, furrowed by the wrinkles of his tanned skin, and then back at him.
"I think you already know".
"But I could be wrong, and I'd rather you tell me". He smiled at her, waiting for her to express what she felt. When he and his wife thought they would never have a chance to have children, Carlota arrived as a blessing and when their beloved Carmen died, they became very close.
"I am in love with Ernesto, and it hurts me that he is getting married. Tears ran down Carlota's rosy cheeks"
Her father grabbed her hand.
"I understand you, daughter, and what I can tell you to console you is that you are a wonderful person, sweet, attentive, loving, and I am sure that at some point, when you least expect it, a companion will come into your life who loves and values you just as you are."
"Thank you father, your words do me good. I love you very much."
"And I love you, daughter". He got up and gave her a hug. "Time heals everything. You will see".
In the afternoon, when the sun had lowered its intensity, Pedro set out to prune the daisies. Antonio, his compare Ramon's son, came over to help him.
"You are going to prune them all, Mr. Pedro."
"Yes, it is a request from Mrs. Marlene, she doesn't want to take any risk with the bees."
"Well, the lady is the boss!. Can I pick the flowers to make a bouquet? There's a very pretty young lady I'd like to give it to".
Pedro smiled, revealing his missing teeth. "And may I know who this young lady is?"
Antonio blushed and answered. "I think you know, I hope she accepts them"
"I'm sure she will".
"You think so!". Antonio opened his eyes even wider and looked at old Pedro.
"You have to have confidence, boy, that's very important".
Pedro thought that helping Antonio and Carlota start a relationship was something he could try, his daughter's happiness was the most important thing to him.
The day of the wedding dawned sunny, and a gentle breeze moved the tablecloths that had already been placed on the tables. A team of women was in charge of all the preparations, the decorations, the food, the drinks, the guests who were arriving to wait for the bride and groom who were already in the church.
The wait was not long.
"Here come the bride and groom!", the excited shout of one of the guests, alerted the others who turned to see the vehicle decorated with garlands enter.
Eloise, radiant in her white lace dress and the veil covering her long reddish hair, carried a bouquet of white and yellow roses and next to her was Ernesto, elegant in a gray suit. Carlota watched the scene from afar as she helped with the food.
Further behind came the parents. Mrs. Marlene watched in detail, making sure everything was in order.
The glasses were poured and raised to toast to the happiness of the bride and groom.
Meanwhile, on the white tablecloth a little bee rested its legs and flapped its wings and then came another and others. Some people began to swat them away and this infuriated them and hundreds of bees began to fly over the guests who ran frightened into the house. Some jumped into the pond. Others hid under the tables, covering themselves with tablecloths and throwing food on the floor. Within minutes, the wedding had turned into chaos.
Eloise, Ernesto and their parents managed to take shelter in the house.
Mrs. Marlene was furious and wanted to take her anger out on someone, and remembered Pedro.
"I told that old man to prune the daisies. I'm sure he forgot!"
"Mom! Dad! something's wrong with Ernesto. He's swelling up".
Ernesto's face was puffy and red, you could barely see his eyes. "I'm allergic, and I think some bees stung me"
"And why didn't you tell me before?. The field, the flowers, it was not a good place to celebrate the marriage."
"I just wanted to see you happy in this place that you love".
Fortunately, there were no serious cases and the people stung by the bees recovered quickly.
Days after the wedding, Mr. Gustavo and his wife were discussing the bee attack.
"I think this was planned, we need to know who did it. Someone could have died."
"I think you are exaggerating Marlene, who would want to do that. Besides, at this time of year there are a lot of bees and the candy attracted them, we don't think this was planned."
"It has always seemed to me that Pedro's daughter is envious of my daughter, it may have been her. We should talk to all the employees."
"I don't agree very much, Marlene, but I will support you."
The meeting was held in the living room of the house. Mrs. Marlene was direct in telling them that someone had provoked the bee attack and the police were going to investigate. So if they knew who the culprit was, she had to collaborate, and as she spoke she turned her gaze to Carlota and her father.
