Confrontations
are sometimes best avoided. Unfortunately, they also tend to be
inconvenient, and with unpredictable outcomes.. – D.D.
José
Carlos walked out of the delivery room and removed his gloves. He
was greeted in her usual insulting manner by Catalina, who said, “You
are too weak. You have nothing to do with anything here.”
“You
should be thinking about Leonora,” he replied.
“Leonora
is Alejandro's wife.”
“Yes,
and where is your son?”
“You
are pathetic. You really want Leonora. Or are you doing this just
to annoy us?”
“Do
you really think I'm doing this in order to win the inheritance? The
reason I'm staying close to her her is to protect her from you.”
“Now
I understand it all. Leonora is the motive for your rehabilitation.”
“Yes,”
he said, looking her straight in the eye. “You know what else? I
am in love with her.”
“Oh.
There's nothing more ridiculous that to be in love with your
brother's wife.”
“One
day, when Alejandro abandons her – and that will happen – I will
be there by her and for her and neither you nor anyone else can stop
me.”
“That's
if your adored one continues to survive.”
He
glared at her as Francisco arrived and stood behind her. He was
shocked at José Carlos' expression. He then looked at Catalina as
she walked away.
Alejandro
walked back to his car while talking to Miguel. He talked about the
two of them going to Ibiza; it was clear that the pressure of his
situation was overwhelming him. Miguel looked him in the eyes and
saw he was breathing heavily.
“Yes,
but think about what is correct. Right now the right thing to do is
to be at Leonora's side.”
“Yes,”
he nodded
“And
when this is past I'll be here waiting for you. Hey, everything will
be alright. I love you.”
They
kissed each other on the cheek and embraced.
In
the hospital Leonora was sedated and the medical team performed a
Caesarian section. They sucked out blood from the womb and prepared
to take out the baby. José Carlos waited outside and kept a weather
eye on his stepmother and uncle, who looked back at him, respectively
with hatred and confusion. The medical team took out the baby, who
began to cry right away. One of the monitors alerted them to a drop
in blood pressure because of excess bleeding.
José
Carlos paced toward the desk, as though he could sense that there was
something wrong. At the same moment Leonora was going into cardiac
arrest. One of the team began doing chest compressions. A nurse
told the desk that there was an emergency.
José Carlos ran back to
the operating room as soon as he heard this. The nurse followed him.
“What
happened?” asked Francisco. He and Catalina walked toward the
operating room but were stopped by the nurse.
José
Carlos put on his mask and entered the operating room just as the
defibrillator paddles were applied to Leonora. The doctor applied
them four times and an assistant injected her with something just as
a nurse finished bathing the baby.
She wrapped him in blue sheeting
and handed him to José Carlos. The defibrillator was used again.
Catalina
went up to the desk.
“I
need to know about my grandson,” she insisted.
“Give
me a minute,” said the charge nurse.
“Now!
Something is happening in there!”
Francisco
tried to calmly ask a question, the charge nurse tried to explain
that they could not interrupt, and Alejandro ran in.
“What
happened?”
“Where
were you?” Catalina tried to keep her irritation in check. “Your
place is here with your wife.”
“Please,
the important thing is how is she?” Alejandro asked.
“It's
bad. The delivery is complicated and nobody has told us whether the
baby is born. We don't know anything else.”
Francisco
watched this exchange with a curious eye.
“My
son?”
Catalina
shook her head. Alejandro looked up at the sound of a baby crying.
A nurse pushed the incubator that held the baby. José Carlos
followed. He looked calm.
Alejandro and Catalina approached.
“Leonora,
how is she?” Alejandro asked.
“She
is out of danger,” José Carlos said, smiling. He looked at the
baby. “They're both out of danger.”
Catalina
half-smiled at her grandson. Francisco and Alejandro were
speechless.
Leonora
woke from the sedation to find José Carlos leaning against the edge
of her bed. He looked up ashe heard her awaken.
“How
are you? How do you feel?”
“My
baby?”
“It's
over, the worst has passed. The baby is very well.”
“And
Alejandro?”
José
Carlos looked away for barely a second. “Alejandro was here the
whole time. He was very worried about you and the baby.”
“Can
I see my baby? I want to meet him.”
José
Carlos got up as the nurse came in carrying the newborn. Alejandro
entered behind her. He looked afraid. Leonora looked ecstatic as
she embraced her son. Unseen by his brother, José Carlos smiled as
though he were the father.
