The Girl who loved Fencing

1

Years later, a young woman with long, black hair was packing to leave Spain after spending several years of study there. Another young woman entered the room.         
         "María, are you ready to return home?"

            "Yes, I miss my family. What about you?"

            "Yes and no. I have really enjoyed being here. But I will miss you."

            "I will miss you too."

            "Are you going to tell your parents about your fencing and show them your trophies?"

            "I do not know. Probably not. They would not be very pleased."

            "You are probably right about that."

The next day María left Spain for California. It would take her almost a month before she would arrive at her parent's home in Los Ángeles.

            "María, we have really missed you. It is good to have you home. Tell us about school," her mother said.

"It was wonderful, but I really missed you both."

            "Tonight there will be a celebration, a fiesta."

            "For what?"

            "For what? For you!"

"That sounds wonderful!"

That evening the fiesta was a great success. There was good food and lots of dancing. Everyone seemed to enjoy himself or herself. María talked with several people about her life in Spain. She told them what she had studied and who she had met, but she always was careful not to mention her skills at fencing.            

The weeks went by very quickly. María spent most of her time going to fiestas and visiting people she had not seen since she left for school. She became tired of so much activity. One day she told her mother that she was going riding. Her father had given her a horse before she left for school. She decided it was time to ride again. 

María rode Bella Negra to La Mesa de Los Angelitos. She also took the sword she had won while in Spain. While she was practicing, her old friend Alberto Pérez rode up.

            "María de La Vega!"

            "Alberto. How are you?"

            "I'm good. Are you still playing with sword sticks?"

            María laughed at him.

"In a manner of speaking. I took lessons while living in Spain."

            "Really? I bet you are pretty good then," he said with a smile.

            "Do you have a sword, Señor Pérez? You could find out," she said.

            "I have my sword. A man is never without a sword, you know."

            "Perhaps you better get it."

            Alberto took his sword from the sheath that was attached to his saddle. He swung the sword at María. She saw it coming and ducked. She swung hers back at him. Their swords clashed! They did this for several minutes. Alberto realized that María was quite good. He could not believe it. He had grown up learning to fence. It was not something girls did. Her skills were far superior to most of the men who he had battled on friendly terms.

Alberto was one of María's closest friends in California. They had known each other for most of their lives. Their parents were good friends as well. Alberto could not believe how much María had changed. When she left for school she was not what he would have called attractive. Now she was a most beautiful young woman. He had always had feelings for her, but he had never told anyone. He was not the type who could express how he felt very easily. He did not think that María felt the same way about him.