Page 91 of Tell Me What You Want, Or Leave Me

“Ah, no...I can’t,” says Laila after a quick glance at Björn. “I just realized I have a meeting in the morning.”

Björn nods, looks over at me, and I smile back. Problem solved.

17

As the days go by, I get better. On Thursday, we say goodbye to Graciela and Dexter. They’re going back to Mexico, but we promise we’ll see them again here or there.

I miss Graciela’s company right away. She’s such a good person, it’s impossible not to miss her. Laila’s still at the house. The truth is, she’s charming. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Simona yet, but, with me at least, she’s very kind and good.

Eric has to see his doctors. They have to make an adjustment because of his vision problem. Marta lets me go in with him when they run tests, and I get a chance to see what he has to go through. Later, the three of us conference in Marta’s office.

“Have you had headaches lately?” asks the doctor.

“A few.”

I immediately protest. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t want you to worry,” responds Eric.

I sigh. Marta gives me a look that tells me to calm down.

“Eric, everything’s OK right now, but if your head hurts again, tell me, please.”

He nods.

“If you smile, I’ll smile,” my German whispers to me as we leave the hospital.

Days later, when I feel a thousand times better after my accident, I call my father and tell him what happened. He gets scared and irritated because I’m telling him so many days after the fact, but, like always, he forgives me. He’s a love.

I tell my sister too, but she’s a whole different story. Raquel gets pissed and tells me I’m out of my mind for continuing to ride my motorcycle. I listen...and listen...and listen until I’m at the point of telling her to go to hell, and then I remember how much I love her and keep on listening.

When she finally has nothing else to say, I ask her about Juan Alberto. Eric told me that, after his trip to Belgium, he went back through Spain, so I’m not surprised when she says he visited Jerez. He’s back in Mexico now, but he calls her every two or three days.

She sounds calm and seems serene, but I know she’s suffering. She doesn’t say anything, so I won’t say anything either.

When I hang up, I lean back on the bed and fall asleep. I wake up about ten minutes later, and Simona’s in my room with a glass of water and some pills. It’s time to take them.

“Do you want to seeEmerald Madnessup here? It’ll be on in ten minutes,” she says.

I say yes and tell her to get up on the bed with me. I lean back on the pillows.

“What’s going on with Laila?”

“Why do you think there’s something going on?”

“I heard you arguing with Norbert about her visit. I’ve also noticed it’s tense between you two and between her and Björn, but you all pretend otherwise. Are you going to tell me what happened?”

Simona touches my arm. “She’s not my niece; she’s Norbert’s. And the dislike is mutual. According to that little monster’s mother, that we work as servants is my fault, and that’s why they always treat us with disdain. But you know what? I’d rather be a servant than someone as deplorable as that girl, no matter how educated she might be.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a shady story, Judith,” she says, and lowers her voice. “I had another fight with Norbert yesterday because of that shameless girl. She puts things in his head and—”

“Like what?”

“Laila’s mother lives in London and wants us to move there when we retire. But I’m not going to London or anywhere else. I refuse.”

“I heard you say something about what happened with Björn,” I say. “Can you tell me what that was about?”

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