Firefly Summer (18 page)

They climbed to their seats, expecting Antonio to jump down and join the group of peasants. But when Don Rodrigo motioned to Filimón and the coach began to move, they realized the truth of his
statement. He was actually going to San Juan with the family.

The peasants cleared the way to let the coach turn, and Antonio looked at them over Filimón's shoulders.

“
Adiós, Mamá
,” he called.

Lucía waved back at her son. It was the beginning of her dream for him, which, thanks to Doña Anita, had now become a reality.

“Why didn't you tell us about Antonio before?” asked Teresa.

“This summer was full of surprises,” answered her mother. “You and Mercedes had one for Ramón and Lucio one for us all. This was mine for you girls.”

“Not even Antonio heard of it until a few minutes ago,” explained Grandmother. “I don't know who was more surprised, you or him.”

When the coach turned, the peasants went running down to the edge of the path.

“¡
Adiós
Don Rodrigo!” they called, wishing the family good luck and a quick return.

“
Adiós
—farewell,” came the answer from those in the coach.

Further down the road, Esteban and his family were waving. Antonio hung out of the coach in his eagerness to say goodbye to his friend.

The coach came out into the main road, and as they looked back they saw Ramón standing on the
hill, surrounded by the workers. He stood there waving until the sight of the coach was lost upon the road, then turned and walked slowly back to the house. As he approached Grandmother's garden, he noticed the spot where Lucía had been working. The newly turned earth looked rich and black. He stopped to take a handful of it and held it tightly in his hand. It felt warm and moist. Suddenly, a feeling of loneliness came over him. He was alone for the first time since he had come to the
finca
. How would it be to live without the only family he had ever known? But was he really alone, when he had all the
finca
to himself and the peasants to do his bidding? And, finally, perhaps a reunion with his parents would reward his search when he looked for them in Guayama. Then he would have two families!

He let the earth slip through his fingers. “Good earth,” he said softly under his breath. “I am your master now.” Then squaring his shoulders, as he had often seen Don Rodrigo do, he gave the group of workers surrounding him his first order: “
Vamos, hombres
, let's go, men, there is work to do.”

Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage is a national project to locate, identify, preserve and make accessible the literary contributions of U.S. Hispanics from colonial times through 1960 in what today comprises the fifty states of the Union.

Spanish travelers early on documented their journeys of exploration through the North American continent. Since then, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans and others of Hispanic origin have also recounted their personal stories, passed on their lore and traditions, given creative expression to their novels, poetry, plays and other genres inherent to Hispanic traditions. As a result of this project, hundreds of thousands of literary pieces, including essays, autobiographies, diaries and letters will become accessible to scholars, students and the world at large. The publication of
Firefly Summer
is an early product of that research effort.

Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage will have immediate and long-term impact on the
teaching of language arts, literature and history at every level of the curriculum. The emergence of this recovered literature will broaden and enrich the curriculum across the humanities, from the study of the Spanish language to the way we view history. Accessibility to and study of this literature will not only convey more accurately the creative life of U.S. Hispanics, but will also shed new light on the intellectual vigor and traditional values that have characterized Hispanics from the earliest moments of this country's making through contemporary times.