El Rancho Chocolaté's Fairisle Treasure
⛪️El Tesoro del Bazaar
The air in the sala of El Rancho Chocolaté was still thick with the scent of tamales and the potent, complex aroma of the family's renowned spicy Mexican cocoa. It was the night after the annual Tamalada, and the December wind was whipping dust across the sleepy streets of Benavides, Texas.
Berta, Rita and Elda—still tired but deeply content—were finally settled. They wore their prize possessions: three brand new, hand-knit, fairisle-patterned sweaters and matching socks.. They were their tangible reward for a season of dedicated toil.
"I can still smell the manteca (lard) on my hands, no me digas," Berta sighed, resting her mug on the embroidered doily on the coffee table.
Rita rubbed the soft wool of her red-and-white sweater. "Pero, mira (But, look), we are sitting here. Our whole family has enough tamales to last them till the new year! The kitchen is scrubbed, and we have Doña Carmen's finest keeping us warm. It’s perfect, sí?"
🧶A Dream Seen at the Bazaar
The story of the sweaters started three months prior at the Santa Rosea of Lima Church Bazaar. Every year, the bazaar was the social highlight, filled with cakes, tamales, and local crafts.
The girls had stopped at the stall belonging to Doña Carmen, a master knitter from their parish known for her unique and colorful patterns. Displayed on a table were the three fairisle masterpieces in shades of navy, red, ivory and green—each sweater distinct but coordinating with each other.
"They looked like something straight out of a fashion magazine ad from up North," Berta the fashionista recalled dreamily. "So bright against our dry Benavides winter with no snow. Ay, qué bonito!"
"And the price tag!" Elda exclaimed, shaking her head. "It was a fortune. We laughed then, but we couldn't stop thinking about them. We knew we had to buy the sets juntas (together)."
Doña Carmen knew that the girls were serious about purchasing the sweaters so she promised to hold them aside until the girls had enough money to buy them. That evening, they made a pact. They needed a goal beyond just their usual chores. They would earn the money to buy the sweaters together for Christmas.
💰 Earning Dinero in a Small Town
Earning that kind of money in rural Southern Texas in the mid-fifties took serious commitment. Berta and Rita’s parents owned a candy store in town and agreed to work extra hours to make some money.
Berta took on the role of manageing inventory and sales clerk at the store. She saved every nickel and dime, fighting the urge to buy candy. "Paciencia (Patience), I kept telling myself."
Rita and Elda signed up to help Abuela with extra, back-breaking chores around her house. Abuela sometimes rented out rooms in her house to make a littel extra money. The girls helped to keep things clean for the customers, making sure the all the rooms were kept tidy . Rita often muttered, "Ay, Dios mío (Oh, my God)," after lugging the heavy bucket of water and bending over all afternoon to mop the house.
They kept their cash stashed in an old, empty coffee tin hidden under the floorboards of an outdoor storage shed. Every week, they would count the growing pile of coins. "Poco a poco (Little by little)," they cheered.
🛍️The Christmas Eve Purchase
On Christmas Eve day, after their longest, hardest day helping with the Tamalada, they rushed to Doña Carmen’s house. Their hands were rough, and their faces were smudged, but their tin was full.
Doña Carmen greeted them with a knowing smile. She had seen their determined faces at the bazaar and knew what the money represented.
As Rita carefully counted out the final dollar, Doña Carmen presented the gifts. "These aren't just sweaters, mis niñas. These are the earned reward of your unidad and your trabajo duro (hard work). Wear them with pride."
But there was a surprise. Doña Carmen held up three pairs of matching socks—the final touch. "I knitted these for you de gratis," she whispered. "Un pequeño regalo (a small gift) from me, for girls who understand the value of honest labor."
🎁 The Sweetest Warmth
Back in their living room, as the Benavides night pressed in, the girls lifted their mugs of spicy cocoa high.
"To the Dulcería (candy store)," Berta toasted, "and the smell of success! Salud!"
"To the renters at Abuela’s casa," Rita added, "and the warmth of a job done well! Qué bueno!"
"And to us," Elda finished, "and the sweetness of a dream we earned ourselves! Lo logramos (We achieved it)!"
As they drank the rich, spicy liquid, the wool of the sweaters seemed to soften against their skin. The sweaters and socks weren't just beautiful objects they'd seen at a church bazaar; they were a comfortable, physical reminder of a shared goal achieved through sacrifice, perfectly timed for their South Texas Christmas.