“It
's good that you are both well,” said Alejandro. He looked very
awkward.
“Our
baby!” said Leonora. “Our son!”
José
Carlos stepped aside as Alejandro went to the bed to look at his son
and kiss his wfe. The baby was sleeping quietly.
“Congratulations,”
José Carlos said. “You are a very strong mother.”
Alejandro
looked back at him with a curious expression. Leonora thanked him.
Realizing the awkwardness of the situation he excused himself and
left them alone.
Alejandro
looked at the baby and stroked Leonora's hair.
“You
will need to rest. It was a difficult delivery.”
“I
missed you very much.”
“I
know. Forgive me.” She looked up and he noticed an accusatory
look on her face. “You need to rest because our son will need
you.”
“Yes,”
she said, studying his face. “He will need us. We're his father
and mother.”
Alejandro
nodded mechanically. He felt trapped.
Catalina
and Francisco had gone out and returned with a plush animal and a gift box. She looked
at the baby almost in awe and asked “May I”
Leonora
was a little reluctant as she said “Of course” and allowed
Alejandro to pick up their son. He gently handed him to Catalina,
who looked at him and said “He's a Larios. The second heir of Carlos Larios.”
Later
Leonora held up her smartphone to videocall Luis and show him the
baby.
Matias sat on his father's lap and got excited at the sight of
the baby. Leonora said she missed Luis very much; she had not seen
him in a few months. José Carlos then entered the room with gifts.
A bunch of white and pastel flowers for Leonora and a soccer ball for the baby.
She showed him whom she was talking to and the men exchanged
greetings. Luis needed to end the call. José Carlos asked about
Alejandro.
Her
mood changed.
“He
had to be at Gothier for an important meeting. I tried to ask him to
stay but –” She started crying.
“Be
calm. I'm here,” he said. “I will be here with you. I won't
leave you alone.” He stroked her hair.
“I'm
sorry, but I'm afraid.”
“That's
normal. It happens to a lot of women after having a baby. Even the
most sensible ones. It's called post-partum depression.”
“Really?”
“Yes,
of course, Patient,” he said, jokingly.
“You've
been reading this on the internet.”
“Obviously.”
His
cell rang ad he looked at the screen. She suggested he mght want to
step out to answer. He stepped toward the door and answered.
“Yes?”
“Don't
say my name, José Carlos,” said Diego, who was calling from his
car. “It's Diego.”
He
stepped out of the room.
“Where
have you been?”
“Avoiding
the police.”
“Of
course. And Catalina.”
“But
nobody is going to grab me. I will get her in due time but first I
will give you a gift about your stepmother.”
“Hey,
I don't know what you're thinking, but don't count on me.”
“Ihave
the necessary proof to get Catalina arrested. The numbers, the
contacts in Sierra Leone. The names of her accomplices, and all the
information, all the accounts kept by Francisco. I have absolutely
everything.”
“You
have proof of everything you're saying?”
“Yes,
if you want them.”
“Why
are you trusting me?”
“Because
you hate Catalina as much as I do.”
“I
hate her, but you were the most loyal of her employees.”
“Yes,
but now I want to destroy her. I have everything to do that. Let's
meet and talk about it.”
The
call ended and José Carlos was thinking about this.
Francisco
watched over Ámbar as she laid in her hospital bed in their home.
He picked up the remote, turned on the news, and there was a story
about the discovery of Sabrina's body.
It had been found and the
missing diamonds found in it. He went into the next room and called
Catalina, speaking almost in a whisper in case Ámbar was able to
hear.
“Have
you seen the news?”
“No.
Why?” she said.
“Put
on the news,” he said.
She
turned on the same network in time to hear that Sabrina's body had
been found in a canal and that the diamonds found in it had an
estimated value of millions of pesos. [Note: One million pesos is
currently equal to about $52,320 US] This seemed to rule her out as another victim of femicide.
“Did
you get that?” asked Francisco.
“Yes,
I did.”
“Then
you understand the problems we're going to have with this shipment.”
“That
will not happen,” she said.
“Not
now.”
“No.
I tell you it won't happen. Commandante Vega will hand over all
evidence about this.”
“The
press will be very interested in this. It's a very valuable
shipment.”
“The
press investigation won't be legitimate.”
