Yaretzi's Journey

Yaretzi’s POV It has been 503 years since the war with the conquistadores was won, and with that, God Huitzilopochtli blessed all of us in securing our town and encapsulating us so no one would think of doing the same damage as the Spaniards did. We are one of the Aztec people's original towns living in the middle of the Chechinitza forest, and my town keeps growing and growing. You can see the difference in the houses. In my town, every home is made of the same materials: adobe bricks, hay, and sticks. The outer homes are for commoners, with houses open at the front and only walls to each end of the house, with a bed frame made of wood and the bedding of petate. The roof was covered by hay and a stick in the middle. Once their family grew, they would add another room for their children. Their kitchen was usually next door to the bedroom, and every family had a mecate to make tortillas for the family and multiple clay cups and plates. The king and his family have their house in the middle of the town. The house has multiple rooms and levels for his children. This house would be ten times bigger than commoners' homes. Chief Huitzilin has 16 rooms and nine bathrooms with four levels. The first level would be the kitchen, cleaning, laundry room, and the soldier's bedroom. The second level would be for the king’s noblemen and soldiers to come and talk about tasks, wars, or the unification of tribes. The third level would be for his three wives and his children. Since my father is the king, he can have as many wives as he desires, but only my mother, Queen Quetzalxochitl, has the highest rein out of all women. On the top floor is my father’s room. He decides which of his wives can “visit” him every night. Surrounding the king's home are the noblemen. They have the walls like the commoner's home but with one main house, 5 to 7 rooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, and a thatched roof. Like the king's house, the noblemen would elaborate the walls with drawings filled with multiple colors and gold. Since I was a child, I have always wondered why my father would allow the people who help him daily with food, clothing, shoes, and daily tasks to be mistreated. Would it not be better to let the commoners have more than they do so that our tribe can flourish? This is why when I become the Queen of this land, I will have my people be equal to the noblemen and not have them suffer as they do now. I am Yaretzi (meaning flower), the daughter of Chief Huitzilin (meaning hummingbird) and his Queen Quetzalxochitl( meaning precious flower). I am 5”4, medium light skin, toned, and with dark black hair reaching my back. My favorite clothes are those made for the commoner people, which are corse cactus fiber and sandals. This is because I can wear them for a more extended period without worrying about my clothes tearing up when I practice with my grandfather how to hunt, fight, and do other activities only men are allowed to do. On special occasions, I wear the traditional clothing that high-status people wear: a blouse, a long skirt with a sash at the waist made of cotton, and beautiful gem earrings my mother gave me as a gift. All Aztecs dressed relatively simply daily, according to their station in life. The noble and common class men wore a loincloth and a cape called a “Tilma.” Variations in fabric, trim, and how the tilma was worn revealed the wearer's status. Women of all classes wore a blouse and a long skirt with a sash at the waist. Very young children wore nothing until three or four when boys started wearing the tilma and girls the blouse and skirt. The girls’ skirts started short but grew to ankle length as a girl grew older. A significant difference between the classes is that the nobles could wear cotton garments, and the commoners had to make do with ayate cloth, made from the maguey cactus. Cotton was the finer cloth; in fact, cotton cloth was used as currency. However, the cloth made from the maguey plant was comfortable and sturdy, suitable for people who worked physically as most commoners. I have a sibling, but my mother, told me when I was two years old that she had lost my brother the day she gave birth. Every year we would pray to my brother Mahuizoh(meaning Glorious person), and I ask the Goddess Chalchiuhtilicue to take care of him. Sometimes I daydream about how he looks if his voice is deep like my father, and what animal his nahual is. He should be turning 16 this year. My hueinan or grandmother Chiconahui (meaning rain) told me I was born to be someone special because I was born on the 8th of August. My grandmother always said, “Recuerda que eres una niña especial que nació el día 8 y nos la trajo la diosa Chalchiuhtlicue. Naciste en un día místico de autotrascendencia. Remember that you are a special girl born on the 8th and brought to us by the goddess Chalchiuhtlicue. You are born on a mystical day of self-transcendence.”. My hueitata or grandfather Itzcoatl would always look at me and tell me, ” Yaretzi, eres la hija del jefe con la inteligencia de 30 hombres. Naciste para convertirte en un líder para todos, pero el tipo de líder en el que te convertirás depende de ti mismo. Yaretzi, you are the chief's daughter with the intelligence of 30 men. You were born to become a leader for all, but the type of leader you will become is upon yourself.”.I love my Hueitata and Huenan because they have always been next to me, guiding me to becoming the woman I wanted to be even though I did not know myself. On August 8th, I will be turning 18 years old, and by now, multiple girls would be already married to a man their parents would choose, or they would go to an “ah atanzah or matchmaker.” Usually, girls at the age of 15 to 18 years old would be ready to marry while the men would be able to wait till the age of 20 to 22. Since, in my culture, no one had to marry for love, many other kingdoms would marry their children for land, reign, or anything they thought was important. What caught me off guard was when my father told me, “ When I first had seen your mother at the festival to the God Xochipilli, my heart just jumped, and my nahual wolf Mayaquen spoke for the first time and said, “ xochiyotl or my flower.”