Explore "The Nine Guardians" by Rosario Castellanos on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
César ordered that from then on the women and children should never leave the house unless accompanied by a man, who should see they were respected and if necessary should come to their defence. The man couldn't be César, for he was busy with jobs on the farm. Ernesto had free time when morning classes were over. Matilde was worried and about to confess to César that the events of the previous day had not reached the proportions that Zoraida's exaggeration had given them. The Indians hadn't stripped naked in front of them, or insulted them, or forced them to leave the river before they had finished bathing. But Matilde had let the right moment pass for such an explanation, and it wouldn't be believed now. She had been so dumbfounded at Zoraida's screams and her false version of events that it hadn't occurred to her to contradict them. She had watched her cousin stupefied, afraid that such a tale might have serious consequences. But nothing had happened. Zoraida had not referred to the matter again, and it seemed she had forgotten it completely. The only thing was that she didn't want to bathe in the river any more. She ordered a cellar of the big house to be turned into a bathroom. It was a gloomy place, the walls rotting with damp and ooze, and the children refused to go into it.
"It's lucky you're here, Matilde, and I can hand the task over to you. You can take them to the river as from today."