The Iowa Review Volume 12 Issue 1 Wter Article 16 1981 Move Cemetery Manuel R. Garcia Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/iowareview Part of Creative Writg Commons Recommended Citation Garcia, Manuel R.. "Move Cemetery." The Iowa Review 12.1 (1981): 71-79. Web. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17077/0021-065x.2826 This Contents is brought you for free and open access Iowa Research Onle. It has been accepted for clusion The Iowa Review an authorized admistrar of Iowa Research Onle. For more formation, please contact lib-ir@uiowa.edu.
Move Cemetery Manuel R. Garcia MOVE THE CEMETERY. It had seemed like such a natural and important wthen thg of Los people Ricos first demanded it. The government was gog flood ir ancient valley w7ith a new7 dam, and ir was village beg sacrificed for greater benefit of w7hole country. In new shirts and sombreros bought specially for occasion, men had made long trip capital demand from government, w7ith a bravado y didn't really feel, "Move cemetery, or we w7on't It had go." seemed a reasonable request from people that were beg uprooted and moved a new7 location miles away from ir familiar hills. To villagers' surprise, officials readily agreed, "OK, we'll move it." Now7 that wrorkers had arrived and begun project, everyone became a little uneasy. First of all, workers had only brought simple diggg ols and a flat-bed truck. No one had that wooden thought boxes would be rotted. No one had expected deal with remas of ex-citizens of personally Los Ricos. The villagers resented of thought havg be confronted with how7 much ir former friends and relatives had changed. The w7orkers thought it unlucky be disturbg spooky relics. The corpses mselves, writh ir exposed white jawbones and teeth, seemed be at grng mischievously discomfort y created. Only Don Emi lio, oldest man was as village, unperturbed he came watch daily progress. Don Emilio was old and his memory was very bad. Because he often couldn't remember where he was or what he was supposed be dog, he was quiet much of time and people thought him wise. As happens with old people, his memory often failed him about recent occurrences but events of his youth stayed clear and precise his md. He could still see promises shg eyes of young girls he had known and feel rock ughness body that had made or men give him room. Sce he preferred vital world of his memories slow movg, stiff one joted of present, he spent most of his time re. But activity cemetery brought him out every day. When y'd arrived ir truck a few7 days before, village welcomed three men and tried make m comfortable. But, as people became uneasy about project, y became colder m, fally avoidg m Now7 alger. people had wear begun 71 University of Iowa is collaboratg with JSTOR digitize, preserve, and extend access The Iowa Review www.jsr.org
crosses around ir necks and cross or side of street whenever any of three approached. The day before wrere y asked leave n w7here y wtere stayg one ( only wn). had move an abandoned shack wtith no roof, outside of wrn. Fortunately, it hadn't raed but y had cook ir own meals, and between three of m only thg y knew7 how7 prepare was beans. w7ere men simple and could easily understand people's fears, but y didn't know7 how7 deal w7ith outcasts. beg So, stead of workg at a leisurely pace prolong as w7as job, ir cusm, y wrorked as hard and fast as y could. This pleased everyone except Don Emilio who, alone among wras villagers, fascated work se men were dog. Each grave contaed an old friend or relative. Each marker was a key special vault his md, and wrorkers w7ere unlockg those vaults for him, one one. Like, tw7o graves side side without markers. Only he could remember on scriptions wrooden crosses, long disappeared. "Juan, April 12, 1915" and "Cha, April 13, 1915." Durg brief time when y thought re wras a fortune silver ir valley, village had filled with drifters, treasure seekers, and all manner of dangerous and terestg Twro men came w7n people. ger one day. That night, a drunken haze, y stabbed each or. One died that night, or, followg day. Juan and Cha were all anyone knew about m but no one was sure which was which. Don Emilio was one only who enjoyed as proceedgs he sat on silently sne fence enclosg cemetery. The rest of were villagers repulsed what saw7. y The rottg caskets had been real start of discontent. One of wrorkers went near San Sebastian fd suitable boxes for remas; he came back with every kd of receptacle he'd been able fd. Everyone envisioned truck gradually beg loaded with neat oblong caskets, a perhaps little dirty. But stead, truck was fillg up with odd-sized contaers of all straw7 descriptions, cludg hampers and an old cardboard suitcase. People got uneasy about passg truck and seeg shbone of a favorite aunt out stickg of a cardboard box, or ribcage of a "compadre" between slats of a wooden melon crate. The three workmen weren't any happier about situation. "I tell you, I don't like it," said Efren, one of workers, his companions as y sat on a rock eatg ir lunch of cooked beans. 72