A sound of shouting was heard in the living room and everyone turned to see where it was coming from.
A young woman, who worked as an assistant in the kitchen, twisted a handkerchief nervously in her hands.
"I know what happened, my children told me. They are children", she said through tears, trying to calm herself to continue talking. "They were playing in the orchard and started throwing rocks at a bee hive. They flew off in a rage and flew here. Please don't call the police".
Carlota came over and hugged her. Stay calm. "No one is going to blame your children". And she looked defiantly at Mrs. Marlene.
Mr. Gustavo took a few steps to get closer, as he had been standing back, letting his wife speak.
"There is nothing more to say here. You can leave quietly. What happened was just an accident, there is no one to blame". And grabbing his wife by the arm, they left the room.
Word of mouth spread throughout the Loma Verde region and beyond. The bees returned to build their comb very close to the tree from which they had been attacked and forcibly removed.
Matrimonio en Loma Verde
Los esposos Hernández andaban esta mañana soleada, muy atareados, preparando el matrimonio de su hija Eloísa, quien se casaría el próximo domingo con Ernesto Montilla, hijo mayor de sus mejores amigos. El lugar escogido para la recepción: la casa de campo de los abuelos paternos. Grande y rodeada de jardines, era el lugar ideal para Eloísa, a quien le encantaba visitarla, no así para su madre, a quien le disgustaba el campo.
—Gustavo, acuérdate de decirle a los jardineros que deben podar las margaritas. A las abejas les gusta visitarlas y no quiero que ocurra ningún accidente el día de la boda.
—¡Está bien, Marlene!, hoy debo ir hasta allá para arreglar lo de las mesas y sillas y al llegar hablo con el viejo Pedro para que él mismo lo haga.
—¿Y Pedro no está ya muy viejo para eso?, debe tener como cién años.
—Pedro es una persona de confianza y es un hombre fuerte, todavía está trabajando y debe tener como setenta años.
Pedro, había aprendido desde muy joven el oficio de jardinero. Comenzó acompañando a su padre y cuando este murió, continuó haciéndolo. En las antiguas casas del sector Loma Verde le tenían mucho aprecio.
Gustavo lo encontró podando las azaleas que crecían profusamente, cubriendo con su follaje la puerta de hierro por la que se entraba a los jardines de la casa. Alzó su cabeza en lo que escuchó venir el carro y se quitó el sombrero.
—¡Hola, Pedro!, tengo que decirte algo que te encomendó, especialmente mi esposa. —Y le explicó lo que tenía que hacer.
—No se preocupe, señor Gustavo, cuando termine de podar las azaleas, me voy a cortar las margaritas. Tiene razón su esposa, son las favoritas de las abejas, siempre andan revoloteando y hay que tener cuidado de no molestarlas.
—Está muy bien, voy a caminar hasta la casa, hace un día hermoso.
Pedro, al terminar de podar las azaleas, se dirigió a donde estaban las margaritas.
Pero lo pensó mejor: esta no es buena hora para podar las plantas, ya es cerca del mediodía, mejor me voy a comer y en la tardecida lo hago y así las abejas ya no estarán visitando las flores.
Pedro llegó a su casa, donde su hija Carlota lo estaba esperando. Andaba malhumorada, y el casamiento de Ernesto la hacía sentir triste y rabiosa. Estaba enamorada de él, pero Ernesto adoraba a Eloísa, se le notaba en la forma en que la miraba.
Mientras comían, Pedro le comentó a su hija lo que le había encomendado la Sra. Marlene.
—Papá, yo no quiero saber nada de ese matrimonio y no me interesa en lo absoluto lo que te haya dicho esa señora. Es una pretenciosa y siempre nos ve como sus esclavos, nunca pide nada con amabilidad.
—Eso no importa, hija, uno debe hacer siempre bien su trabajo, no porque otros te lo exijan, sino porque te gusta y lo disfrutas. Es el amor que le pones a todo lo que haces lo que te define como persona.
