A Girl Called Death

11

Once again, a new egg was going to hatch only this time the creature would be joining the family in the midst of unspoken conflict. Rudy, the fruit tree, would disappear for hours without telling La Niña Muerte where he was going or how long he would be gone. When he returned, Rudy would behave very strange and distant, but it seemed only to last an hour or so before he was back to his charming old self. Not only would this trouble the girl's thoughts, wondering where was all the time, but it also left all the yoke of work on the property upon her.

Now the egg was hatching, so they all replaced their troubles with excitement to witness the arrival of a fawn colored black and decorated after the fashion of his mother. La Niña Muerte was in love at first sight with the baby deer and held it tight in her arms. Rudy felt happy for her but it was evident that his thoughts were elsewhere for his eyes bore the signs of paranoia brought forth by a guilty conscience. The girl was blinded to this under the influence of euphoria at the birth of this new addition to the family, so they were blissfully ignorant and avoidant of the dangerous reality approaching them quickly.

Gallito and Mono were getting older and sought to help their mother any way they could but The Girl did not want the children to miss the short time of youth by working all day with her. A friendly old tiger resided on the property, who would show the children little exotic trinkets and toys from far-off lands and he always made sure to pay them a compliment when passing by. The little animals would get excited with Tigre would return home from the market and sing them songs, play his flute, and teach them foreign games. La Niña Muerte welcomed the entertainment for the children for it allowed her time to focus on her work plowing the field, painting the huts, mending the fences, and attending to the tenants.

One frightful day, Rudy returned to the property earlier than usual from his daily disappearance and the Girl was ready to demand answers but she did not want to confront him in front of the children. The ever observant Tiger read the look upon her face as she watched the fruit tree saunter home triumphantly.

"Buenas Tardes, Niña Muerte," the old tiger greeted.

"Buenas Tardes, Don Tigre," she replied, "what can I do for you?"

"I have some old relics, armors, and other interesting items from my time across the sea that the children would love to see, but they are far too heavy for an old tiger like myself to carry out of my hut. Perhaps you will allow the children to visit my hut to see the marvelous items from my homeland." Her little animals were listening nearby and grew excited at the prospect, tugging on her skirt, begging to let them go.

"Señor Tigre, you are very kind but three little animals can be a handful," she warned.

"It won't take long," assured the old tiger, "my hut is very small. Only a few things fit from my old life. Perhaps I will give you a short time to address matters that require your full attention." La Niña Muerte looked back at their home where Rudy had just walked in and thought this would be the perfect opportunity. She trusted helpful animals, as she did those in the desert who aided her in times of trouble. She thought, the Sun has not forgotten my trouble and has provided a way for me to resolve this issue with Rudy.

"Thank you, kind Tigre, I will come to retrieve them shortly." The three painted animals cheered with glee and followed the old tiger singing and dancing to this hut. La Niña Muerte rolled up her sleeves and marched home, prepared for battle.

When the girl arrived home, Rudy hid something quickly in his branches and greeted her warmly but her face froze with a look of impertinence. "What did you hide in your branches?" She demanded.

"I was only fluffing my leaves, mi amor."

"You have been up to something, Rudy, and leaving me here to do all the work by myself and watch the children. Where must you go every day to leave me alone? Do you have another family as Coyote did or are you involved in some kind of trouble?"

The young fruit tree embraced her cold hard frame and attempted to charm her by saying, "You and the children are my only family and everything I do is for you."

"Then tell me what it is you are doing for us, so I do not have to worry all day and night."

"There is a foreign fruit and flower from across the sea that is worth ten times the fruit I grow naturally from my branches. I met someone who was looking for another tree to store these fruits and flowers within their branches until they secured a buyer. I profit a portion of that purchase for us. Look at the money we have made," Rudy showed her the money he had made with a greedy smile on his face.

"Why the hiding and secrecy? Why not tell me?"

"It is a very secret business," Rudy looked around in paranoia and whispered to her. "If other people hear about this there will be competitors and less profit for us."

"I don't like it, Rudy. It sounds dishonest and dangerous. Can you get in trouble for this?"

"Did you hear that?" Rudy interrupted. "Where are the children?"

"They are with the old Tiger," she said.

Rudy raced out of the house and ran to the old tiger's hut as the girl followed close behind him. Inside, the old tiger was preparing a stew beneath a cage where the little animals were being held. The hungry tiger was licking his teeth, prepared to devour the crying children after releasing them into the boiling stew. Rudy pulled the door right off the hinges in a great feat of strength and the startled old tiger pounced on the tree. La Niña Muerte screamed in horror at the sight of her children squeezed into a cage. She ran into the hut and searched for a key to unlock the cage. The little animals were crying for their mother and she searched frantically, unable to see through her tears and panic.

Outside of the hut, the young fruit tree and the great old tiger were engaged in a vicious battle. The tree swung its long branches at the tiger and he would bite them with his large strong jaws. Rudy pried the old tiger off and threw him on his back against the floor. As the tiger struggled to stand, he saw La Niña Muerte inside of his hut looking for the key. He charged into the hut and growled a mighty roar. The girl froze, clutching the key against her breast. "You are foolish to think you can get between a tiger and his meal."

"You betrayed me, Tigre. I trusted you!"

"A word from the wise, don't entrust your children to a predator." The tiger leaped at her but Rudy caught him and wrestled him out of the door. The girl hurried to release her children and held them safely in her arms. The children watched as the tree struggled against the tiger and Mono jumped out of his mother's arms to assist the tree in combat. "Mono, no! Come back!" His mother cried out.

The tiger was gaining the upper hand until the little monkey jumped on its back and began to poke the tiger's eyes, pull its ears, and grab its tail. The old tiger spun around trying to get the little creature off of its back until the tree crushed the tiger with a final blow to the head. All of the tenants on the property watched the battle unfold and someone had called for the sheriff in town to apprehend the violent tiger. When the sheriff arrived, the battle was over but the commotion caused Rudy to drop the forbidden fruit he had hidden deep within his branches.

The sheriff put his finger to the neck of the fallen tiger to confirm its demise, then he spoke, "The tiger is dead," the tenants let out a sigh of relief. "But unfortunately I cannot ignore the forbidden fruit all over the ground here. I need to search your branches, sir."

Rudy did not interfere with the Sheriff's search, and he found a basketful of forbidden flowers and fruit, a criminal offense. "I'm sorry son but you know the law. I have to take you in or we will have to cut the branches off." The sheriff proceeded to place the young fruit tree under arrest but Mono jumped on the lawman to protect his beloved Rudy. La Niña Muerte grabbed the vicious little monkey and restrained him as she wept. Before long, a carriage arrived with other deputies to escort the tree to the jailhouse in town. The family would never see him again. The once hopeful light at the end of the tunnel was now growing dim again...