Page 115 of Sombra
“Why are you blaming her?” I yell. “¡Qué mala leche!”
Spinning to face my mother, fury in her eyes, Kim screeches, “Why are you having an affair with Mr. Molinero while you force your son to get married to his daughter?”
Leaves rustle in the dark evening night. An owl hoots in the distance.
Then the crowd explodes—my mother first.
“What?” my mother gasps. “How didyou find out about that?”
I do a double take, turning to my mother. “What is this? What the actual fuck, Madre? You wanted me to marry Sonia, and now I find out you’re sleeping with Señor Molinero?”
My mother opens her mouth. “That’s different. That has nothing to do with it.”
As if he heard his name—and he certainly couldn’t miss the commotion—Señor Molinero comes runningover.
“That isn’t the half of it!” Kim’s eyes are wild. “I heard you agree with your mother earlier that I am just afrivolidad, Tavo. A dalliance.”
“Wait—”
“I heard you, and you didn’t deny it.”
“Sheisa dalliance,” Tavo,” says my madre. I’m about to unleash my fury on her when Sonia comes running up, thankfully dressed. “Tavo! I’m so sorry!”
“Get out of here!”I yell at her.
“This is a fuckingtelenovela,” says Antonio, wide-eyed.
This whole disaster is in both Spanish and English, and I don’t know what Kim understands and what she doesn’t. I’m just trying to hold onto her.
Kim looks at me. “I’m keeping you from saving your family. All of these people. I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you like that. And I can’t deal with allthis craziness. With Sonia. With your mother. You’re up against tremendous financial pressure. Me being here makes it so that you’re going to lose this entire place. I can’t do that to you or your family.” Tears run down her face and she wipes them with the back of her hand.
Señor Molinero scratches his head.
“No, Kim! You have it all wrong! You are the opposite of a dalliance. Thereis no frivolidad. I was telling my mother she was wrong!”
Shane comes up, anger in his face.
Me cago en la leche.
Abuelo says, “Todo el mundo, everyone needs to calm down.” He takes his hands, palms facing toward the ground and moves them like he’s pressing down, trying to lower everyone’s voices.
It doesn’t work.
“What are you doing with Mr. Molinero?” asksAntonio.
Guillermo asks, “Why was Sonia naked in your bed?”
“I’m hurting your music career, too. Your dreams of traveling. You can’t be tied down to anyone,” Kim whispers.
My mother faces Kim. “You. You are the cause of all of this.”
I didn’t know I had another gear of anger, but I do, and I shift into it. “No she isn’t, Madre. She’s not the cause of any of this!”
But my mother says, “Go back to Iowa, Kim. You don’t belong here.”
“What?” I detonate at my mother. “Don’t talk to her like that! She’s the love of my life!”
“I want to be the love of your life,” Sonia pipes up.
