Page 199 of The Moon Sister
‘No.’ The woman visibly shuddered as Ramón also appeared on the terrace to see who their visitor was.
‘And who isthis?’
‘My name is Ramón, señora. And you are welcome to our home.’ He smiled, holding out his hand to her.
‘For your information, this ismyhome. So he lives here too?’
‘Yes, señora,’ María confirmed.
‘Alejandro did not mention either him or the child. I believe it is just yourself and your daughter named on the lease. So, how many more of you are hidden away inside?’
‘Please, it is only who you see. My daughter has travelled back to America and . . .’ María followed the woman as she walked inside, opening each door tentatively as if she might be attacked by a savage group of undesirables. Once satisfied there was no one else present, the woman’s eyes swept around the kitchen and the sitting room.
‘You can see, señora, that I have made your house beautiful,’ said María.
The woman flicked an ant off the kitchen table.
‘Apart from the fact I have just discovered you have moved further members of your family into our house without permission, and that a minor is working out of it, I have come to tell you that we are putting up the rent from next month. My brother was always a soft touch – and he too realises it is far too low for such a property.’
‘How much will you charge, señora?’
The woman named the figure and Ramón and María stared at each other in horror.
‘But, señora, that is four times what we are paying now! We cannot afford it and—’
‘Perhaps you can have her put her prices up,’ the woman glanced at Angelina.
‘But we made an agreement—’
‘Yes, fortwopeople. Now there are four, and besides, I am sure that thepolicíawould support us were we to tell them that our beloved grandparents’ house had been taken over bygitanosquatters. So, if you are unable to pay what we wish, you will leave the house by the end of the month, which I should remind you is in three days’ time.’ The woman turned to walk off the terrace, her sunglasses back in place. ‘Oh, and don’t think of taking anything from the house. We know exactly what is in it. Goodbye, señora.’
As the woman headed towards her car, Angelina walked down the terrace and pointed at her.
‘I curse you, señora,’ she muttered under her breath. ‘May you rot in the depths of hell!’
‘Hush!’ said María as the woman looked up at them, turned the engine on, then screeched out of the drive. ‘That won’t help at all.’
‘Must we leave this house?’ Angelina asked her.
‘Yes, we must.’ María took baby Isadora from Angelina’s small arms and looked helplessly at Ramón. ‘Where on earth should we go?’
‘For now, I think we must go back to Sacromonte.’
‘Well’ – Angelina clapped her hands together – ‘at least I will be happy. I will be close to the forest, even though I will miss the bathtub.’
‘At least we own it, and no one can claim it back as theirs,’ said María. ‘I knew something was coming, that this was too good to last.’
‘You did.’ Ramón stretched out a hand to her. ‘Remember we were happy there once before,querida. I hope we can be happy again.’
‘What if Lucía has sent the money here already and it arrives after we’ve gone?’ María said, panic surging through her.
‘We must send a telegram to Pepe to let him know what has happened, and while we are at the post office, ask them to hold any mail that comes for us there. See, María?’ Ramón reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. ‘There is always a solution to every problem.’
‘Why are you so positive?’
‘Because there is nothing else to be.’
*