Diego
had prepared his hiding place but had not counted on being found by
the federal police. As he was about to walk out they charged in,
blocking his planned exit. Vega called out that they could do this
the easy way or the hard way. He told one of his men to cover him as
he entered the dilapidated apartment.
Diego had exited at the other
end and called José Carlos. They arranged to meet at Diego's
previous apartment in two hours. He ended the call, exited the
building, and didn't see Commandante Vega, who put his pistol in his
back.
“Don't
move. Drop the weapon.”
Diego
obeyed. He had no choice.
Catalina
was walking away in one of her designer black dresses carrying the
baby boy.
Leonora tried to follow, pulling the IV stand with her.
She cried out but was not heard.
Leonora
awakened to find the glass bassinet empty beside her.
She sat up in
bed and called for the nurse. When she tried to get out of bed she
was in pain from the surgery. She managed to get to the door with
the IV stand and call for the nurse, who ran over to try to get her
to go back into her bed. She appeared not to listen to Leonora
demanding to know where her baby was.
Catalina and Francisco
appeared; she was carrying the baby in her arms. She wore the same dress from Leonora's nightmare. She smiled as she
talked about how the baby looked exactly like Alejandro. Her smile
disappeared when she saw Leonora in the corridor.
“What
are you doing out of your room? What happened?”
The
nurse told Catalina that Leonora could not find her baby. Leonora
took the baby back.
“He
was crying and she was asleep. I didn't want to wake her.”
“He
was not crying,” Leonora said. “If he had been I would have
awakened.”
“I
just told you he was crying. Wasn't he?” she looked at Francisco.
“I wasn't going to let him cry.”
The
nurse offered to help Leonora, who declined.
“Don't
be stubborn,” Catalina said. “She's telling you you're weak.
Let them take charge of the baby.”
“Let
me help,” Francisco offered.
“She's
a bit exhausted,” said the nurse. “You need to be a little
patient, please.”
“Isn't
this dangerous for the baby?” Catalina almost shouted at the nurse.
“In this condition she can't take care of him. She is not well.”
Leonora
– true to her name – turned around and looked at directly at
Catalina.
“You
are not allowed to see the baby without my permission.”
She
went back into her room with the nurse following behind. Catalina
looked stunned. She may have been wondering whether this was a
declaration of war.
Alejandro
was headed for a confrontation of his own. Alvaro, who had been
terminated and should have been off the premises the day before, was
waiting for him on the main floor at Gothier.
“What
are you doing here?”
“Yesterday
you asked your mother to fire me,” he said, loud enough to be heard
all over the office. Several assistants and secretaries came to the
room to investigate.
“I didn't talk to my mother. She
terminated you for her own personal reasons.”
“She
didn't want me near her son. One has to maintain appearances now
that you're a father.” then he began shouting. “You couldn't say
this up front. You had to have your mama do it.”
“Lower
your voice.” He stepped closer and lowered his own. “I told you
that between you and me there is nothing. You imagined things that
did not exist.”
“Excuse
me?” Alvaro said, condescendingly. Two security men arrived.
“Excuse
me, is there a problem, Señor Larios?”
Alejandro
stepped closer to Alvaro.
“Don't
ever come near this office again. Nor talk to my family or Leonora.
To me you are dead.”
He
shoved him back. The security men then grabbed Alvaro.
“Don't
ever let him in here again.”
“Yes,
sir.”
“Be
careful, Alejandro,” Alvaro yelled.
Luis
watched Matias play with his grandparents' dog. Margarita, his
ex-wife, asked when they could come back home because Matias needed
his friends. Luis told her that this could not happen yet. When he
saw Leonora and her baby during the call he thougth about the day
when Matias was first put in his arms and he swore to protect him
forever. He knew he would not be able to do this if they returned to
Mexico City.
“I
always knew you were a good father,” she said.
“Sometimes
I think I'm not.”
“You
are his superhero,” she said. “It doesn't matter that you can't
fly through the air. It's not important that you can't invent
things. In all his fantasies,you are. Luis, tell me what is
happening.”
“I'm
very afraid.”
“Of
what? Please, tell me what is going on.”
“I
can't.”
“Alright,
alright. Don't tell me. It's clear to me that you want to protect
us. It's odd that we can't talk about it but I don't like seeing you
this way. You have to fight for your convictions. It's not
important what we know. Don't be afraid. You never are. Do it.”
He
kissed her forehead, confident that she finally understood him.