"Touchg those old skelens makes me sick. Some of m still have bits of stuff stuck bone." "The skelens don't bor me," answered Juan, youngest and cockiest. "A bunch of old bones can't hurt you. But I get a very dark feelg just beg this cemetery. In fact, I thk this whole wn is creepy, like that old man us wtatchg every day. Look at him sittg re. Why doesn't he ever say anythg?" Luis, third w7orker, added with an voluntary shudder, "This morng while I w7as a workg w7hole came family watch me. were all dressed black and cried whole time. When I tried talk m y all held up ir crosses. The old grandmor wouldn't sp moang. I don't know7 who I was diggg up, but y made me so nervous I broke two of ribs with my shovel. You should have heard old woman scream n, like a wounded cat." The three men worked on, terested only fishg job and leavg village. didn't know7 or care about small mysteries y uncovered. Like Carmen Flores' ba: Carmen had been daugh ter o? Rigo, village's bad-tempered barber and drunk. She became pregnant and, although Rigo beat her unmercifully, she never let ba's far be known. Mor and child had both died same fluenza epidemic; and y'd both been buried ger. When workers uncovered graves, y found only Carmen, didn't sp wonder about ba, y merely threw7 Carmen's bones and marker a cardboard box with a picture of fresh on peaches side and put her on truck. Only Don Emilio, watchg from fence, over puzzled mystery. paid attention, though, when came cryg grandmor back with a friend, anor old lady who had a rigid walk and fearless eyes. One behd or, y marched around cemetery walls twice, never takg ir eyes from Luis, who'd so carelessly excavated someone's ribs. Then y knelt and prayed for a long while. The men not pretended pay attention but were especially flustered when y saw Don Emilio swg around off sne wall and take up anor position farr up hill. When was prayg done, women walked once more around cemetery, buried somethg dirt, and left. The men rushed over and uncovered a live lizard buried a few ches deep. Juan heaved it as far away as he could. After that men became more hurried and careless ir work, mixg up markers and lettg bones out spill of boxes. Don Emilio 73
found himself drawn truck. Slow7ly he began pickg up odd bones and replacg m boxes, not always right ones. The occupants of boxes had borne all of dignities up now7 quite patiently (not beg able do much else). But corpses, beg extremely slow7 movg, don't like sudden changes and this mixg up of parts especially angered m. "Hey, old man, sp that! That's my foot, it doesnt belong over re." "Someone tell him do it right. Look at him, I can move faster than that." "Ask him where y're takg us. I want know what soil is gog be like." "I get jittery beg packed so close ger, I need more space." But Don Emilio heard nothg. He patiently replaced old bones as he saw fit. Fished, he returned sne wall, laboriously climbed on p of it, and contued wratch steady procession of memories climb from holes where y'd been trapped. Over last few7 days he'd seen almost everyone w7ho ever lived Los Ricos. His mor passed, small and gentle. She spped and asked him if he was eatg well. He saw his wife, o, but she didn't sp, which was as just well. She probably would have had somethg compla about, so he just let her pass. Today y dug up Dona Lupe, his "comadre." He didn't see wrkled old prune that had been buried a few7 years past, wasted away from some unknown disease. He didn't see othless old lady, almost bald, sayg her beads church for countless hours, dressed perpetually black for scores of people she had mourn. He saw, stead, cherry-lipped wife of his old friend Raul. The round-thighed flirt with dancg skirts and flashg eyes who used meet him down river. The three men worked on, payg attention nothg but fact that was job nearly done. The area around truck became littered with old bones, wormy wood, and ancient bits of cloth and or strange foreign matter. didn't care if bones howled all way ir second graves, but Don Emilio did. When mess got o big he shuffled over and laboriously began clean up. He found that he could recognize old friends wild disarray of bones. He sod for a while talkg a gold-od skull he held at arm's length. "Paco, my old friend, you never did learn how7 play domoes without changg rules an ga advantage." But, as he had no way of knowg whom 74
