Mary is sitting in a pew in the church. Her long, light brown hair is tied back in two buns on either side of her head. They were very tight and she was trying to loosen them with her hands. She was wearing a pink dress with an itchy lace collar.
"Mary, stay calm, you are moving too much".
"Mom!, it's just that this dress bothers me, look how red my neck is. And the bows give me a headache, you put them on too tight."
"Daughter, please speak more quietly, we are in church and at a baptism. Be quiet".
But Mary was very bored in that cold, hard pew and tried to distract herself by swinging her legs and tapping the front seat with the tips of her toes. Her mother turned to see her and with a single glance, warned her to stop.
A lady enters the church and sits in the last pew, wearing a yellow hat. No one seemed to notice her arrival except Mary who stares at her. She couldn't take her eyes off the hat and her face.
When the ceremony was over, all the guests left the church and went to the home of the parents of the child who had been baptized, to attend the celebration.
"Mary, come give me your hand. Don't get distracted".
"Mom, that lady with the hat has a witch face."
"Daughter, I have told you many times to stop talking about people. Don't be impertinent".
"But it's true!. I was looking at her, and she smiled and poked me in the eye".
"That's what you get for prying. You're already 10 years old, anddd you should stop that bad habit of looking at people and criticizing them."
Mary and her mother entered the house of their relatives. The grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and nieces and nephews of the baptized child gathered in the backyard. Tables and chairs were set up where they sat to celebrate.
The smell of the meat and sausages being cooked on the grill whetted people's appetites.
"I really can't stand this dress, I don't know why you forced me to wear it"
"Daughter!, stop complaining" Her mother gave her that look she used to scold her. "Go play with your cousins".
Mary reluctantly got up from her chair and went to where the group of children were talking and playing hide and seek. The place was large with lots of trees.
"I can play?", she shouted to make herself heard.
"Sure, cousin, let's hide!, Luis is going to tell". Susana grabbed her by the hand, and they ran downhill towards the trees.
As they ran, Mary saw the woman with the hat, sitting on a log, away from the rest of the people.
"Susanna, did you see that lady? She is strange".
"Which lady? I didn't see her, let's go, they're going to find us"
They ran until they hid behind some rocks. They stayed there until the parents began to call the children to go eat.
When Mary sat down next to her mother and Aunt Louise, she told them that she had seen the woman with the witch face in the park.
"What woman is that?" Her aunt had been curious.
"It's a woman who was also in the church".
"Don't pay too much attention to her, Luisa, it's just that Mary is always watching the people she sees in the street. She has a lot of imagination and always gets them something strange"
"Mom!, you never believe what I tell you".
"Don't be so talkative, daughter and don't interrupt me. And she begins to eat"
The mother of the baptized child puts him in the stroller and while she goes to supervise the meal, she leaves him in the care of her 15-year-old daughter.
As she rocks him to sleep, a gale suddenly blows, blowing the tablecloths off the tables and the dust into the eyes of the people, who try to protect themselves with their hands.
"Watch out for the baby!" shouts the mother as she sees the car with her child rolling down the hill, picking up speed. Some men run to stop it but do not reach it, the dust cloud does not let them see it and when it is about to crash into a tree, the woman in the yellow hat manages to stop it.
She slowly pulls the child out of the car and hugs him to calm his crying.
The boy's parents quickly approach the woman and thank her for what she did. She takes off her hat and hands the child to the mother.
"I just wanted to see him, even from afar. He is my grandson even though I know that by law I have no right, because my daughter decided so when she gave him up for adoption and I respect her memory. But God wanted him to be here at this momen, andd I was able to save him".
All the guests had approached the place and with astonishment they witnessed what had happened. The appearance of a woman who had not been invited to the baptism, who had stayed away from everyone, had saved him from dying. Until this moment she had been invisible to all but Mary, a child with a habit of watching people in detail, and this time she did not miss the opportunity to tell her mother.
"You saw mom that what the lady said was true, it is not bad to observe people as you tell me".
"It is not bad to observe them, but to criticize them. And let's go home, I think the party is over".
Mary está sentada en un banco de la iglesia. Lleva su cabello largo y de color castaño claro recogido en dos moñitos a ambos lados de la cabeza. Estaban muy apretados y trataba de aflojarselos con las manos. Tenía puesto un vestido color rosa con un cuello adornado con encajes que le producía picazón.
—Mary, quedate tranquila, te estas moviendo mucho.
—Mamá es que este vestido me molesta, mira como tengo el cuello rojo. Y los moños me dan dolor de cabeza, me los pusiste muy apretados.
—Hija por favor habla mas bajito, que estamos en la iglesia y en un bautizo. Has silencio.
Pero Mary estaba muy aburrida en ese banco frío y duro y trató de distraerse balanceando las piernas dando golpes al asiento delantero con las punta de los pies. Su madre volteo a verla y con una sola mirada, le advirtio que dejara de hacerlo.
