When he was 24, he married Maria. She was from the next village. They had two daughters, Sofia and Lucinda. Manuel did not see his family very much. He was away for five days a week. But he had a good job, and that was important.
Santa Maria was a poor village. Many men there did not have good jobs. They worked only a few months every year. Their families did not have money for meat or coffee. Their children did not have good coats or shoes. But Manuel’s daughters aways had good coats and shoes. The family had meat, coffee, and other good things to eat. On Sundays, Sofia and Lucinda had ice cream after dinner.