most of parts belonged, he merely made confusion worse, send g habitants of truck a panic. "My foot, fd my foot, old man, I cant rest without my foot." "There's someone else's leg here with me. Get it away from me sick." me it makes "Who's got my beautiful rosary? Give it back, I was buried with it. I looked so peaceful with it my hands, like I was sleepg." "Someone talk old fool. Tell him I can't stand this confusion anymore." If se thgs could have been heard full force, y would have sent a shiver of repulsion all through valley, but cries of dead are very soft human ears. Still, so was great ir wailg, that wnspeople avoided truck, which w7as almost full now. The entire truck seemed have life, move with an almost imperceptible vibration. Some who came near villagers said y heard fat cries, as from a bucket of snails screamg night. Ors said y heard a constant, muted rattle. To everyone's relief (except Don Emilio 's, who enjoyed his daily visits with memories of old friends) job was almost fished. There only remaed one monument move. It was one largest cemetery, one only carved out of marble. It had been ordered city and moved here Rosas at one family, time richest people valley. All members of were family it now, except Jorge who had one simply disappeared day. There probably would be no Rosas after him eir, sce he'd always been more terested young boys and witchcraft than women. Now marker sod alone a field full of holes. It was tall and wide with plenty of room for more names. carvg In front of marker lay a broad, flat surface, also marble, large enough dance on. began dig, hopg fd bodies under platform. Soon y had dug a trench all around monument, only fd sides of what appeared be one solid block of marble. A fat, but defite, odor had also begun envelope graveyard. It was unmistakeable smell of putrifyg flesh. dug trench waist deep and still only encountered sides of sne. huge The odor was stronger now and workmen had put handkerchiefs over ir noses. When trench had reached height of a man, three of m conferred. Juan wanted leave as it was everythg and go. The or two had become curious about mbsne and voted stay. Luis was sent near San Sebastian where re was a phone call ir ask for help. superiors and 75
At night no one w7ent near cemetery. It gave out a dark aura, an eerie stillness that reached village and made people jump at twrigs breakg dark. Don Emilio felt aura o, but it seemed call him. That night he found himself standg next flat-bed truck listeng an almost imperceptible sound, as of faraw7ay rattlg of bones. It was somehow soothg his jots and he closed his eyes feel it better. His lips slowly stretched a languid smile. The sound grew tensity and gradually ok on simple rhythm of a primi tive dance. The beatg sound o? bones began fill valley, it made ground vibrate. It filled old man's ears, it rang his head louder and louder, yet soothg, as if comg from with him. His body swayed and his feet shifted, just slightly, as he responded drivg rhythm, somehow recalled from an ancient past. Through this ear fillg d, so immense that no was came a thought possible, ty child's voice, almost imperceptible, yet somehow7 clear and distct as a wd chime. It was sharp, quiet and sweet. It said, "Emilio." Don Emilio answered with his eyes still shut, "What?" The voice aga, a mere whisper, but precise. "Help us, Emilio" "What do you want me do?" "We hurt, Emilio. We have been mixed up and confused. You must help us, Emilio, you are almost one of us." Emilio heard sweet, ty voice because that's wrhat he was allowed hear. If he could have heard bones really talkg he might have been shocked. were rude and loud and all talked at once. "It's about time he heard us. What's matter with old fool now? Tell him open his eyes and help us." "I need my foot, it's that box with screechg old hag. Tell him get it me for now, do you hear me? Tell him now." "He's not movg. I thk he's dead. Make room, someone get him a box." "What can I do?" asked Emilio. "Sort bones out us. for We are all mixed ger. You don't know rture of havg your bones mixed with someone else's." The voice that addressed Don Emilio a belonged child w7ho had died unborn. "So many parts have fallen ground, Emilio. Please get m for us, and trkets that we've lost, are y all we have." In morng Luis came back from talkg officials capital. " won't us. help say we've been here o long already. We're fish job and get back as soon as possible." 76
The three of m returned marker and stared down trench, scratchg ir heads, for a long time. The stench was stronger than ever and seemed be growg. "Keep diggg, keep diggg." turned see Don Emilio yell g hoarsely from ap truck. ran over where he was jumpg up and down on bed, more lookg drawn and gaunt than before, a wavg thigh bone over his head and yellg, "Keep diggg, keep diggg I tell you." "What are you talkg about, old man?" Efren asked. "Keep diggg, get m out. There's anor under tree." He hadn't or were spped jumpg yellg although y standg right next him. "Come on, get off truck." Efren reached for Don Emilio's leg but old man swung at him with bone and hollered, "Get m out, get m out." Efren shrugged ors. "He can't hurt anythg." And y all returned trench, leavg