THE AZTEC SUN ORCHID AND CRUCIBLE OF FIRE THERE IS A TALE A MAYAN SHAMAN TOLD ME OF THE WAY A MAN COULD TELL IF A WOMAN TRULY LOVED HIM AS USUAL WE WERE PARTAKING IN HOMEADE MESCAL AND I WAS ANXIOUS TO HEAR HIS VERSION. HE BEGAN BY HIS EYES BRIMMING OVER AND TURNING RED RIMMED. I FELT A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE HE WAS FORMIDABLE AND THE CHIEF OF THE FAMILY. I WAS STUDYING ARCHEOLOGY AND DOING WORK ON THE RUINS OF PALENQUE IN THE YUCATAN. SOMETIMES HE WOULD PUT SOMETHING EXTRA IN THE MESCAL AND IT WOULD BE DAYS BEFORE THE STORY PASSED, SOME WHAT LIKE THE PRESENT. HE SAID "DON MIGUELITO" THERE IS A CRUCIBLE IN "LOS MOUNTANIA'S DE SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA CASAS. IT IS KEPT BURNING DAY AND NIGHT BY LOS LACADONES, LOS INDIOS IDIGINOS. THE ULTIMATE TRIBE OF INDIANS ON THE BORDER OF GUATAMALA. IT IS A BOWL OF CHARCOAL 2000 DEGREES OR MORE. LOVERS OF ALL TYPES MAKE THE LONG ARDOUS JOURNEY THERE TO TRY AND PROVE THEIR UNDYING LOVE FOR THEIR BETROTHED. "DON MIGUELITO, THEY PLUNGE THEIR HANDS INTO THE FIRE CLASPED TOGETHER AND THE TALE IS THAT THEY WILL NOT BE SINGED. NOT ONE HAIR." I AM ALTERED MENTALLY BY THEN AND BEGIN TO MAKE FUN OF THE TRADITION BECAUSE YOU SEE I HAD A LOVE AND I DID NOT DOUBT THAT SHE LOVED ME IN HER OWN WAY, BUT I WAS SO DEVOTED, I WOULD DO HER WILL WHATEVER, I WOULD STAY FROM HER SIDE IF SHE ASKED, I WAS DEVOTED. IF MY SIGHT HURT HER, I WOULD GIVE MY LOVE TO GOD AND BECOME A PREIST FOR THERE IS NO REPLACING THE ROSE. ROSITA, THE NAME MADE ME QUIVER AND THE SHAMAN SAW MY FIRM SET JAW. HE KNEW BEFORE I THAT I WOULD MAKE THE TREK TO PROVE MY LOVE TO MY ROSITA. IT MIGHT BE A TASK TO TALK HER INTO IT. WHILE I STILL FELT THE MEDICINE OF THE PANTHER THAT THE SHAMAN GAVE ME FOR THE HEART AND BRAVERY JUST STARED AT ME. "DON MIGUELITO, ROSITA HAS ALWAYS LOVED YOU, IN THIS LIFE AND OTHERS SHE HAS BEEN BY YOUR SIDE, LET THE MEDICINE TALK TO YOUR SOUL, YOU WILL KNOW." I AM A HARD HEADED EXPATRIOT SOUTHERN BORN, AND A FARM BOY FEARFUL OF NOTHING GOD HAS SENT ME. I AM BULLETPROOF, ESPECIALLY WHEN I NEED TO MAKE A POINT. I HIKED TO ROSITA'S HITTING BOTH SIDES OF THE PATH AND SEEING MANY VISIONS OF THE PANTHER ON THE WAY, BUT FEAR DID NOT ACCOMPANY ME. IT NEVER DID. FEAR HAD BECOME A USELESS OLD FREIND OF MINE THAT HAD OUTLIVED ITS POWER OVER ME. DON GERONIMO "MOMO" YELLED OUT AT ME AS I LEFT "YOU CANNOT TILL THE SOIL WITH STUMPS FOR HANDS." I LAUGHED BUT THE WHOLE WALK TO ROSITA'S CASITA WAS LONG AND I ASK MYSELF MANY QUESTIONS. IT IS ALWAYS AMAZING TO ME THAT SHE KNEW WHEN I WAS ARRIVING HOME, SHE WAS WAITING IN A LOVELY COMISA DE NOCHE AND WAS SITTING PERFECTLY STILL WITH A SATCHEL BESIDE HER. I HELD AND KISSED HER AND ASK HER WHAT THE SATCHEL WAS FOR. SHE SAYS TO ME "PENDEJO, YOU WANT TO SEE THE STRENGHT OF MY LOVE FOR YOU, DRINK THIS CAFE CON LECHE AND WASH YOUR FACE AND LET'S WALK. NOW I AM BUSHED. THE SHAMAN HAD TAKEN ME MANY PLACES IN OUR MENTAL WANDERINGS BUT NOT TO THE HOUSE OF TRUST. I CHANGED INTO MY WHITE PEASANT CLOTHING ROSITA HAS MADE FOR ME AND CINCHED MY WOVEN BELT OF LUCKY ICONS AND WE WALKED. WHEN DAWN BROKE SO GLORIOUS, I BEGIN TO HAVE DOUBT, SHE HAD NONE. SHE TRUDGED ON AND ON FOR SO MANY KILOMETERS, AND NEVER RESTED A STEP. I BEGIN TO GET MY SENSES BACK AND STARTED WATCHING HER MARCH. SHE WAS ANGRY AND DETERMINED. AND MARCHING. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO CATCH UP TO HER. I SMOKED MANY DELICADOS AND DRANK THE THICK COFFEE AND ATE THE PAN DULCE THAT SHE HAD CARRIED IN THE SATCHEL AND BEGAN TO COME AROUND. SHE LIKED THAT I WENT TO SEE DON MOMO, THE SHAMAN. I CAME BACK MORE LOVING AND DEDICATED. SO THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE MEDICINE I ALWAYS TOOK, SHE THOUGHT IT GOOD FOR ME. THE PANTHER MEDICINE FROM THE JUNGLE ROOT FROM BRAZIL. THE ROOT OF THE TRUTH THEY CALLED IT. YOU COULD NOT LIE WHEN YOU DRINK THIS TEA, THE SHAME WAS TREMENDOUS. SO SHE LIKED IT THAT I WAS AN HONORABLE MAN. TODAY I WAS HONORABLE AND FRIGHTENED. WE FINALY REACHED SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA CASAS AND WENT TO THE BANO DE VAPORS TO CLEANSE OUR SELVES FOR THE RITUAL. SHE KNEW MORE ABOUT IT THEN I. THEN I BEGAN TO NOTICE MANY PEOPLE AND ESPECIALLY MEN WITH HANDS BANDAGED AND BLOOD SEEPING THROUGH THE GUAZE. OLDER ABEULOS WITH NO HANDS AND SCARRED OVER. BUT THEY DWELLED ALONE. I BEGAN TO SHAKE WITH FEAR. ROSITA, ASKED ME "MIGUELITO, WHAT DO YOU FEAR, YOURSELF?" YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS FALTERING, HAS FEAR CHALLENGED YOU NOW AFTER THIS LONG TREK." SHE STARED AT ME LIKE I WAS PREY FOR THE TAKING. MY TONGUE WAS DRY AND WORDLESS, AS SHE TOOK MY HAND TO THE SHRINE OF THE TRUTH. SOMETHING BEGAN TO MAKE ME SHAPESHIFT TO THE PANTHER AND I BEGAN TO WALK FASTER AND FASTER ALMOST A DEAD RUN. WE FINALLY CAME TO THE CASITA DE LOS VERDADES AND I STRODE RIGHT IN LIKE A FULLY LOADED COWBOY AND SHE RIGHT BEHIND ME OUR HANDS WELDED TOGETHER. WE DROPPED THE GOLD ALMS IN THE HAND OF THE CRONY AND LOOKED DEEP WITHIN THE POOLS OF LOVE IN OUR EYES. I SWAM IN THE POOL OF HER LOVE, TRUE DEEP LOVE RIGHT THEN AND ROSITA NEVER FALTERED. WE PLUNGED OUR CLENCHED HANDS INTO THE CRUCIBLE AND FELT OUR HEARTS JOIN, WELD TOGETHR AND NO PAIN, NONE WHATSOEVER. SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID ONE SENTENCE. "MIGUELITO, I HAVE LOVED YOU THROUGH SO MANY LIVES AND YOU DOUBT ME, YOU ARE THE PENDEJO OF ALL TIMES, IT IS YOU THAT HAD THE FEAR. AND I WILL TELL YOU, I AM THE DAUGHTER OF A BRUJO AND YOU WILL NEVER DOUBT YOU OR I AGAIN. YOU ARE NOT BURNED NOR ARE YOU NOT LOVED, YOU DOUBT ME AGAIN AND I WILL BURN YOUR HEART UNTIL YOU CRY WITH MISERY. I WILL TELL YOU THIS ONCE, "MANY LIVES I HAVE LOVED YOU WITH A LOVE THAT IS A BOND OF THE GODS AND GODDESSES. SO OUR HEARTS ARE ONE AND WE WILL CONTINUE. SHE SAID "THIS IS FORGOTTEN AND I WOULD HAVE TAKEN A BURNED OLD MAN HOME WITH ME ANYWAY. YOUR DOUBT WILL NEVER CAUSE ME TO LEAVE YOU. YOU WILL ALWAYS LOVE ME BECAUSE IT IS PREDETERMINED AND ANCIENT DESTINY " NOW MIGUELITO, YOU WILL LEAD US HOME AND BE QUICK, I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO PROVE TO YOU. WRITTEN BY MIGUEL COPYRIGHT BY MICHAEL FORBUS