Page 119 of Sombra
“She’s crazy,” I say in an undertone.
“She’s my kind of crazy.”
I shakemy head in disbelief. Guess he’ll have to learn that lesson for himself.
Sonia turns to me. “Tavo, I’ve always wanted you. I wanted you to want me. When you finally paid attention to me, I thought I had you for real.”
“No, Sonia. That was a mistake.” I suppose I understand. If she feels for me anything like what I feel for Kim, those emotions can make you do crazy things.
“You’ve just never paid any attention to me.”
“Sonia, don’t do anything like this ever again. Don’t hurt my brother. Or anyone.”
“I won’t,” she says. And while I don’t want to forgive her, I do in my heart. Because I don’t want to hold her vileness inside me. She’s not worth it.
My mother gazes at me and swivels to look at each of my siblings “I loved your father very much.I still do. But Eduardo is good for me. Maybe it’s better that we’re with each other now.” And she looks at me. “I still think you and Sonia would be good for each other.”
I erupt again. “Mother! Have you seen the way she acted toward me? How can you wish that on me?”
Her eyes flash at me. She’s not backing down. Stubborn, stubborn woman.
I may be exactly like her.
Señor Molinero steps forward. “María Luisa, I want to marry you. That’s a good way of ensuring that this property remains in both of our families. And I will rip up the promissory note.”
We all take in our collective breaths. Yet again.
Abuelo steps forward. “You have my blessing, Señor Molinero. You are a good man. But keep a sturdy leash on your daughter.”
“So was that whatyour speech was about at our harvest dinner? The union was you and my mother,” I ask.
He nods. “Yes. I desire to marry your mother. So, María Luisa. Will you marry me?”
Tears drip down my mother’s face, and she casts her eyes up at him adoringly. She presses her hands to her heart and breathes in and out a few times.
We all wait for her to answer.
“Yes, Eduardo. Yes.And because I love you and we made mistakes when we were young and took different paths. But this, going forward, this is right.”
Nervous smiles appear on everyone’s faces, and then Antonio claps. We all begin clapping, and Señor Molinero kisses my mother then they grin at all of us.
Finally, after an eternity, everyone disburses.
I return to my casita, and while some thingsare fixed, my heart is not. I’m so tired and wasted, but I can’t sleep in my bed. Not without doing a ritual. So I lie on the floor, covered in a blanket that smells like Kim, but I don’t sleep. I can’t, not without her. And I hear the sound of my heart breaking into a million pieces, one by one, all night long.
There’s no way I can pick up the pieces without Kim.
