Page 79 of Sombra
“Morning, Madre,” he callscheerfully. “Hola, Sonia,” he says cautiously.
They both focus on him with laser-like precision.
“Guillermo, I love your hair,” Sonia gushes. “You look so guapo. ¡Qué guay!”
His chest puffs out like a chicken.
“Basta,” says Antonio. “I’ve had enough of this hair salon. I’m gonna go to class. Give me a ride, Tavo?”
I don’t want to give him a ride today becauseI don’t want him knowing that I’m taking Kim to the pharmacy. Kim and I exchange glances.
“Sure, you can come with us.” I turn to Kim and whisper, “We’ll go to the pharmacy after we drop him off.”
She nods, but gives me a worried look. Her hand almost unconsciously goes over her belly.
Fuck. Yes. I need to take care of her. I don’t want her to worry about the future.
Over my shoulder, I hear Madre talking to Guillermo, telling him how much she loves his hair and Sonia complimenting him as well. Maybe soon I’ll only have to worry about Kim and myself.
That would be a relief.
But before I can go anywhere, my mother comes outside, calling, “Tavo.Ven aquí.”
Her thunderous face is ready to use the rack on me, and Kim’s face opens wide. “Gowait, I’ll talk to her and meet you at the car.”
She nods and walks off, while my mother approaches. “Tavo. Listen to me clearly. I am going to tell Sonia that you need some time. That once this estadounidense leaves, you’ll have her out of your system and will come back and marry her.”
Shaking my head violently, I say, “Madre. I told Sonia in no uncertain terms that I’m not marryingher.”
My mother’s mouth drops open, and she clutches her chest.
I continue, “I cannot marry her. I don’t even like her.”
“You’re not listening to me.”
“I am listening to me.”
“You are being ruled by your penis.”
I cringe. “Madre.”
“No. I know you, son. I know you are full of feeling and you want something that you cannot have. You’re just like yourfather. It’s in your bloodstream and in your bones. You are Spanish to the core. You need to get this out of your system? Fine. I give you my blessing. For a while. But when you are done, you come back and look at Sonia again.”
When we getto the city of Granada, we dropAntonio off at his campus (the Universidad de Granada has five separate schools spread throughout the city, and he’s at the engineering school) and park at the translation school, then head for the nearest pharmacy. Kim holds my hand tight. She’s pale and nervous. I squeeze her hand, trying to communicate that no matter what, I’ll take care of her, but I don’t think she’ll relax until this isover. Thankfully there’s a pharmacy on practically every block, lit up with the green plus sign, so we don’t have to walk far.
When we approach the counter, passing display after display of cellulite cream, the crisp, white-smocked pharmacist, a woman in her late twenties, doesn’t bat an eye when I ask her in Spanish for the morning-after pill. “Sí, EllaONE,” she says briskly.
“Dowe need a prescription?” I ask. I’ve never had to do this before.
“No. Not in Spain.” She heads back to get it. Kim sags into me in relief.
“Thank you, Tavo. I didn’t know the phrase in Spanish for it.”
When the pharmacist returns, she counsels us that the sooner Kim takes it, the better, since its effectiveness diminishes the longer we wait. Since it’s been more than twelvehours since I first sunk into her, it’s not complete protection, but it’s the best we can do. I also buy a ton of condoms, and we stop by the Spanish health center to make an appointment to see a doctor about getting on the pill. They give Kim a pregnancy test to take before coming in for her appointment. She eyes the box like it’s a plague-ridden rat and puts it in her bag.
“How come it’sso easy to get the pill in a Catholic country?” she asks.
“I don’t know. I guess we’re practical.” I take a closer look at her face. “Kim, can I do anything else for you? What do you need?”
