Long Blonde Hair, Sky Blue Eyes Pt. 04

They also left hungry, so they made the short trek to Mi Tierra for lunch, and then out the doors to El Mercado for shopping. Colorful serpes and blankets were popular with the northerners, and each of the women bought a serape-style coat with white wool lining and faux fur trim. The men, including the Texans, bought deep-colored, handmade Mexican ponchos with geometric patterns for the upcoming autumn weather in Minnesota.

After stashing the loot, they detoured through the Missions Historic District, following the designated 'Trail' that also offered a designated hiking and biking path. They didn't have time to stop and visit today, but after seeing and hearing tales of Conception, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, and San Francisco de Espada, and the impressive aqueduct systems, they were excited about coming back.

After Espada, they got on 410 West, crossed IH 35, and proceeded to US 90. There they turned west toward the ranches outside Hondo. When they reached "The Little Alsace of Texas," Castroville, they discovered a tiny historic town, settled in 1844 by Alsatians, with authentic bakeries and restaurants. Of course, it was now surrounded by the burgeoning suburbs of the nation's seventh largest city (1.5m).

To the north, they got their looks at the Balcones Escarpment and the southern limits of the Texas Hill Country that rises along, north, and west of the escarpment. To the south lay productive farm and ranch land, with mesquite trees and various kinds of brush in unimproved pastures intermittently obscuring the vista. The dense, thorny brush was as interesting to them as the Charbra, Brangus, other cross-bread cattle, and the grazing pens of Charolais, Angus, and Brahma bulls being held off the cows and heifers until October.

It being Mid-September, there were dove hunters galore, dressed in camo from head to toe. In early November, the hunters would still be around dressed in camo, and sometimes face paint, but they would be carrying bows and rifles instead of shotguns, and hunting deer rather than Mourning and White Wing doves. There would still be some shotguns, carried by Bobwhite Quail hunters, but they were a different breed and less common than deer and turkey hunters.

"This is so different than other places I've been," Annika said loudly enough for others to hear, and she got mumbles of support. Erik responded by telling about the German settlers of the Hondo area, and how the Alsatians also settled around nearby D'Hanis. Though the town of Hondo was anglicized now, and Latinos were the largest ethnic group, Germanic names remained and the cultural influences still characterized the farmers and ranchers of the area, regardless of ethnicity.

He told them about "The German Trail" by which emigrants moved north and west from the Texas coastal ports, some stopping and establishing farming communities along the way. Hondo was the most distant settlement to the west, Fredericksburg/Mason to the north, and New Braunfels was the first on the escarpment; most of the others settled on rich farmland between New Braunfels and the coast. Other European settlers, including Czechs and other Slavs, Scots, and Irish followed the same patterns, but rarely intermixed in the settlements because of ethnic rivalries.

In Mason County, Germanic settlers to the south of the river clashed with Scots/Anglo settlers to the north, resulting in the "Hoodoo War" or "Mason County War" that left twelve murdered and the courthouse burned. Rangers finally ended the ethnic warfare, but no one was ever prosecuted, in spite of numerous witnesses to some of the murders.

Johnny turned left at the light before the H-E-B and started south toward Yancy. Although both the Swahn and Lundell families' maintained residences in New Braunfels and the Swans still had a portion of the family ranch near Natural Bridge Caverns, they lived on their south Texas ranches, located a few miles south of Hondo. The availability of high-speed internet and cell communications allowed their businesses to be run, or more accurately, 'oversighted,' from anywhere, and their younger children preferred ranch life and attending a small high school to the crowded conditions and schools that now characterized New Braunfels and Comal County.

They turned onto a gated private road, used a code to open the gate, and drove down the road until they turned right at a Y. "The Swahn Ranch is to the left, the Lundell to the right; we'll be at the Lundell ranch house in about a mile," both drivers explained.

"So we've been driving through irrigated farmland, and now we're entering brushlands with cattle roaming free," Carl observed. "Do your parents farm and raise livestock in addition to running the transportation company?"