Una señora entra a la iglesia y se sienta en el último banco, Tiene puesto un sombrero amarillo. Nadie pareció darse cuenta de su llegada excepto Mary que la observa fijamente. No podía apartar su mirada del sombrero y de su cara.
Al terminar la ceremonia, todos los invitados salieron de la iglesia y se dirigieron a la casa de los padres del niño que había sido bautizado, para asistir al festejo.
—Mary ven dame la mano. No te distraigas.
—Mamá esa señora del sombrero tiene cara de bruja.
—Hija te he dicho muchas veces que dejes de estar hablando de las personas. No seas impertinente.
—Pero es cierto. La estaba mirando y se sonrio y me guiño un ojo.
—Eso te pasa por estar curioseando. Ya cumpliste 10 años y debes dejar esa mala costumbre de estarte fijando en las personas y criticarlas
Mary y su madre entraron a la casa de sus familiares. Los abuelos, padres, tíos y sobrinos del niño bautizado se reunieron en el patio trasero. Allí estaban dispuestas las mesas y sillas donde se sentaron a celebrar.
El olor de la carne y los chorizos que se cocinaban a la parilla abrio el apetito de las personas.
—Ay mamá de verdad que no soporto este vestido, yo no sé porque me obligaste a ponermelo.
—Hija deja de estar quejandote. —Su madre le volvio a dirigir esa mirada que usaba para reprenderla. —Anda a jugar con tus primos.
Mary se paro de la silla de mala gana y se dirigio a donde estaba el grupo de niños hablando y jugando a las escondidas. El lugar era extenso y con muchos árboles.
—¿Puedo jugar?, —gritó para hacerse oir.
—¡Claro prima!, vamos a escondernos, que Luis va a contar. —Susana la agarró por la mano y corrieron en bajada hacia los árboles.
Mientras corrian, Mary vio a la mujer del sombrero, sentada en un tronco, alejada del resto de las personas.
—Susana viste a esa señora, es rara.
—¿Cuál señora?
—Aquella que está allá
—Yo no la vi, vamos que nos van a encontrar.
Corrieron hasta esconderse detras de unas rocas. Allí estuvieron hasta que los padres comenzaron a llamar a los niños para que fueran a comer.
Cuando Mary se sentó al lado de su madre y de su tía Luisa, les dijo que había visto a la mujer con cara de bruja en el parque.
—¿Qué mujer es esa? —Su tía habia sentido curiosidad.
—Es una mujer que también estaba en la iglesia.
—No le hagas mucho caso Luisa, es que Mary siempre anda observando a las personas que ve en la calle. Tiene mucha imaginación y siempre les consigue algo extraño.
—¡Mamá tu nunca me crees lo que te digo!.
—¡No sea tan respondona hija! y no me interrumpas. Y comienza a comer.
La madre del niño bautizado lo acuesta en el cochecito y mientras va a supervisar la comida, lo deja al cuidado de su hija de 15 años.
Mientras ella lo mece para que se duerma, un ventarron sopla de repente, levantando los manteles de las mesas y el polvo que se mete en los ojos de las personas, quienes tratan de protegerse con las manos.
¡Cuidado con el bebé!, grita la madre mientras ve el coche con su hijo que rueda colina abajo, agarrando velocidad. Algunos hombres corren para detenerlo pero no lo alcanzan, la nube de polvo no los deja ver y cuando falta poco para estrellarse contra un árbol, la mujer del sombrero amarillo logra detenerlo.
Lentamente saca al niño del coche y lo abraza para calmar su llanto.
Los padres del niño se acercan rápidamente a la mujer y entre llantos le agradecen lo que hizo. Ella se quita el sombrero y le entrega el niño a la madre.
—Solo quería verlo aunque fuera de lejos. Es mi nieto aunque sé que por ley no tengo ningún derecho, porque mi hija así lo decidió cuando lo dió en adopción y yo respeto su memoria. Pero Dios quizo que estuviera aquí en este momento y pude salvarlo.
Todos los invitados se habían acercado al lugar y con asombro fueron testigos de lo que habia ocurrido. La aparición de una mujer que no habia sido invitada al bautizo, que había permanecido alejada de todos, lo había salvado de morir. Hasta este momento ella habia sido invisible para todos menos para Mary, una niña con el hábito de observar detalladamente a las personas y esta vez no perdió la oportunidad de decirle a su madre.
—¡Viste mamá! que lo de la señora era cierto, no es malo observar a las personas como tu me dices.
—Es que lo malo no es observarlas sino criticarlas. Y vámonos para la casa, que creo que la fiesta ya se terminó.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
The woman in the yellow hat saved the day, such an interesting piece.
Thank you for your comment @offia66
Have a Merry Christmas 🎄✨️
It was a very interesting party for the guests. There is no doubt that the woman was very strange and she gave an interesting touch to the story.
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Excellent day.
Thank you very much @rinconpoetico7
I really appreciate your comment and I'm glad you liked it.
Merry Christmas! ✨️🎄🌷
Thank you very much @theinkwell
Merry Christmas! ✨️🎄🌷