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CAPÍTULO 4 OTRAS REMEMBRANZAS DE DON JOSÉ MARÍA AMADOR Anoche se me vino a la memoria una ocurrencia que sucedió en el pueblo de San José con el Gobr. Solá. Estaba de comisionado el Sargto. Luis Peralta. Yo estaba de guardia, pues formaba parte del destacamto. Llegó de visita procedente de Monterey el Gobr. Solá. El Sargto. Peralta tocó la caja para llamar a toda la gente que viniesen a saludar al Gobr. que los quería ver. Vino toda la gente y Solá les dijo que se alegraba mucho de ver un vecindario tan honrado. Los más viejos pobladores, sea por ignorancia o por reverencia a la persona del Gobr., muchos de ellos se le acercaban y le besaban la mano como si fuera un Padre ministro o sacerdote. Después del saludo general se presentó un anciano llamado José Ramón Bojorques. Éste dijo al Gobr. que su esposa se hallaba embarazada y tenía muchos deseos de conocer a Su Señoría. Advíertase que la señora pasaba de 100 años de edad, el marido tenía de 80 a 90. El Gobr. ordenó a Peralta que nombrara 4 hombres que le acompañasen a la casa de Bojorques. A esto Peralta se reía mucho, pero se tapaba la boca con el pañuelo, y me hacía señas para que yo no me diese por entendido. Fui nombrado entre los 4. El Gobr. no se apercibía de nada. Atravesamos las 500 varas que mediaban a la casa de Bojorques; el viejo iba con nosotros. Entró el Gob. a la casa, y dijo, “¡Alabado sea Dios!” “Por siempre sea,” contestó la viejita. “Pase Ud, Señor Gobr.” (La viejita era natural de Guadalajara y bachillera. No se levantó porque sus años no se lo permitían, estaba impedida.) Solá se le acercó, le dio la mano, y la saludó. Entonces ella se escusó de no poderse levantar, diciéndole que estaba impedida, que se sirviera sentarse en uno de los huesos de ballena, porque no tenía sillas mejores. Se sentó Solá junto a ella, y le dijo al viejo, “Señor Bojorques, es Ud. un tunante, grande, grandísimo, 200 7 Californio Voices Ch 4 1/26/05 2:56 PM Page 200 201 CHAPTER 4 JOSÉ MARÍA AMADOR’S OTHER REMEMBRANCES Last night I remembered an occurrence that took place in the town of San José with Governor Solá. Serving as commissioner was Sergeant Luis Peralta. I was performing guard duty since I was part of the detachment. Governor Solá came from Monterey on a visit. Sergeant Peralta sounded the drums to call all the people to come and greet the governor, who wished to see them. All the people came, and Solá told them that he was very happy to see such an honest town. The oldest dwellers, many of them, either from ignorance or reverence towards the person of the Governor, approached him and they kissed his hand as if he were a Father Minister or a priest. After the general greeting, an old man called José Ramón Bojorques presented himself and told the governor that his wife was pregnant and had a great desire to meet His Excellency. It should be noted that the woman was over 100 years old and the husband was between eighty and ninety years. The governor ordered Peralta to choose four men to accompany him to Bojorques’ house. Peralta was laughing a lot at hearing this but he had covered his mouth with his handkerchief and made gestures to me to pretend I did not know what was happening. I was chosen to be one of the four. The governor did not have an inkling of what was going on. We walked five hundred varas, which was the distance to the Bojorquez house. The old man accompanied us. The governor entered the house and said, “Praise be to God.” “Forever,” responded the little old lady. “Please come in, Señor Gobernador.” (The old lady was a native of Guadalajara and was very talkative. She did not get up because her years prevented her; she was disabled.) Solá approached her, gave her his hand, and greeted her. She then excused herself for not being able to get up because she was disabled and asked that he sit himself on one of the whale bones because she did not have better chairs. Solá sat next to her...

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