"Yes and no. Dad considered farming, but the reality hit him right between the eyes; equipment costs a fortune, and raising crops is time and labor intensive. He leases the farmland to a real farmer and watches him and all his expensive equipment at work. As to the cattle, Dad is a 'gentleman' rancher, and mom likes to ride around in the Mule or pickup and see the pretty calves, feed her favorite cows, and enjoy the outdoors. She's a Houston girl, so this is all great fun to her.

"But when the cutting and marking and vaccinating is done, and at roundup, they're on the corral fence watching Chepe, Paco, and Meme work. It's dirty and dangerous, as Dad found out early on, so it's not hard to keep him out of the fray.

"The 'ranch hands' and their families live in three modular homes Dad set up near the main well, about a quarter mile from the house. Their kids are the cutest things you ever saw, and they really know how to work mom. She has snacks for them after school, and she makes sure they have nice school clothes and shoes, but she only does what their moms and dads allow. Otherwise, they'd be spoiled rotten, like her grandkids are going to be - if she ever gets any."

"And like my grandkids are going to be, if I ever get some," Carl pouted, while looking at Annika.

"Should I find someone to marry first, Dad, or just go get bred?" she teased back.

"As your grandmother said, the proper order is marriage, then children, but the older I get the less I care. I guess I'm just worried that you'll be modeling 'Women's' clothing, and then endorsing treatments for the symptoms of menopause, and I'll never have a baby Annika to love."

It was all said in jest, in a teasing manner, but Erik saw the look on Annika's face when her dad said it, and it was as if cold water had been dumped on her. Twenty-four probably never felt so old before.

The three Swahns and the five Lundells met them at the gate to the fenced yard, and the introductions and greetings took the better part of twenty minutes, even though it was a hot afternoon. They adjourned inside to the air-conditioning as soon as Johnny could herd them, and the real conversations began. Those wouldn't terminate until Monday when they left.

Thanks to guidance from the Texans, the northerners were properly dressed for the south Texas weather, but they were still taken aback. "90 degrees is hot where we live, but it feels much hotter than that. What is the temperature right now?" asked Oliver while he and the other men walked to the barn to see Lukas' new Zero-Turn mower.

Johnny pointed at the old-school Lone Star Beer thermometer hung in the shade of the porch, and Oliver saw the needle pointing between 105 and 110. "Looks like a mild and balmy 108," observed Johnny.

The boys and men wore light colored pullovers, shorts, and sandals or athletic shoes; the girls and women were similarly dressed, wearing tees or tanks with shorts and sandals or athletic shoes.

Johnny's siblings - Anna, Randy, and Becky - were, if anything, more attractive than he, and he was handsome by any standard. Of course, their mom, Sara, and dad, Lukas were extremely attractive, so good genes.

Erik's sister Emily was a year older than Elle and just as gorgeous. Anna and Emily were best friends, and they immediately hit it off with Elle. Randy was a year older than Axel, who was Beck's age, and they quickly became a threesome.

Kathy, Erik's mom, was a former beauty queen and Texas Tech cheerleader, and his dad, Alexander (Alex) was an engineering grad of Tech who played receiver for the Red Raiders. They also donated good genes to their kids.

By chance rather than plan, all four parents were of Scandinavian heritage, including at least one parent with Swedish lineage. Kathy's parents were Finnish on her mother's side, Swedish on her fathers. Both of Alex's parents were Swedish, as were Lukas Lundell's. Sara McDonald Lundell was Scottish/Norwegian on her father's side, and Swedish on her mother's.

Yet, other than memories shared by grandparent's, none had ties to their Scandinavian heritage, and none considered that heritage something special. Erik did; he studied his genealogy and cultural heritage from seventeen on, and Johnny learned from Erik. Of course, Maja and Oliver increased their knowledge and understanding exponentially, and they hoped the ethnic enthusiasm of the elder Olssons would rub off on their parents.

In many ways, the Lundells and Swahns were like most American families; while aware of their ethnic heritage, they found it irrelevant to their daily lives. In Texas, Americans of Czech heritage continued celebrating their fall festivals, and Germans' their October Fests, but the younger family members only appreciated the food, party, and polka music, if that.

Americans of Mexican heritage celebrated Cinco de Mayo and Deiz y Seis de Septiembre, but many in the younger generations couldn't tell you why, just as they couldn't tell tales of lives lived as peons in the villages of Mexico that their grandparents could. Two or three generations as Americans, and ethnic heritage became a triviality for most immigrant families.

