In Bless Me Ultima what does the presence of the river mean ?

Antonio's religious ambivalence is highlighted in this dream when he identifies the wailing in the river as first, la Llarona, a mythical figure from New Mexican folklore, and then, as Lupito’s soul. However, Antonio accepts neither the pagan explanation nor the Catholic explanation as the truth. Instead, he determines that the wailing is the presence of the river, neither Catholic nor pagan, but simply an element of nature.