Ámbar
opened her eyes just as Francisco arrived home. Dora ran to tell
him. He hurried to her bedside and knelt next to the bed. She was
nearly unintelligible until she began to say “It was her. It was
her!” He sent Dora out of the room to call the doctor and then
turned Ámbar's head so she could see him. “You're back, you're
back. I'm here,” he said.
“No,
no,” then she began to make animal sounds. Francisco was
frightened.
The
doctor explained that this was a common reaction.
“Ámbar
is probably recalling her last memory, like her brain was on
'pause.'”
“But
she's conscious and talking. She's trying to communicate. She can
move.”
“She
woke up, but it's a long road to recovery yet. I can do some tests
to make sure that there is no injury to her brain or how serious it
is.”
“What
can we expect, Doctor?”
“It's
too soon to tell you.”
“Do
what you bave to do, Doctor. Ámbar wants to come back!”
“It's
better to assume that Ámbar will not recover completely.”
“No;
that can't be. No.”
Leonora
laid in her hospital bed,, still attached to monitors. She held her
son and was bonding with him when Alejandro arrived.
He noticed the
table of gifts and asked who brought the flowers.
“José
Carlos,” she answered. Alejandro walked up to the bed. “I don't
like what your mother did.”
“What
did she do?”
“She
took our son out of his bed without asking me.”
“Calm
down.”
“No.
She claimed he was crying and it wasn't true. She then implied that
I couldn't take care of my own son.”
“Are
you sure that was her intention?”
“Oh,
give me a break!”
“Leonora,
you just had given birth. It only makes sense that my mother would
want to help you.”
“Yes,
but not by taking our baby without asking me.”
“She's
his grandmother. She has every right. Why don't you let her help
you? Besides, you will need help with Edgar.”
“Of
course not. I can take care of him.”
“Aren't
you being a little selfish? To try to do this alone?”
“No,
not alone. With you.”
“I'm
here.”
“You
know what I'm referring to. I feel alone, Alejandro. I need to have
you with me.”
Alejandro's
cell began ringing. He had left it on the gift table. He picked it
up and looked at the screen.
“I'm
serious.”
“I
have to go. I can only stay a moment.”
“But
why do you have to go when you just got here? If you want to help,
ask how I am, why is that important?”
“Love,
Ámbar just woke up from the coma. I have to go to her. Don't you
want her to recall her latest memories? You're in a hospital,
you're being taken care of. What more do you need?” Her
expression was that of so much pain stopped short. “I'm sorry,
forgive me.” He went over to her bed. “We're both a little
nervous.”
“We're
learning how to be parents.”
He
kissed her. This time she showed no enthusiasm for it.
“Rest
up. I'll be back in a little while.”
She
nodded. He kissed his son on the head.
“I'm
sure she will recognize you,” she said. “Don't you want to take
a photo?”
“Can
you send me one? Please?”
Leonora
nodded. She did not say so but in her mind it was not normal for a
new father not to take out his cell phone and take numerous photos of
his firstborn child. She did her best not to cry when he was out the
door.
Catalina
handed some papers to a secretary and told her to let her know when
José Carlos arrived. As the secretary departed Catalina's cell rang
and alerted her to a videoconference. She pushed the correct key and
it was Omar Vega. He walked into the room where Diego was tied to a
chair. A very professional job.
“I
have a surprise,” he said. “I hope it pleases you. Something I
hope you'll be glad to see.”
He
turned the phone so she could see his prisoner.
“Hello,
Diego,” she said in her most seductive voice. She was pleased to
see how embarrassed he looked.
Alejandro
entered Francisco's home and asked to enter the room with Ámbar.
The nurse told him to have a seat. The nurse left the room as
Alejandro sat down.
He took out his cell to show Ámbar the photo
Leonora had just sent him. He asked Francisco about whether she
could talk with them and he told Alejandro what the doctor had told
him earlier. She started to say “You have to know... you have to
know...” but it seemed to take some effort.
“Aunt,
you need to rest. You'll get better we'll talk about everything. For
hours. My uncle – ”
“Your
father,” she said, and began going into convulsions. Francisco
called for Dora and the nurse. Dora told Alejandro that she had
never seen this before.
Later
Alejandro went back to Miguel at the building site. He had no idea
he had been followed there. Alvaro got out of his red car as
Alejandro met Miguel behind the gate and began telling him what his
afternoon had been like. Miguel wondered why he had come back so soon
but Alejandro wanted to talk about how he had completed his mother's
plan he wanted to talk about their future.
