Page 207 of The Moon Sister
‘I mean she use the money to help her husband grow a business. Your father, Erizo.’
‘Who was he and what was he like?’ I asked her eagerly.
‘You already hear his name. He is Andrés, the boy she met as a child, his parents own the ice-cream café in the plaza. Of course, they did not want their son marrying agitana, but Andrés, he did not care and when they marry, he move up here. Ramón, María, Pepe and I made Ramón’s old cave our home and make bigger so that Isadora can grow a family with Andrés in her own. Isadora used her money to help Andrés and Ramón set up in business. After Pepe tell him of the portable drink carts he see on the streets of New York, Andrés decide to buy orange grove. Ramón grow and press the oranges, Andrés sell the juice in the city. Your father and Pepe design a refrigeration contraption that harness to side of his moped that held the fresh juice. With this, he make not a fortune, but enough, selling the juice in the plaza. There were enough wealthypayosleft, and more tourists coming to make it possible. After a while, he make two more machine and in summer he employ others to sell both the orange juice and the Coca-Cola drink that had become so popular. Andrés was, how you say, the entrepreneur.’
‘So, when did my parents marry?’
‘When your mother was eighteen.’
‘But that means . . .’ – I did the calculations in my head – ‘that they didn’t have me for almost twenty years! Why did they leave it so long?’
‘“They” did not,querida. More than anything they dreamt of a family, and there was no couple who deserved one more. Such love between them . . .’ Angelina sighed. ‘I try to help of course, but it seem your poor mother could not become pregnant and they give up long before you arrive. Then, as is sometimes the way, once they stop trying and relax, you decide to come.’
‘But if they were happily married, why on earth did I end up being given to Pa Salt?’
‘Ay, Erizo, remember that even though the Civil War was finished long before, Franco had taken Spain to a very bad place. The years that followed were, for many, nearly as bad as time before. The whole country had money troubles, and again our community was hit hardest. But it would not have mattered if . . .’
‘What, Angelina?’
I saw tears appear in the old woman’s eyes. She tried to gather herself together and I prepared myself to finally hear what had happened.
‘I have seen the bad times in my life, but the tragedy of your mother and father was the worst, I think. Yes’ – she nodded – ‘the worst.’
‘I understand, but you must tell me what happened, Angelina.’
‘Well, first I tell you that I have never seen such joy in a human as the day my beloved Isadora come to tell me she is with child. And then your father arrive on his old moped, his arms filled with flowers for her. I never see a man so happy. But I tell your mother she is old and she must rest. Andrés too treat her like precious china doll – he work overtime so he could put away extra money for when you arrive. Every week that went by whilst you are still in her belly is a miracle to them both – after losing so many babies, you can imagine.’ Angelina nodded sadly. ‘And then, one evening, when the weather was very bad and the roads washed with too many rain, your father, he did not come home. Pepe went down to police that night and is tell that, yes, a man had been found dead in a ditch, his moped on top of him. It was Andrés . . . the contraption he attach for selling the orange juice was heavy and the police said it made the moped unstable in the bad weather. I . . .’
I watched Angelina pull out a large pink handkerchief and blow her nose. I clenched my hands together, trying not to cry.
Angelina shook her head and shuddered. ‘All those years they try for you, but he never live to see you born. Your mother take Andrés’ death very hard; she could not eat or drink, although I tell her she must for baby’s sake. You arrive a month early – and even though you must believe I try everything to save your mother, there was nothing I could do. I could not stop the bleeding, Erizo, and when theambulanciamen that Pepe call arrive, they could not either. She die the day after you were born.’
‘I see.’ There wasn’t anything more to say. We both sat in silence for a while, me thinking again how cruel life could be.
‘Why them?’ I whispered, more to myself than Angelina. ‘After all those years of trying, surely they deserved to have some time with their baby? I mean,me?’
‘Yes. It is terrible story, and you understand how it break my heart to tell it. Yet, maybe their lives are both short, and you are not allowed privilege of meeting and being cared for by them, but I meet so many people who live a long time, and never find the love your parents did. Be comforted by this,querida, that you could not have been more wanted. Many times I feel your mother around me. I feel her happiness – she always so happy, that was her gift. I . . . adored her, yes, I did.’ Angelina blew her nose hard on the handkerchief then shook her head. ‘Pepe, I think her death, it break his heart forever. That is why he left us just now – he cannot even bear to talk about it.’
‘So.’ I pulled myself together, knowing my time here was running out and I needed to know everything before I left. ‘How did I end up with Pa Salt?’
‘He came to visit me for a reading just after your mother die. You were there, just a few days old. He hear of your story, and offer to adopt you. You must understand, Erizo, me and Pepe, we were old and poor. We cannot give you life you deserve.’
‘You trusted him?’
‘Oh yes, I trusted him,’ Angelina reassured me. ‘I consult with Upperworld and they tell me yes, this is right. Your father is – was – a very special man. He would give you life we could not. But I make him promise me that he send you back when you were older. And look!’ she smiled weakly. ‘He kept his promise to me.’
‘What about María? Was she still alive when I was born?’
‘Ramón died the year before María. They both lived long enough to see Isadora marry your father, but sadly not long enough to see you born, Erizo.’
‘Had my mother named me before she died?’
‘Not properly, no, but . . . when you were born we all say you look like the hedgehog, with your hair that stuck up. She – and we – call you “Erizo” while you were still with us.’
‘And then I became “Tiggy”, nicknamed after a fictional hedgehog.’ I pondered the coincidence, if that’s what it was. ‘You know my proper name is “Taygete”?’
‘Yes, your father tells us he will name you after one of Seven Sisters. I . . . did he find more of you?’
‘One more, yes. My sister Electra arrived a year after me.’
