Tis the Season
On this rainy, cold, dark Tuesday morning, my alarm went off extra early as I have meetings with London today, and that eight hours time difference is making me blue.
There I lay in my dark room, pondering my life and what it might take to get me up and out of the bed. The Good Man slept quietly next to me.
I froze in place when I heard outside my window a low moaning sound. It was a little otherworldly. It started very quiet and then grew in volume.
Well. I’m a child of New Mexico. You know what I thought, right?
I’m not even kidding. I started *freaking out*. La Llorona here? In California? Did she follow me here? Does she live here now too?
My heart began racing as I remembered all the nights as a child I lay awake in my bed listening for La Llorona, straining my ears to hear, swearing I’d be ready to fight off her ethereal form and survive her grisly plans.
I clenched up, my stomach hurt, I bent to listen as the wailing increased in intensity. That bitch wasn’t going to get either me or The Good Man. Hell no!
And then the wailing became very loud, following by a hiss and a loud “RRRROOOWWWR!”
Oh wait, it’s just two cats fighting.
Sure. Ok. Right. I knew that all along. I’m a grown up. I’m a good kid. I’m in control of this stuff.
Relief washed over me. I joked to the now awake Good Man “what a sound to wake up to, huh?” and chuckled like my body wasn’t raging with adrenaline.
I got up to face my work day, pack my lunch, have some breakfast and shook my head at myself.
In my defense, a chilly, damp, dark October day….that’s La Llorona season. I’m just sayin’…..
: shudder :
Image found at Soda Head.
Comments
Natalie
I know exactly of what you speak and it used to scare the Bejeezuz out of me, too! If I walk along the ditches at night, I still, to this day, get the shudders.
Pretty powerful folklore!!
The only thing to ever settle down that scare was a steaming hot, fresh sopaipilla with a hole in one corner and sweet, local honey dripped into it… Mmmmmmm….
;)
Karen Fayeth
That’s right Natalie, you know what I’m talkin’ about!
Do you know that when I was in grade school they used to turn off the lights and tell us the story of La Llorona?
Do you think it’s right that teachers used to scared the beejeebers out of us? I do not, thankyouverymuch.
Now….on to nice thoughts about sopaipillas. Yeah baby!
Yvette
I have a completely different relationship with La Llorona. My mother when exasperated with any of the three of us would say “I should have drowned you like La Llorona!” We would stare at her wide eyed and then stay out of her way as much as possible. Her temper lasted most of the day, thankfully we didn’t live close to any creeks.
Karen Fayeth
Yvette – Oooooooh daaaaaaaamn! Wow! Ain’t nothing like a powerful dose of mom-guilt, but that’s really something! :)