Don Emilio rummagg through boxes, transferrg bones from one anor and yellg out, "Keep diggg, get m out." Juan went tree only cemetery and began diggg around base as Don Emilio had said. Efren and Luis returned monu ment, determed solve mystery despite acrid smell of rottg flesh. jumped trench and resumed diggg around base of marble slab. Don Emilio kept sortg bones like a madman, flgg m this box and that. He seemed get thner and paler hour. His cheek bones protruded farr than y had before and cast shadows on tightly drawn sk of his face. He kept up a steady conversation with a group of visible voices, now. "Comg This one, where does it as go?" he ssed bones about. At tervals he turned ward men workg and shouted, "Keep diggg!" About midday, Juan called ors, "Fellows, come look, I've found anor one under tree." came and looked hole he had dug. There lay anor corpse, tally entwed roots of a tree, which were like a huge snake, squeezg life out of him. Luis reached down mass of roots and bones and out a pulled round bone, size of an orange, encrusted with dirt. It was skull of a small child. all stared at silently it, each with his own thoughts. Fally, Juan broke silence. "I'll get se bones truck and go help you. Let's get this job fished and get out of here." 77
Efren and Luis hurried back monument, over at Don glancg Emilio and shakg ir heads wonder. He was a on frenzy bed of truck. Boxes were spread all over as he feverishly contued sortg bones. His hair was wild, his eyes were sunken and black, and sk of his arms was stretched so tightly outles of bones his elbows and arms sod out plaly. He kept up a raspy chatter, as if speakg himself. "Throw that one here now. Good, that feels much better. Over here now, quickly, this little one, take it away." Then over occasionally his shoulder, "Dig, keep diggg!" did. jumped back trench and worked accompaniment of whirlg shovels and flyg dirt. The smell was almost unbearable and now re began a shrill sound like crickets on a still night. were terrified but some force kept m at ir task, almost agast ir wills. Late afternoon, Juan uncovered knotted end of a piece of rope. He dug furr uncover its source and found that it protruded from beneath marble block. He yelled out, "Come look, botm, we've reached botm." all gared around and tried pullg on rope but it wouldn't move. kept diggg expose more of botm edge of marble, straight and evenly cut. kept tryg rope but could feel nothg on or end. Fally, with half a man's length exposed along botm, Luis pulled aga on rope. A section large, rectangular of marble slid noiselessly ward him. Along with it, like roar of death, came overwhelmg stench of meat. putrifyg All three of m retched immediately dirt, without even kneelg, mixg that stench with or. But ir so curiosity, long buildg, moved m forward. In dull light from outside saw a y chamber. The marble block was hollow. The floor side was tally hidden dead and dyg remas of small animals. Most were skelens whose flesh had rotted or been eaten. In dim light, y created an uneven carpet of white bones, ankle deep. But carpet was alive with color and sound, as everywhere ap bones lay foxes, rats and rodents of all kds, some dead, some half eaten and still dyg. The animals still alive twisted feebly escape and ir cries joed ger a shrill chorus like sound of a pig screechg. Throughout crypt, like Roman columns waitg for a roof, sod white marble pedestals at regular tervals. Many had square metal boxes sittg on p, presumably remas of Rosas family members. Most were still vacant, awaitg new7 arrivals. 78
As men stumbled through bones retrieve boxes, y became aware of gra sacks stacked agast all w7alls. All were rn open and surrounded dead and dyg rats, probably poisoned gra, settg motion this animal perpetual sacrifice, contued through flesh of its tated victims. Carryg boxes, three men, ir ashen faces frozen pictures of horror, fled ghastly mb and hustled boxes truck. Don Emilio saw7 m as comg he lay bed of truck, leang agast boxes. The entire area wras clean. He had picked up every bit of bone and cloth and put it its proper box; all contaers w7ere one on piled neatly, p of anor. The men looked at his still form. There seemed be no meat left on him at all, his sk was grey and his dull eyes were lost deep black sockets his head, barely as flickerg y followed movement of men. Through tissue paper sk of his face outle of each oth could be seen. easily He tried raise one hand feebly off floor of truck a futile gesture. His cracked lips barely moved, but voice that addressed men was soft clear voice of a young child. "Ah, you've got m out. About time, o. We were gettg you starg at, idiots. Hurry, let's go. Everyone's our rest." His eyes closed. tired of waitg. Well, what are tired and w7e all need It wasn't until y were w7ell on ir w7ay dow7n mounta road that y smelled ra summer srm. approachg 79