Chapter 1 - The red-headed boy

Centuries later.

New Madrid, New Spain.

The deafening cries of a new born echoed across a small wooden cabin. A woman washing a baby filled with fresh blood ever so gently. She held him tightly as if the child was her own. A midwife, it was customary in Aztec culture for her to help deliver a newborn and warn him or her of the hard path ahead.

“This world is very beautiful but also very cruel. In this life you’ll suffer physical and emotional pain. You’ll be discriminated against justly or not, people will want to watch you fail and drag you into the pits of hell. For you to be born a healthy male with aspirin parents is a privilege. But, as a man it is important for you to stand up to your problems and you must overcome them. May the gods help you in your journey, it will be our privilege to watch you grow into a capable man.”

The midwife caresses the baby's head one final time before permanently handing him over to the awaiting couple.

“Xipil.”

The mother whispered out of her frigid lips still feeling the withdrawal of giving birth.

“We thought we lost you. Your heart had stopped. My boy, no matter if you were born different from others, I wouldn’t have loved any less. You’ll always be my baby boy.”

Xipil's father, Yaotl, started to fantasize about the distant future. Many years from now he would have the privilege to see his kids get married off to their love of their lives and start having children of their own. He would like to one day be able to lift his grandchildren with both arms and spoil them.

“He'll make a great merchant.”

“Not a warrior? Like his father once was?”

“No. It's time to break the cycle of this cursed bloodline. I'll not lose any more family to violence. I'll personally ensure that.”

So far the couple had managed to have 3 children. The oldest, Fernando, has been given a Spaniard male name. The middle child, Ynes, has received a female Spaniard name. The youngest of the three siblings, Xipil, stands as the only one of the siblings to have been given a Mexica name. Xipil is a native Aztec name in Nahuatl also known as the Aztec language which means fire.

All three siblings had one thing in common. They did not share the skin tones of any of the parents. The father had brown skin and their mother was pale. In other words, they were mixed.

It didn't take long for Xipil to show similarities to his father. Yellow eyes that have long and thin pupils similar to cats, also inheriting his father's signature blood red hair. Both of these were traits only found in a minority ethnic group far away from these lands.

The first few months of Xipil's life were simple. Consisting of eating, sleeping, shitting and on occasion he'd spew out some words in Spanish or in Nahuatl. During his infancy, his parents often competed to see if he'd learn “Papa'' or “Mama” first. Yaotl tried getting a head start, he'd get his hands on any children's book about dad. When tucking Xipil to bed he'll reveal his trump card, a bedtime story.

Yaotl was a traveling merchant thus he decided it would be efficient to buy a book. This way his boy could read about dad while on a job.

The book had “Baby Jaguar” in big bold letters. He opened the first page which read “Mama Jaguar had died”. His eyebrows flung upwards tilting his head backwards, unable to find words to express the situation.

“What the fuck! How is this shit a childrens book?”

Looking down, he'd quickly shut his lips tight when he'd realized Xipil had been staring at him. Flipping the page he hoped his kid hadn't caught on to any words mentioned in the outburst.

‘What if he goes around saying those words, my wife would kill me. I can probably get away with blaming one of my other kids. No I could never.’

“Papa Jaguar had to raise baby Jaguar all for himself.”

Yaotl's brow began to twitch.

‘Next time I'll definitely read the context of the book beforehand. I'll glance at the rest of the book incase.’

He began to flip page by page. Ultimately deciding the book was no good and slamming it closed before he got to the end.

“The mom died. The dad died. The siblings died. Everyone dies at the end, except for the main character. Children's book my ass.”

He whispers to himself.

The hair on his skin stiffened up, something was watching him. He tried to fight the temptation of turning his head toward the origin of the anonymous glare but it turned out to be futile. There it was, the worst possible outcome has been realized in flesh. A smile slowly revealed itself, a fake one of course. The cold sweat that poured down his skin started to hit Xipil's head. The boy flinched at every drop.

“How long have you been watching?”

“Since the beginning. You took a while to tuck him in so I came over.”

“I- is that so?”

“What do you think your saying in front of my baby?”

“Yo- your baby?”

“Did I stutter?”

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“Mama,” a soft voice interrupted.

Both of their eyes shot open. A fat victorious smile creeped up on her, on the contrary, the father looked down in defeat.”

“Three to zero.”

“That's not fair! How am I supposed to win if I'm always gone?”

“Don't be a sore loser”

“Again.”

He got up from the chair and confronted his wife.

“Wha-”

“I said again goddammit. Let's have another one. The fourth one will be used as a tiebreaker.”

“A fourth one!? We don't have enough room around here, are your crazy!? Aren't you tired of losing!?”

“Nah, I'd win.”

“Mama. Xocolatl (Chocolate in Nahuatl).”

The boy's comment had turned their heads.

“This... This can't be.”

The father drops down onto his knees.

“How could I loose to some chocolate?”

________________________________

Some time later.

Xipil's mother would regularly place him down facing upward on her bed. The frame of the bed was constructed of wood and had rope that held it in place, further supporting its sturdiness. It had to be tightened every week for reinsurance. The mattress was stuffed with straw and the pillows filled with feathers. Bed sheets were made out of cotton or linen. Linen sheets were used during the summer and the cotton for winter.

