Legacies - The Innocence of a Young Marriage

Once upon a time, my sweet folks were married in a rural Mexican village. The groom's family hosted the occasion. They came around late afternoon on Friday for her and up until they arrive from a neighboring village, she worried she would be stood up. Leading up to the wedding my dad's father, Don Ciro, gave them 1000 ($10) pesos to buy the wedding dress and tux. They went from their little village to the big city Guadalajara on a bus to get them with my dad's sister (they weren't allowed to be alone for one second). Starting Friday, the celebrations started. They had mariachi, dancing and lots of food that last through Sunday, Don Ciro's birthday. Saturday, being the official wedding day. The bride was 16 and the groom, 18. Per custom, the bride's parents were not invited but were sent food as a goodwill gesture. They graciously accepted the food but didn't eat it, offering it up instead to the other children. It was common to note that if the bride's parents didn't agree with the marriage they would send the food back. However, my mother's father, Fidel, did go on a sentimental drinking binge. My folks said they were very in love and couldn't stand being apart but they had to soon after the wedding because it was also a tradition for the bride to return to her family for one more week after the wedding. My grandfather, Fidel, cried with tears of happiness upon her return. But my dad ultimately landed getting my mom back sooner by having her return midweek to him to become the godparents for an other couple's wedding. Everyone was very generous and my parent's started their lives with a tiny house, several chickens, a pig and a small plot of land to grow corn that offered a very nice yield their first year. They were very fortunate indeed.