The sun was spilling into the straw house through its crevices in long streaks. One of the streaks shone on the hanging box where baby Tito lay.

The sun was spilling into the straw house through its crevices in long streaks. One of the streaks shone on the hanging box where baby Tito lay.

A tiny movement drew their eyes to the hanging box. Kino and his wife, Juana, froze in their positions. Down the rope that hung the baby box from the roof support, a scorpion moved slowly. Its stinging tail was straight, but they knew it could whip it up in a flash. It moved down the rope delicately towards the box.

Under her breath, Juana muttered an ancient magical chant between clenched teeth. Kino glided across the room noiselessly. His hands were in front of him, palms down, and his eyes were fixed on the scorpion. Beneath the scorpion in the hanging box, Tito reached up his hand towards it. It sensed danger, stopped and its tail rose up cautiously over its back.

Kino’s hands went forward very slowly. At that moment, the laughing Tito shook the rope and the scorpion fell. Kino’s hand leaped to catch it, but it fell past his fingers, onto the baby’s shoulder and struck. Tito screamed in pain. Snarling, Kino grabbed and rubbed it until the enemy became a paste in his hand.

Juana had the baby in her arms and she found the puncture starting to swell. She put her lips down over the puncture and sucked hard, then spat and sucked again. While Tito screamed, Kino hovered over Juana as he watched helplessly.

The screams of the baby attracted the neighbours. Out of their straw houses they poured, blocking Kino’s door. Others at the back tried to look in. Those in front passed the word to those behind. “Scorpion. The baby has been stung.” All these people knew about scorpions. An adult might be very ill from the sting, but a baby could easily die from the poison.

Juana did the most surprising thing. “The doctor,” she said, “go get the doctor.”

The word was passed out among the neighbours and they repeated among themselves. To get the doctor would be a remarkable thing, a memorable event. The doctor never came to the cluster of straw houses. Everyone knew that. Why should he when he could earn more from taking care of the rich people who lived in town?

“The doctor would not come. You knew that all along,” Kino said to Juana.

She looked up at him with determination. This was Juana’s first baby – it was everything in Juana’s world.

“Then we will go to him,” Juana said as she arranged her shawl into a sling to hold the moaning baby. The people at the door pushed against those behind to let her through. Kino followed her. They went out of the gate to the rutted path and the neighbours followed, hoping that they could help the family in any way. This had become a neighbourhood affair.