little water droplets did a crazy, sizzling dance on the hot iron then disappeared.
“I have to go out again,” my father answered without taking his eyes off my brothers, “the wind has cut the tie-wire of the windmill. If I don’t tie it down the wind will tear down the crazy thing before noon—”
“Ay, if it’s not one thing, it’s another,” my mother moaned. I went to the window and through a small, round hole in the frosted windowpane I could see the whirling blades of the windmill. The cold wind spun them so fast that the whole housing shook and seemed ready to come crashing down. If the windmill broke it would mean many days without water because the cistern was already dry of summer water, and melting snow would be a hard job. Melting snow meant frozen hands and feet, and the worst part was that it seemed a ton of melted snow only produced a quart of water.
“How was town last night, boys?” my father asked.
They glanced up at him nervously, and Andrew said, “Quiet. The men at the Eight Ball asked for you, send their regards—they were glad to see León and Gene though.”
“Ay,” my father nodded and sipped his coffee, “glad to see the wandering Márez brothers, huh.” His voice was bitter. I guess he knew they would be leaving again, and he couldn’t accept it.
“We’ve been working, father,” Gene said.
“Uh-huh,” my father nodded. “I was just thinking, we used to work together. Hey,” he smiled, “it wasn’t so long ago we built this house, huh. Well you boys did most of it, and I’m proud of it. I would get off work on the highway in the afternoon, and far down the goat path, near the juniper where Narciso died, I could hear the hammering, and no matter how tired I was I would hurry, come and help you. It was a wonderful time, huh, a man working, planning with his sons—”
“Yeah,” Andrew said, “sure.”
“Yeah,” León agreed and nodded.
“Gabriel—” my mother’s voice pleaded.
“Ah,” he smiled, “just remembering old times, no harm in that is there. And remember the summer I took you to work with me on the highway? I wanted you by my side, I was proud of you—” he laughed and slapped his thigh. “You were so small those air hammers just tossed the three of you around like rag dolls—” Tears streamed from his eyes.
“Yeah, those were great times,” León said vigorously. His blue, melancholy eyes lit up. Even Gene nodded his head in agreement.
“We remember, father,” Andrew smiled. Then they were quiet for a long time as they looked at each other, the sons seeing the father suddenly old, and the father knowing his sons were men and going away.
“Well,” he cleared his throat and blew his nose, “I guess those days are gone forever, in the past—” He laid down his cup. “I’ll go fix that windmill now,” he said.
“But the wind, Gabriel,” my mother said with some anxiety.
“It has to be done,” he shrugged. The wind was blowing hard and the ladder up to the platform that held the housing would be thick with ice. He looked for the last time at his sons, but they avoided his gaze. Then he went out.
“He should have waited for the wind to die down,” Andrew said uneasily.
“Or until it froze over and stopped itself,” León added lamely.
“Or until the damned thing broke off,” Gene whispered, “there’s no sense in risking your neck for a hick-town windmill—”
I went to the window and watched my father work his way up the treacherous ladder. It was slow and dangerous work. He worked his way onto the small platform and avoiding the cranking, spinning blades he grabbed the loose wire. Carefully he pulled it down, tied the loose ends and put the brake on the turning blades. When he came back into the kitchen his hands and face were frozen white and he was dripping with the sweat of exhaustion, but there was a look of satisfaction on his face.
Next day León and Eugene left. This time they took Andrew with them. He quit his job at Allen’s Market and dropped his plans for finishing high school and went to Santa Fe with them. My father was not there when they left; the roads were opening up and all the highway crews were working. My mother cried when she kissed her sons goodbye, but she was resigned. I waved goodbye to them with some