—Sí, papá, en eso tienes razón, pero ahora no me siento con ánimo.
—¿Y me puedes decir por qué?
Carlota miró los oscuros ojos de su padre, surcados por las arrugas de su piel curtida por el sol.
—Yo creo que ya tú lo sabes.
—Pero puedo equivocarme y prefiero que tú me lo digas.
Le sonrió esperando que ella expresara lo que sentía. Cuando su esposa y él creían que ya no tendrían oportunidad de tener hijos, Carlota llegó como una bendición y al morir su amada Carmen, ellos se compenetraron mucho.
—Es que estoy enamorada de Ernesto y me duele que se vaya a casar. —Las lágrimas corrieron por las mejillas sonrosadas de Carlota.
Su padre le agarró la mano.
—Te comprendo, hija, y lo que puedo decirte para consolarte es que eres una persona maravillosa, dulce, atenta, cariñosa y estoy seguro de que en algún momento, cuando menos lo esperes, llegará a tu vida un compañero que te ame y valore tal como eres.
—Gracias padre, tus palabras me hacen bién. Te amo mucho.
—Y yo a ti hija. Se levanto y le dió un abrazo.—El tiempo lo cura todo. Ya lo veras.
En la tarde cuando el sol había bajado su intensidad, Pedro se dispuso a podar las margaritas. Antonio el hijo de su compadre Ramón se acercó a ayudarlo.
—¿Las va a podar todas Sr Pedro?
—Si, es un encargo de la Sra Marlene, no quiere correr riesgo con las abejas.
—Bueno, la señora es la que manda. ¿Puedo recoger las flores para hacer un ramo? Hay una joven muy linda a la que me gustaría regalarsela.
Pedro sonrió dejando ver su dentadura donde faltaban algunos dientes. —¿Y puedo saber quién es esa joven?
Antonio se sonrojo y le contestó.—Yo creo que usted lo sabe, espero que ella las acepte.
—Estoy seguro de que sí.
—¡Usted cree que si!. —Antonio abrio aún mas los ojos y miró al viejo Pedro.
—Tienes que tener confianza muchacho, eso es muy importante.
Pedro pensó que ayudar a que Antonio y Carlota iniciaran una relación, era algo que podia intentar, la felicidad de su hija era lo más importante para él.
El dìa de la boda amaneció soleado y una suave brisa movía los manteles que ya se habían colocado sobre las mesas. Un equipo de mujeres se encargaban de todo los preparativos, los adornos, la comida, la bebida, los invitados que iban llegando para esperar a los novios que ya se encontraban en la iglesia.
La espera no fue larga.
Allá vienen los novios, el grito emocionado de una de las invitadas, alertó a los demas que voltearon para ver entrar el vehículo adornado con guirnaldas.
De éste se bajaron Eloisa, radiante con su vestido blanco de encajes y el velo cubriendo su larga cabellera rojiza, llevaba un ramo de rosas blancas y amarillas y a su lado estaba Ernesto, elegante con un traje gris. Carlota miraba la escena desde lejos, mientras ayudaba con la comida.
Mas atras llegaron los padres. La sra Marlene observabando con detalle, pendiente de que todo estuviera en orden.
Las copas fueron servidas y se alzaron para brindar por la felicidad de los novios.
Mientras tanto, sobre el blanco mantel una abejita poso sus patas y agitó sus alas y luego llegó otra y otras más. Algunas personas comenzaron a manotearlas para alejarlas y esto las enfureció y cientos de abejas comenzaron a volar sobre los invitados que corrieron espantados hacia la casa. Algunos se tiraron en el estanque. Otros se escondieron debajo de las mesas, tapandose con los manteles y tirando la comida al suelo. En minutos la boda se había convertido en un caos.
Eloina, Ernesto y sus padres lograron resguardarse en la casa.
La sra Marlene estaba furiosa y quería descargar su rabia contra alguién y se acordó de Pedro.
—Le dije a ese viejo que podara las margaritas. Seguro se le olvidó.