That was clear as the Scandinavians gathered for a supper prepared by San Juana and Consuelo Ortiz, first generation immigrants from San Miguel de Allende in the heartland of Mexico. Ensalada (salad) and Pozole verde (stew), followed by your choice of tacos al pastor, chicken gorditos con guacamole, and/or enchiladas verde, with corn or flour tortillas. For dessert they had capirotada de leche (bread pudding) sweetened with pilloncio (raw pure cane sugar).

"In all my life, I've never tasted these flavors before!" Mary enthused. "The only things I recognized were the tortillas, and these tasted nothing like those I buy at the store! I'm glad I don't live here and get to eat these foods all the time, because I'd weigh a thousand pounds!"

"And that bread pudding is deadly," Hanna added. "I knew every mouthful was a mile to run, but I couldn't stop eating!"

"I swear months have gone by when I consumed fewer calories than tonight!" Annika proclaimed happily.

The Ortiz women were pleased by the praise, and by Sara's instructions to take all the remaining food home to their families. San Juana and Consuelo were normally at home before the kids got back from school, but had remained to cook and serve the guests, so ready-made meals would be most welcome when they returned home - which was less than a half-mile down the road. They too were living in modular homes, provided by the Lundells. They loaded the food on the back of a Mule, and hurried to their families.

The sun falling toward the horizon reduced the heat factor significantly, even if the temperature didn't fall as quickly. The pool was beckoning the teens, the Mules were calling the twenties, and the air conditioning seemed perfect for the forties and above.

Sara and Lukas fixed the mixed drink of choice for each guest, and served them in the 'conversation pit' located in the huge den that ran across the back (north side) of the 4600 square-foot house. "We had seen pictures of the girls and of your teenagers, of course," Sara began, "but I have to say, they are even more beautiful and handsome in person!"

Before anyone could respond, Kathy interjected, "Emily has been 'following' Annika - I call it stalking, but that's what kids do now - since Erik began dating her. My goodness - she's everywhere! On magazine covers and in ads, in commercials on TV, on social media, being interviewed - does the girl ever rest?"

Carl started to respond, but Maja beat him to it. "Thank you for the compliments, Sara. They are all lovely young people, as are your children and darling sons! We've grown so fond of Johnny and Erik since they arrived, and are quite impressed with their intellects, work ethics, and creativity as well. Very impressive young men - I know you must be very proud of them!

"Hannah is an elementary teacher, and one of Annika's few real friends. Our granddaughter was raised primarily by her mother due to divorce, and Oliver and I have only grown to know her well over the past few months. We owe that to Erik, who somehow managed to refocus her on family and friends and away from her successful career.

"And you're right Kathy; she is a busy girl. That's going to slow down after the next few months, as she has transitioned to new management in Carl's firm. Her previous manager and attorney were tied to her mother, who, frankly, was more interested in how much money she could make than her welfare. Carl is fixing that, and Annika is learning to say no to the myriad offers she gets that keep her too busy and away far too much.

"Meanwhile, your uniquely talented son has devised something that I don't even understand, but Oliver and Carl assure me is 'game changing,' whatever that means. I know the men intend to discuss that more fully tomorrow before they go dove hunting, and I hope you ladies will show us around your cute little town and this area. Maybe we could even do a little shopping while we're out. What do you think?"

Kathy quickly answered, "I think that would be wonderful! Our shopping is rather quaint, but we always enjoy it and find some things we can't live without. We'll take the girls too, if they will go with us; some may prefer to go bird hunting with the men."

Growing more serious, Kathy said, "I hope I didn't upset anyone with my statements about Annika. I didn't mean to imply anything..."

Carl interrupted her with a disarming chuckle. "Oh, no, we weren't upset - we agree! She's too busy, and her line of work puts her in the spotlight far too often, and not always in the best light! The things that have recently been posted, said, and implied on social media and entertainment TV have upset us greatly... but they've also been lessons for us all.

"Things are not always as they seem, pictures can tell a thousand lies, and context matters, are some of our lessons. Both Annika and Erik have learned hard lessons as well. Erik's lessons are the essentially the same as ours, but Annika has learned that even when you're in the South Pacific celebrating with friends, you aren't free from misrepresentation on social media.

