The Stand Jigsaw Puzzle

A Spanish conquistador couple flees a Mayan uprising, but the man is wounded. The woman has been caring for him, has torn her dress to make a sling for his arm, but he can go no further. They are hiding behind a tree, and she leans him against the trunk as she reaches around to unsheathe his sword, just as the savages find them. She will bravely make her stand without complaint, neither giving nor expecting any quarter. This symbolises a strong marriage, where both spouses are rarely strong at the same time. They take turns being strong for each other when necessity demands. The Mayan warrior’s tattoos are the symbols of marriage and the verb “to scatter.” He is the personification of the problems that assail a couple, trying to drive them apart, and the wife is having none of it.