He
did not see Alvaro at the gate, his cell phone in hand. Alvaro
called Leonora's cell. Her screen read “”Number Unknown” but
she answered.
“Hello?”
“Leonora
Navarro?” he said, disguising his voice. “Your husband is
deceiving you. You don't know who he is or whom he is with.”
“Who
are you?”
“Just
a friend who wants to help you by opening your eyes. At this precise
moment Alejandro is with someone else.”:
“Who
is speaking, please?”
“As
I said, a friend. You have no idea that Alejandro is leading a
double life.”
By
this time Leonora was irritated.
“I
am asking once more Who is speaking?”
“Do
you want to know whom your husband is deceiving you with?”
He
ended the call. He must have taken some sadistic pleasure in her
frustration that she could not call him back.
Alejandro
and Miguel continued to talk about the situation.
“I
was thinking about you becoming a father. Must be beautiful.”
“Well,
what are you trying to say?”
“All
I want to understand is that now that you're a father it must be a
huge responsibility to have a child. So if our future would impinge
on that I understand.”
“Did
you listen to what you just said?”
“Yes,
I am listening.”
“For
you and me to be together is the most important. And you know that.
Do you have any doubt?”
“No.”
“So,
then?”
“I'm
sure.”
“I'm
very sure.”
They
embraced. Alejandro's cell was on the table but he did not hear it
buzz.
Luis
prepared to return to the city. He told Matias that soon he would be
able to go home and go back to school and his friends. His ex told
him to be careful and that they would miss their superhero. As he
walked to his car he phoned José Carlos.
“I'm
returning to Mexico to resume the investigation. I'm going to need
your help.”
“Great.
Let me know when you arrive. I'm on my way to see Diego.”
“Why
didn't you wait for me? We could go together.”
“No,
I couldn't. I have to get there within the hour to collect all the
information and documents.”
“It's
strange that we haven't heard anything from him all this time and now
this call.”
“I'm
on my way to his place now.. We'll talk later.”
Catalina
arrived at Diego's hideout.
“Well
done, Commandante.”
“Thanks.”
“Now,
leave me alone with him.”
“Are
you sure?”
She
nodded. “Please.”
“Excuse
me.” He left. Catalina watched until he was out of the building.
She turned around and looked at Diego, knowing he was helplessly tied
up.
After
sunset José Carlos arrived at Diego's previous residence. He rang
the bell, but there was no voice acknowledging him.
He sent a text
saying he was there and to let him in. As soon as he had done that
is phone rang. Leonora told him that Alejandro was not answering his
phone.
“What
happened?” he asked.
“He
left. I can't find him. Someone called me saying that he had been
deceiving me, that he was with someone else.”
“But
who called you?”
“I
don't know. I didn't recognize his voice. It was like it was
distorted. I kept calling Alejandro but he doesn't answer.”
“Calm
down. Listen to me. The first thing you need to do is calm down.”
“Why?
Why doesn't he answer? I need your help, please.”
“Leonora,
calm down. You need to calm down first. Listen to me.”
“For
what reason isn't he here? Why doesn't he care about his son?”
“You
have to calm down. If you don't the baby will sense that something
is wrong. I'm going to help you but you need to calm down first.
Promise me.”
“I
promise. But I feel so alone, José Carlos.”
“I
will look for Alejandro and see you later. Is that alright?”
She
ended the call. He rang Diego's bell once more, then sent a text
saying he was leaving.
Catalina
carefully put on a pair of black gloves. Diego's cell signaled a
message. She picked up and saw the text message from José Carlos.
“I
see you were the friend José Carlos was going to see. I see you
betrayed me.”
José
Carlos went back to his car. He received a message from Diego's
phone saying he had benn followed. He would send his location. José
Carlos got back into his car.
“How
long before José Carlos was to get to your house?” Catalina asked
Diego. He did not answer. She said “I would ask again, but it
doesn't matter.”
“I
know what you want, but I will win in this case.”
Catalina
went to a shelf and retrieved a clear plastic bag.
“You're
mistaken, sweetheart. Here the winner is me.”
She
put the bag over his head and quickly pulled it as tightly as she
could.
“You
will meet death slowly,” she said as she applied a death grip to
the bag. It began shrinking around his face.
Labels: cuna
Permalink posted by Urban Anthropologist
@ 11:37 PM
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