The Caballero

Federico Montoya Hernando y Pedro Gonzales was a strange feller to us Swamp Rats. He came up from Mexico with family when they were working in the cucumber fields with the other migrants. They would be out in the fields from "can see" to "can't see" everyday, 'cept Sunday, picking 'cukes from rows that would be up to 2 miles long. These people just looked tired all the time. Bent over in those rows in the heat of the summer sun, with only straw hats to protect their heads, they all looked dusty and kinda used up. All, that is, 'cept Federico Montoya Hernando y Pedro Gonzales. Nobody in our neck of the swamps could say his full name, so 'es we jest called him Fred.

Now Fred didn't look like the other migrant workers. For one thing he stood about a foot taller than the rest of them and had long shiny black hair and brown eyes with flecks of gold dancing in them. He was always wearing a merry look on his face and at the slightest excuse would break into an infectious smile that flashed perfectly straight gleaming teeth. But boys, that hoss was a worker. He could pick  up and carry loads that it would take the rest of us two men to just pick up. All day long, with never a complaint, you could see his happy, smiling face as he did the work of any two other men. The one thing he had a passion about was riding Mr. Abdollar's horses. Mr. Abdollar said they needed to have the mean ridden off of them and didn't mind Fred's riding, as long as he didn't hurt the horses.

Every Sunday afternoon, we would see Fred flashing over fences and logs on those horses. He sure looked dashing. That was the problem. Fred was so good looking that most of the gals in the county were half in love with him. No matter where he was, he would soon have half a dozen gals hanging on every word he said. Jest a-batting their eyes at him and giggling and bringing him sweetmeats and sech. It was pure dern sickening, and us guys jest weren't a 'gonna put up with it anymore!

The next Saturday night at the barn dance, the two Futch brothers, Kilgore and Boo came over to the Sweetgum tree where we was all tugging on a jug of shine and jest flat out told Fred that they was a-gonna whup him for sparking their gals. The brothers sailed in and commenced to flinging feet and fists and gruntin' and cussin' to beat the band. Fred danced around them and he made the fight look like some kind of ballet or somethin'.

When they was all finished we finally got Kilgore and Boo off the ground They was holding their heads and looking kinda peaked. Fred jest looked at them and finally said, "You see me riding the horses? Well, where I come from people who ride horses are called Caballeros. I am a GAY Caballero." Kilgore looked at him and then us, then he spit out a tooth and said, "Heck, we all know you are a happy fellow. We jest didn't know you could fight!".

-Bob Gurkin