"She also learned that the average human being, including Erik and her family, can't tell the difference between a posed situation and an incriminating one, when a photo is presented as misbehavior on TV and social media. The result is, she and Erik are learning to communicate openly and to trust, but are doing so under immense pressure."

He expelled a deep breath and proclaimed, "That all said, I'd like to raise a toast to Hanna and Johnny! They are the cutest, sweetest, most loving couple we know, and they were definitely made for each other! Mother and Dad were there when they met, and they said it was love at first sight! I hope you are as pleased as we are with their engagement, and will join me in a toast to them! In the language of our forefathers: Skål!"

After the toast, the conversation focused on Johnny and Hanna for a while, then shifted to Annika's career and media presence, the achievements and plans of the teens, and finished with plans for tomorrow. The twenty-somethings were sitting on the back porch talking after returning from their sunset excursion, and the teens were sitting around the pool comparing lives and getting to know each other. It had been an exciting and satisfying day, but everyone was running out of gas, so the proposal to clean up and get to bed went over well.

Carl, his family, and Annika went home with the Swahns, whose house was equivalent in size to the Lundells'. There were bedrooms for Carl and Mary, and Axel; Elle was sleeping in Emily's room. Annika wasn't mentioned, so by default she was sleeping with Erik. When their luggage was moved in, Erik assured her that was a first; every other girls he'd brought home was assigned to the bedroom farthest from his!

She wasn't sure how to take that: did it mean they were accepting of her relationship with their son, or acknowledging her 'wild child' reputation? "Erik, I'm not sure I like that. If it means they accept us a committed couple, that's one thing. If they assume I'm sleeping with you because I'm as slutty as my reputation, that's quite another!

"You told me how they reacted after they saw the photos last weekend, so I fear the worst. I want to have a conversation with them about my reputation versus reality, I want you involved, and I want to do it now!"

He recognized her sincerity, and the need, so he went off to make arrangements. His puzzled parents agreed, his snoopy sister overheard, and when they convened around his laptop at the dining table, Emily and Elle were both there. He looked at Annika, she shrugged and said, "It's probably for the best."

Annika did the explanation, Erik showed the original photos in sequence, then the video. They took a brief break for Annika to explain the rest of the story, after which Erik showed the photos Ainsley had discovered. "I know in your world, just as in my parents and grandparents world, my actions appear reprehensible. I hope I've explained what you saw and why I did what I did, and how, in my world, none of this is noteworthy; it's just the way business is done - for the notoriety and money.

"Erik is kind and patient enough to let me explain my faux pas, and he and my new management team are helping me learn to do my job without further soiling my reputation.

"In reality, though it's my reputation that is fake: a product of my managers' marketing efforts, as misguided as they may have been, and my own stupidity for going along with them. I'm not trying to pass myself off as some innocent choirgirl, but I can count the number of men with whom I've had sexual relations on one hand, and one of those is Erik. He is also the only man I've ever loved, and the man I want to spend my life with!

"His love and respect for his parents and sister are a fact of our lives, and I didn't want to let another moment pass without explaining that, while I'm certainly imperfect, I am not now and never have been the slutty bimbo the media portrays!"

Kathy's eyes were misted over, but before she could speak or act, Erik did. "Annika's childhood was stolen by her mother, who thrust her into the cut-throat world of modeling and beauty pageants at age five, and ruled her world with an iron fist until Annika figured things out at eighteen.

"Even after Annika separated herself from her mother, she was contracted to and under the influence of a manager and attorney whose only concerns were the money she could make for them, and for her mother, before she flamed out. In fact, not only were they overworking and overexposing her, they were stealing from her, and encouraging her to do immoral things for the publicity and for opportunities to make more money!

"She is famous, she is captured in pictures as the feme fatale of her age, and it seems she is the 'wild child' TMZ loves to feature. Yet, at certain times and in certain situations, she is 'younger' than Emily or Elle. In fact, as we learned on the Island with her family, she is positively childlike in many circumstances. That's not surprising, given that she had no childhood; but it is contradictory, given how jaded she seems in other situations.