He couldn't keep his eyes on one object if he tried to. His eyes wandered from the bedframe his father personally crafted to the vases on the floor. Then, his eyes would wander to the great mirror on the wooden cabin walls. A mirror much larger than his body. The baby's attention would now be directed to the window on the other side of the room of where the mirror was located. Although he didn't have a good view of the outside world, only being able to see trees, it didn't stop his curiosity of what lies beyond. Like any baby he was processing information of his surroundings with his sight of any that was long out of his reach.

Like a puppy, he grew restless of laying down all day. He instinctively went on his side then proceeded to roll over face downward to the cushion of the mattress. Placing his palms down firm against the bed and begins to push himself up. It proves to be too much as he goes up wobbling side to side like a newborn calf. So in order to stabilize himself his knees also hit down on the mattress. He regains his balance but not completely as he still seems a bit unsteady.

Xipil was ready for the next step. One palm reached forward a bit and the shift of the weight almost planted him on his side. Managing to stop himself by desperately over extending his arm to the right side. Another issue then arouse, his arms started to tire. Before this, he was only able to roll over and get halfway up to the crawling position.

He fought to stay on all fours but then out of nowhere the strength of his arms left him. Face first into the canvas almost as if an external force had a role to play on it. When he fell down he lost all control of himself, which included his bladder. In other words, he pissed himself.

He laid down face first in a pool of his urine. Feeling defeated and embarrassed his eyes began to water. Air went into his mouth and then proceeded to the lungs. Charging up a cry that would have mom running toward him.

“WAAAHHH!!!”

A cry, no, something more of a scream came out.

Xipil's mother, Clara, came rushing in the door to tend to the matter herself. She was worried one of her other children would have done something to upset him or even worse, had done something to harm him. Afterall, it is not uncommon for the older siblings to get jealous of the youngest. Obviously, they tend to require the most attention and priority over the others.

To Clara's surprise no one except Xipil was in the room. She raised an eyebrow and wondered just how the hell did he get himself in the state he was in. His butt was mid air meanwhile, his face was buried in the sheets. He had tried to get up earlier but failed miserably which is how he found himself in the current situation. Luckily for him the pool of urine didn't reach his face.

Clara's sense of confusion rapidly shifted into that of concern after witnessing the scne before her.

“Xipil! Are you ok!?

Her arms wrapped around him on instinct, an action she would come to regret. His lower half was drenched in piss. The young mother pushed him away from her realizing her mistake. Carrying him like a lost puppy she began to squint her eyes of disgust from the smell of the boy.

“Looks like you. Need a diaper change.”

Xipil's cry began to die down when he got a good look at his mother. For once he fought back his tears and smiled while tears still went down his puffy red cheeks. A rare occasion for a baby but still possible. The baby has no understanding of deep emotions yet but what he felt in that moment was pure love.

She heads to the bathroom to change his diaper but before that she'll need to wash him thoroughly. She began to prepare water in the wooden tub making sure the water isn't too cold nor hot to harm a baby's delicate skin.

Clara spotted the stain on her dress that her boy left on her when she went in for a hug. The dress was a gift from her husband when he went overseas to his homeland momentarily for a business trip.

‘I was planning on only bathing Xipil but it looks like there’s a change of plans. Honestly, that boy really is a handful.’

She checked the temperature one last time by dipping her hand in the tub.

“You better not give me a hard time, alright Xipil?”

She looked over at the boy.

With the preparations completed, she begins to undress herself and help herself to a dip, alongside her boy. Xipil can't contain his excitement, as he begins to splash water all over the place. Partaking in a bath was his favorite activity second only to sight seeing the outside world from behind the cold glass window.

The boy had a fat grin on his face that went ear to ear, borderline creepy. The mother was not amused in the slightest as she watched him splash away. Normally when taking a bath with Xipil she waits for him to eventually stop splashing to commence cleansing him. But this time was different, taking a bit of her frustration on her child. She dips one hand under water and begins her counter offense on him by splashing water back.

All he could do was stare at her in disbelief. The look of betrayal was written all over his face, almost as if he was saying, “How could you do this to me? Was it all a lie?”.

A new emotion emerged deep within, anger. The skin between his brow tighten up as his little mischievous monkey hands descend into the water. All his might went into the splashes that landed at the mother.

Carla was now amused at the sudden change of events. She lifted the hand that she splashed her child with and started covering her mouth, hiding her laugh from him not wanting to anger him any further.

Xipil halted his assault, his anger quickly turned into confusion. “What the hell?” Was written on his face. Unable to contain her laughter she burst out loud. Another smile started to emerge on Xipil's face.

They both start to laugh at each other, even if it lasted for a bit.

She lifts him up in the air.

“I can't stay mad at you for very long. You know that right?”

She brings him close to touch noses and backs him up again.

“Guess what Xipil? Mommy loves you.”

The boy's eyes widen as he has heard a divine revelations from the gods themselves. He extends his arms at her trying to go for a hug.