Page 63 of In a Far-Off Land
“You sure?” Brody raised his bushy brows.
“Yes, I am sure.”
They sat for a moment, thinking it through. Brody took out a crumpled pack of cigarettes and tipped them to Oscar.
He took one and bent forward for a light. “So. What do we do now?”
Brody’s mustache twitched. He leaned back and cracked his knuckles. “Well now, kid, I guess we go fishing.”
MINA
By the time the sun dipped low in the hazy sky of thecoloniaand Lupita’s dress was almost finished, I knew what I had to do.
Max needed his family and his family needed him. What nobody needed was me—that was clear as daylight. I was going to get Max back with his family and then get myself out of this place. No more waiting around, thank you very much.
The first part of my plan was Roman. He was easy to convince, just like I figured. The hard part was getting Oscar’s auto without him catching on.
Roman had a solution. “Oscar will go to thesociedadesbefore dinner, to have a drink and find out the news. He is gone for maybe half an hour.” That would just do the trick.
“Tell Max that Oscar sent you. An emergency.”
That should get him here. I knew enough about Mexican hospitality by now to know that Señora would have to feed Max if he showed up at suppertime. And then I’d hope for the best. But would Oscar be angry if Roman took his auto? Roman just grinned when I asked him, so I figured maybe it wouldn’t be the worst sin. Boy, was I wrong about that.
Lupita came back from the cannery, and we went up to the bedroom, where I’d hidden the dress. We talked in whispers as I fitted it to her and measured the hem. Lupita made a big fuss over it, but it’s not like it was that hard to do.
“You’ll be the queen of festival. I just know it,” I said. If the judges had any sense at all, they’d elect her or whatever it was they did. As Lupita hugged me goodbye, Sanchia muttered a few words and Lupita giggled.
“What did she say?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know.
Lupita shook her head, but her dimple was showing. “Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
“She said... she said you are the devil who has come from hellto torment her for her sins.” She caught my eye and winked. “Do not worry. It is just her way.”
I laughed for the first time in days. I could almost imagine Lupita and me as sisters, giggling behind our mother’s back. Like how Penny and I had been before Mama fell sick.
Lupita left, and by the time dusk fell, my nerves were starting to jump. The sun sank low and golden light filled the kitchen as Sanchia cooked. I couldn’t bear to sit upstairs in the stuffy bedroom, so I sat at the kitchen table enduring her glares. But when Oscar came in the door with a frightened-looking Angel, Sanchia was the least of my problems.
“Where. Is. The. Auto?” Oscar bit out each word like a curse, his accent so strong I could hardly understand him. His jaw was clenched so hard I wondered if his teeth hurt.
I figured any answer I gave wouldn’t help, so I just stayed quiet.
Angel sat down at the table and gave me a look that he probably thought was reassuring. If this worked... maybe they would all thank me later. Please, Roman, come back with Max. And soon.
Oscar dragged a chair across the floor and sat heavily, rubbing a hand over his face in a weary way that made me wonder what else had gone wrong for him today. Señora brought the food to the table and sat. Oscar raised a hand to his forehead, but the prayer died on his lips. He stared as the back door opened.
Max stood in the doorway—neither in nor out—his face in shadow, his hands shoved in his pockets. Roman lurked behind him, a smug look on his face. It had been only a few days since I’d seen Max, but it seemed like years. He wore a pair of dark trousers with a white shirt—no tie, no hat. His glance moved from me to Oscar, Sanchia, and Angel, but he didn’t step inside.
Sanchia put her hand over her mouth. Oscar jumped up.Surprise—“Qué?”—followed by concern—“Were you followed?”—he pulled Max inside, then peered to the backyard, pivoted, and half ran into the front room. I heard him shutting windows, locking the front door.
I’d never seen Max at a loss for words, but when Sanchia stepped up to him, he opened his mouth, and nothing came out. She reached out and laid a hand on his cheek. He managed a small smile, like a little boy. My heart squeezed in my chest. Max leaned down and kissed her cheek.
Oscar came back into the room, looking relieved and angry at the same time. “Why are you—you shouldn’t be here.”
“Couldn’t say no.” Max looked over his shoulder at Roman. “And Roman’s driving gave my tail the slip.”
“You—” Oscar gave Roman a look that said he’d deal with him later.