—¡Mamá!, !papá!, algo le pasa a Ernesto. Se está hinchando.
La cara de Ernesto estaba inflada y roja, apenas se le veían los ojos. —Es que soy alergico y creo que varias abejas me picaron.
—Y ¿porque no me dijistes antes?. El campo, las flores, no era un buen lugar para celebrar el matrimonio.
—Solo quería verte felíz en este lugar que tu amas.
Afortunadamente no hubo casos graves y las personas picadas por las abejas se recuperaron rápidamente.
Dias despues de la boda, el señor Gustavo y su esposa, discutian sobre el ataque de las abejas.
—Yo creo que esto fue planificado, tenemos que saber quién fue. Alguien pudo haber muerto.
—Estás exagerando Marlene. ¿Quien iba a querer hacer eso?. Además en esta època hay muchas abejas y el dulce las atrajo.No consideramos que esto podía ocurrir. Fue un error, pero ya pasó.
—A mi siempre me ha parecido que la hija de Pedro le tiene envidia a mi hija, es posible que haya sido ella. Debemos hablar con todos los empleados.
—No estoy muy de acuerdo Marlene pero está bien voy a apoyarte.
La reunión se realizó en la sala de la casa. La sra Marlene fue directa al decirles que alguien habia provocado el ataque de las abejas y la policia iba a investigar. Así que si sabian quién era el culpable debía colaborar y mientras hablaba dirigio su mirada a Carlota y a su padre.
Unos sollosos se escucharon en el salón y todos voltearon para ver de donde venian.
Una joven que trabajaba como ayudante en la cocina, retorcia nerviosamente un pañuelo entre las manos.
—Yo se lo que ocurrio, mis hijos me lo dijeron. Ellos son unos niños, —dijo entre lágrimas, tratando de calmarse para continuar hablando. —Estaban jugando en el huerto y comenzaron a tirarle piedras a un panal de abejas. Ellas salieron furiosas y volaron hasta acá. ¡No vayan a llamar a la policía por favor!.
Carlota se acercó y la abrazo. —Quédate tranquila. Nadie va a culpar a tus hijos. —Y miró desafiante a la Sra Marlene.
El señor Gustavo dio unos pasos para acercarse pues se había mantenido alejado, dejando que su esposa hablara.
—Aqui no hay mas nada que decir. Pueden irse tranquilos. Lo que ocurrio fue solo un accidente, no hay culpables. —Y agarrando a su esposa por el brazo, se retiraron del salón.
Lo sucedido en la boda se regó de boca en boca por toda la región de Loma Verde y más alla. Las abejas regresaron a construir su panal muy cerca del árbol de donde habia sido atacadas y sacadas a la fuerza.
La traduccion al inglés la realicé en www.deepl.com
I was looking for some conspirecy, but looks like there was none.
Hello @daoza
Yes, everything was resolved in the best way.
Thank you for your comment
Congratulations, your post has been curated by @dsc-r2cornell. You can use the tag #R2cornell. Also, find us on Discord
Felicitaciones, su publicación ha sido votada por @ dsc-r2cornell. Puedes usar el tag #R2cornell. También, nos puedes encontrar en Discord
Muchas gracias @dsc-r2cornell y a la comunidad @R2-cornell por el apoyo.
Saludos 😘
Hello @theinkwell.
Thank you very much for your support, I appreciate it very much.
Carlota was in love alright but she wasn't wicked. Mrs. Marlene was too quick to judge. It was only an accident that looked convenient. From the tone of the story, love is near for carlota, and that seals the story. Well done.
Hello @kei2.
Thank you very much for your comment.
Carlota was just in love but she was not capable of that evil act.
Happy and blessed day 🌻
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A very well crafted story with a wonderful narration that makes our imagination fly between scenes. The ending is completely surprising and satisfying. Excellent work.
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Excellent Tuesday.
Thank so much @rinconpoetico7
I was glad to read your comment, glad you liked it.
Greetings and Happy night ✨️