Abuela’s Not-So-Sweet Bedtime Tales: La Pava Enamorada

So last year in October I shared stories of my great-great aunt Petra's sons, Polin, Salvador, and Federico who all had supernatural encounters. I will be telling more stories from my Mexican family that are true and have been passed down, whether you believe them or not is up to you. This story takes place in San Carlos, Coahuila with my great-grandfather Pascual Sanchez and great-grandmother Lazara Sanchez in the early 1900's.

Pascual had been married to Lazara for a few years and like every hard working man in those times was the provider for his wife and family. Pascual would wake up before the sun rose every morning to go work in the fields and would take his water, desayuno (lunch), and machete just in case of anything. Pascual would walk a few miles to go work in the fields and there was a portion of the road that would narrow to only allow for one person to walk and had nopales (cactus) on both sides as a border.

One morning Pascual was walking to work before the sun was up like usual and went through his regular routine. As Pascual kissed his wife Lazara goodbye she told him to be careful after having a sense of fear while making his desayuno. Pascual laughed and wished his wife goodbye and to take care of their children; Julio, Juanita, Romana, and Laza. As Pascual made his way to work he entered the narrow road with the nopales on each side but this time he heard a rustling noise coming from up ahead. There was a turkey but this turkey was very big and was just sitting in the road not moving as Pascual approached it. Pascual tried to shoo away the turkey but was unable to get it to even flinch then he tried to get around it and this is when things got a bit weird.

The turkey got up and every time Pascual tried to get around it is when it would get in his way directly. This big turkey frustrated Pascual to the point that he pulled out his machete and yelled out "I'll kill you if you don't move!" as he lifted his weapon to get the bird out of the way. In this instant the bird screamed like a woman and before his eyes there was a naked woman on the ground right where the turkey had been just moments before. This woman was Lazara's cousin Briseda who yelled "please Pascual don't kill me! I am in love with you!" but all he could do was stare in surprise. After a moment Pascual asked her what she was doing and why she was a turkey but all Briseda wanted was him.

"Leave Lazara and run away with me! I will be yours forever!" Briseda said but Pascual yelled "I banish you from my family, I will never love you because I love my wife! Never ever come back!". It was in this moment Briseda cried and screamed before transforming back into the turkey and running off into the wilderness.