Page 204 of The Moon Sister
‘And he has come here?’
‘He has, yes.’ María smiled and indicated Pepe.
‘But . . .’ Isadora put her finger to her mouth as she did when she was thinking. ‘Why are you not happy,Abuela? You said so often that you miss him and now he is here.’
‘I did . . .’ María nodded. ‘And I am very happy to see him, yes.’
Isadora got down from her grandmother’s knee and crossed the kitchen to stand in front of her uncle.
‘Hola, my name is Isadora, and I am pleased to meet you.’ She held out her hand formally.
Pepe chuckled as he offered his in return and she shook it. ‘I see my niece has learnt excellent manners.’
‘She has, yes. That is Angelina’s doing – she takes her sometimes into the city when she is telling thepayos’ fortunes. She speaks a little English too.’
‘Well, little one, I am not apayo, so come here and give your Uncle Pepe a big hug.’
Isadora allowed herself to be gathered into Pepe’s arms. When he kissed her, she could feel his enormous moustache tickle her cheek. ‘Look, I have brought you a present all the way from America,’ he said as he reached for a box on the floor next to him and handed it to her.
‘A present? For me? Look! It’s a box wrapped in pretty paper,Abuela! Thank you, Uncle Pepe.’
‘No, Isadora,’ Pepe said smiling. ‘You must take off the paper and find what is inside it. That is the present.’
‘But the paper is beautiful and I will spoil it if I take it off,’ Isadora frowned.
‘Here, I will show you.’ Pepe took the box and put it on the kitchen table. He began to undo the reams of pink ribbon and then tear open the paper at one end. ‘See? You do the rest.’
Isadora did so, and, with Pepe’s guidance, removed the lid of the box. She gasped when she saw what was inside.
‘It is a doll! And it looks like Angelina! She is so beautiful. Is she really mine?’
‘She is, and I hope you will take good care of her. Her name is Gloria,’ Pepe said, as Isadora lifted the doll out of the box, transfixed.
‘I have seen them inpayoshops, but they cost many pesetas. Thank you,Tío,’ she said, holding Gloria to her. ‘I promise I will look after her.’ She turned to María. ‘Maybe you were crying with happiness,Abuela?’ she said hopefully.
A look passed between Pepe and María.
‘We were both sad because Pepe tells me that your mamá, Lucía, has gone up to the heavens to be with the angels.’
‘She has gone to the Upperworld?’ Isadora asked, as she moved Gloria’s arms up and down, then fiddled with the miniature shoe and little sock that slid off her tiny foot.
‘Yes.’
‘So I will never meet her on earth?’
‘No, you won’t, Isadora.’
‘Well, I would have liked to meet her, but I am sure she is happy where she is. Angelina says that the Upperworld is a very beautiful place. May I go and show Gloria to her now?’
‘Of course you may. She is in the courtyard, tending her herbs.’
When Isadora had left the room, Pepe smiled at his mother. ‘She is a beautiful child, Mamá. So natural, unlike the kids in America.’
‘Yes, she is. And in many ways I am glad that she was too young to remember her mother. Her death will not hurt her so much. You were telling me what happened, Pepe?’
‘We were in Baltimore, and yes, Lucía was exhausted and drinking and smoking too much, but no different from normal. She stood on stage as she always did and began herfarruca.At the end of the dance, she shouted out “Olé!”, then dropped to the floor. The audience thought this was part of the performance – and so did we, and it was only when she did not get up that we realised something was wrong. An ambulance was called, but she was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. They said she’d had a big heart attack. She would have known nothing, Mamá.’
María crossed herself. ‘She danced herself to death.’
