Page 201 of The Moon Sister
‘Yes, that, but also because with each of them she would tell them a little something about themselves that they all recognised to draw them in.’ María shook her head. ‘Her gift is frightening, Ramón. It frightened me to watch her. She said she wants to go again next week, but I just don’t know whether it is right to use her powers for money. That was what happened with Lucía.’
‘And like Lucía, Angelina has a mind of her own. Trust me, that young lady will never do anything she does not wish to do. Besides . . .’
‘What?’
‘Angelina did what she did today to comfortyou. She wanted to show you that you are not to worry because she loves you. What is so wrong with that?’
‘Because I always feel as though I am reliant on others,’ María sighed.
‘No, María, we are all reliant on you.’ He patted her hand gently. ‘Now, time for bed.’
Isadora
June 1951, five years later
34
‘Are you awake, Isadora?’
‘No,’ she said, burying her face in the pillow. ‘I am asleep.’
‘Well, I know you are not because you are talking to me, and if you won’t get out of bed, I will just have to tickle you until you do . . .’
Angelina’s fingers crept under the blanket and headed for Isadora’s middle, which was where she was most ticklish. They moved lightly around her tummy like small spiders, until Isadora started giggling.
‘Stop it! Stop it!’ she laughed as she threw the covers back and climbed out of her bed. ‘Look, I am up! What do you want?’
‘For you to come with me into the city beforeAbuelaand Ramón wake up.’
‘But they say you are not to go and fortune-tell for thepayos,’ Isadora said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with her small hands.
‘I looked in the money tin and they will also tell us there is nothing for supper if I don’t,’ Angelina announced. ‘Will you come? Please? I always get more customers when you’re with me,’ she begged.
‘All right,’ Isadora sighed. ‘Do I have to wear that stupid dress? It is too small for me and it scratches.’
‘Yes, you do, because you look so sweet in it.’ Angelina held up the dress, made of floral cotton with puffed sleeves. Isadora let Angelina remove her nightgown and replace it with the dress.
‘This is for babies,’ she said sulkily, ‘and besides, I have told you, I am a tomboy. Ouch!’ she complained as her cousin ran a stiff brush through her long dark curls.
‘Afterwards, I promise that I will buy you an ice cream,’ Angelina cajoled as she fastened a pink ribbon to one side of Isadora’s hair. ‘There now, put on your shoes and we will go.’
As they tiptoed past the curtained entrance to their grandmother and Ramón’s bedroom, Angelina paused to pour some water from the jug into a flask. As they stepped outside, Isadora felt the heat of the day, even though it was only just past eight o’clock.
‘You look pretty in your dress,’ Isadora commented as she gazed at her cousin. Secretly she thought Angelina was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, and she knew all the boys in Sacromonte did too. With her long gold hair, big blue eyes and skin that never went dark in the sun, Isadora thought she looked like a princess from the book of fairy tales that Ramón had bought her when he taught her to read. ‘Will you ever get married? You are nearly sixteen, after all.’
‘I will never marry,pequeña.’ Angelina shook her head firmly. ‘It is not in my destiny.’
‘How can you say that? All beautiful princesses meet their prince. EvenAbuelamet Ramón,’ Isadora giggled.
‘I just know,’ Angelina shrugged. ‘I have much other work to do, you see. Whereas you’ – Angelina caught her hand and swung it high with hers – ‘have already met yours.’
‘I hope not. All the boys I know are ugly and rude. Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘How do you know all these things?’ Isadora asked her as they passed through the city gate and began to walk down the steep cobbled alleys to the centre.
‘I don’t know, I just do. And sometimes, I wish I didn’t. Especially if it’s horrible things.’