. I never knew Mayaquen was looking for her since we rarely spoke to each other, and from that moment we were addicted to her like honey to a bear.”. I was surprised that my father could speak so softly and lovingly for my mother at an early age. “ I was only 19 years old, and she was 14, but even then, your mother was bright, loving, gorgeous, and had caught my heart without speaking to me. So I started talking to your grandfather and grandmother about me finding your mother and wanting to marry her as soon as possible”, my father said. When my father finished telling me his story, my mouth was wide open, and I was shocked. My father started to laugh and closed my mouth, and said,” Se te van a meter moscas si no cierras tu boca. Flies are going to get into you if you don't close your mouth.”. I was surprised because my father had been a ruthless king who would not bow down to anyone since he was 14, but to hear this. I was astonished that my mother wrapped him around her finger. Soon my mother walked next to us and moved her hand for us to sit on one of the three chairs in my father’s room. The frame was built of wood, the backrest had leopard skin, and the sitting of petate. I sat in the middle of my parents and looked at them. My mother started saying,” Estas diciendo cuando me conociste? Are you saying when you met me?”. “ Azaca. Maybe” my father replied. My mother immediately started laughing and turning red. “ Your father chased me that whole festival and made all the other men turn around and not look at me. It was like I was his prey.” I immediately looked at my father, and he was looking at my mother as if she was some chocolate ready to be eaten. I tried getting up and walking away, but my mother grabbed my hand in time and held me in place. “Ximotlali, sit down,” my mother stated. I did as she asked, and once I had seated entirely, she started to say, “ Yaretzi, your father and I have been talking and looking for the right man to become the next king of our tribe. You are turning 18 in August, and we have waited till this age because we want you to live your youth without worrying about a queen's obligations.”. My eyes must be completely open because of my mother and father's reaction to seeing me. My mind and Nahual Tochtcli (rabbit) scream, “ Tleic, What?.” My parents see that I am having an internal conversation with Tochtcli and know that since I have been a little girl, I have been different from other children and women. “ Mom and Dad, I know that you are looking out for me and my people in looking for a husband for me, but I do not need someone to rule the kingdom. I want to lead my kingdom without some barbaric man trying to make me feel that my role is to make babies, covers, or food. I know I will make my kingdom flourish without him, and I will not steer wrong with the god Quetzalcoatl guiding me.”. By this time, I had stood up from my chair and looked at my father's and mother's eyes. My father was furious and looked like he was about to burst a nerve with the answer I had given them. “ What do you mean you do not need a husband, Yaretzi!” my father yelled. “ You do know that if you do not marry anyone at 18, you will be shunned and unable to rule anything,”? My father stated. I looked at my father straight into his eyes and replied, “Quema, Yes.” My mother immediately grabs my father's hand and started to caress him, thus allowing him to relax. “ Yaretzi, your father and I know that this would be a shocker to you, but I had wished that you would understand that saying no would do to our tribe and family”? My mother replied. It shocked me that my mother and father would think I would lie around and become the queen they had envisioned. To think that I would lie around and say, “ Yes, my king”! To a man that would only rule by what he thought would be best for him and not his people. “ Yaretzi, you do not know even the man we have decided for you. Maybe with knowing that you may change your mind”, my mother stated. I look at my mother and father and ask, “ Who is the man”?. My mother and father look at each other, saying, “ Chicahua (meaning strong) from the southern tribe.” Tochtli immediately answers for me, “ No, no, no, no, no! I will not be with a man who thinks that women are beneath them and has a long track record with women”! I screamed. With this answer, my father released the last screw he had attached to his body and allowed Mayaquen to answer me,” Well, if you do not marry Chicahua, then you will be cast from my family! You will become one of the workers and work at the kingdom until you learn your lesson. I will not have anyone shunning my family, especially a spoiled brat like you! The good part is that you have other brothers and sisters that would not mind taking your place. So think about that, Yaretzi, or become one of the commoners!”. Not once in my life has Mayaquen come forward and screamed at me. I feel defeated and irritated as to what would be my next step in life. I look at my father before I leave my room and say,” I am sorry to disappoint you, Father, but I am not going to stand down. You can throw me all you want, but I will not back down.” With my answer, my father, Chief Huitzilin, turns around with my mother and walks to the bedroom, but before his silhouette disappears, he replies,” I will give you one day to think about what you have said. If you still have not changed your mind, you will learn what it is like to live as a commoner and be a nobody to everyone.” I stare at the moon, and tears flow from my eyes, unable to stop them. I start to walk down the stairs to enter the 3rd level, and from the bottom of my heart send a little prayer,” God Quetzalcoatl, I ask that you and the other gods and goddesses help me in my journey in my life to become the Queen I know I am supposed to be. I have a pure heart, mind, and soul willing to show what a true kingdom is supposed to be.” I walk into the door and through the hallway until I find my room. I roll out my petate with a light cover made of cotton and drift away to sleep, not knowing what tomorrow will bring.