Page 134 of The Moon Sister
‘Will the trains be running?’ she asked him.
‘Even if they were, we have no money to pay for tickets to Portugal.’
‘There will be a safe here,’ piped up Sebastian. ‘It will be in the office, they always are.’
‘And how would you know that, señor?’ questioned Lucía with a suspicious glance in his direction.
‘It is only instinct,’ he replied innocently.
‘And if there is a safe, how would we know how to get into it?’
‘Again, señorita, I think my instinct might guide me.’
Sebastian was despatched upstairs with Broom Lady, whose name was revealed as Fernanda and who knew exactly where the safe was, whilst the others discussed the best way to flee from the stricken capital.
‘And what’s to become of those who stay?’ Lucía shook her head. ‘¡Ay!Our country is destroying itself. What of Mamá? My brothers and their families?’
‘If we manage to find a way to leave, then perhaps we can send for them.’
Fernanda arrived back with a satisfied-looking Sebastian, who pulled a thick wedge of banknotes and a large handful of coins from his pockets.
‘Unfortunately, they must have been to the bank yesterday morning, but at least we have plenty for tickets out of here,’ Sebastian said.
‘The question is where? And how?’
Fernanda muttered something in Lucía’s ear.
‘She says her brother is a bus driver. He has a set of keys because his shift is in the early morning when no one else is up.’
The entire company stared at Fernanda, who nodded.
‘Where does he live?’ asked Meñique.
‘Just next door,’ she replied. ‘You want me to tell him to get his bus here?’
‘Señora, perhaps it will not be quite as easy as that,’ Meñique sighed. ‘The city is in chaos and the military may have already taken over the bus station.’
‘No, no, señor, the bus is parked around the corner at the stop.’
‘Then please, señora, let me accompany you to see if your brother is prepared to drive us to the border.’
‘He will require payment,’ she said, eyeing the coins and notes now piled on the floor of the basement.
‘We have money, as you can see.’
‘Then I will take you to him.’ She nodded.
Meñique and Fernanda left. Within half an hour, they were back.
‘He has agreed,’ Meñique announced, ‘and he is bringing the bus round to the stage door to collect us all.’
A cheer went up and Fernanda was smothered in hugs and kisses.
‘Someone blesses us,’ Lucía smiled at Meñique.
‘So far, but there is still a long way to go.’
Fernanda signalled to them all from outside the stage door when the bus arrived in front of it. They climbed aboard, their initial exhilaration that a route of escape had been found tempered by the sight of their beleaguered capital city.
