Chapter 33
“I swear. That’s the truth, Maria. Everything happened exactly the way I told you in my last letter. Don’t you believe me?”
Looking deep inside her boyfriend’s dark-brown eyes, Maria deeply wanted to believe. In fact, her aching heart begged her to believe what José had told her.
If you only knew how much I missed you those long weeks while I was gone, José. How much I missed the warmth of your tight embrace, and longed during those dark lonely nights to feel your luscious tender lips pressing against mine. Yet, it would appear that for you, it apparently wasn’t the same. … The pictures Michelle showed me yesterday of you lying naked with her clearly showed your unfaithfulness.
“I really would like to believe,” Maria said, as a warm ocean breeze casually whipped a number of nearby palm fronds to and fro. “Yet, those pictures Michelle showed me, they.”
“Were quite incriminating,” José reluctantly completed with a sigh.
Maria blinked, and looked away.
On the beach, just a few yards away, a couple of kids with a bright blue plastic toy bucket were busy building a large sand castle. Maria watched as the boy’s younger sister placed a miniature red flag on top of one of its towers, and then began to jump up and down in innocent ecstasy.
“I still DO love you. You know that, don’t you, Maria?”
Maria Elizabeth Vargas looked at the creases in her handsome boyfriend's face, and before she could blink it away, a single tear coursed her cheek. “I know you use to,” she answered, barely above a whisper. “I also know that before I left, we had made serious plans. Soon after I returned from Miami, we were supposed to enroll in the Universidad de Tarapacá de Arica, and after we graduated, were supposed to get married.”
The center of José black pupils instinctively twinkled, and he gave her a small smile. “And we can still do all those things, sweetheart. None of what’s happened has to change anything between us.”
Maria shook her head no, and she proceeded to stare at the sand covered sidewalk below them. “Unfortunately, José dear, it does. Everything has now changed. Have you forgotten that Michelle’s pregnant, and appears to be rightfully claiming that you’re the father? And, have you forgotten the intimate pornographic photos she’s about to show everyone that proves you were the boy who willingly jumped in bed with her? I studied them carefully, and there’s no doubt something sexual happened between you two.”
“But it’s all a lie," José wailed in desperation. “Despite what those pictures indicate, Michelle and I never had sex. We couldn't. I was passed out.”
“But you did let yourself get drunk at Caleb’s party,” Maria said, folding her arms tightly in front of herself.
José displayed a sheepish grin.
Guilty as charged, Maria’s mental judge proclaimed. “So in reality, you don’t even have the slightest idea what really happened? Therefore, in seeing that you were so drunk that you don’t recall your actions, you easily could have played buckin’ broncos with her and not even remember.”
“But I didn’t,” José insisted. “I love you, Maria, and I never would have done anything like that?”
Maria tapped her foot against the harden pavement, and for a moment, glanced skyward. “But the pictures Michelle has clearly show you did.”
“I know,” José said, hanging his head. “But you have to believe me. What those pictures insinuate isn’t true. … Yes, I was naked with Michelle in an extremely sensual position. But didn’t you notice that my eyes were closed? Like I told you before, I passed out in the kitchen before any of those damn Polaroids was taken. And I definitely didn’t even know they existed until the bitch started to claim she was pregnant, and that I was the father.”
“So you’re claiming that this is all an elaborate scheme she has come up with in order to blackmail you into marrying her.”
“Yes!” José replied, raising his hands in frustration. “That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you all along.”
Maria’s lips quietly transformed into a subtle grin. “Okay. Maybe you didn’t willing sleep with her, and perhaps didn’t even willfully jump in bed with her. BUT … that still doesn’t explain why in the world you would even take that predatory bitch to Caleb’s Halloween party. You know she’s nothing but trouble.”
“I know,” José agreed. “It was a really bad decision, but I didn’t have a choice. My Dad forced me to take her.”
“Your Dad forced you?” Maria’s pupils instantly widened, clearly reflecting her doubt. “Why would he do such a thing? He knows her reputation. … Everyone in Arica knows.”
José nodded, and proceeded to tell her the whole story. Yet, with each word spoken, Maria’s expression showed her foregone conclusion.
“… and that’s the truth, Maria. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth … exactly as it happened.”
Maria released a muffled laugh. “José, she began. “I’ve known your father for umpteen years now and am positive he would never fall for such an idiotic scheme like that. Not to mention, you’re not a small child anymore, José. In order to save our relationship you could have told your Dad ‘no’. But you didn’t. Now, Michelle is supposedly pregnant, and you're the child's father. … It doesn’t really matter if she has gotten that way by somehow managing to screw your brains out while you were passed out. You had no business being with her at Caleb’s party in the first place. … Therefore, as far as I’m concerned, it’s time to call it quits. You undoubtedly were unfaithful while I was gone, so this relationship is over.”
José turned a ghostly white. “Are you serious? You’re actually going to call it quits?”
“Unless you can prove Michelle’s child isn’t yours,” Maria answered as she started to walk away. “Good-bye, José. I hope you and Michelle have a nice life, with lots of kids.”
Neither Victoria nor Maria was smiling when they stepped out of the door of Hospital Regional de Arica, even though the evening was a cool seventy degrees and there wasn’t a cloud to be found. Late November’s summer-like ambiance no matter how soothing, could not make up for the unpleasantness of their hours long visit.
“Papa,” Maria said, with a hesitant sadness in her voice.
“Is dying,” Victoria completed. “And to make things worse, the doctor’s still can’t figure out why.”
Maria nodded. “I know,” she said, trying to control her emotions even through salty tears had already started to flow like rain in one of Miami’s summer afternoon’s thunderstorms.
Gently turning toward each other, the two ladies lovingly grasped and held each other, as if the other was the only person they now had left in the world.
Seconds later, Fernando pulled his father’s ‘57 Chevrolet to the hospital’s main entrance and parked it a mere three feet away from where his mother and sister were standing.
“Not good news,” he said, his question being more of a statement than an actual question.
“I’m afraid not, Son,” Victoria answered. “It looks like soon; it will be just me running our stores.”
“I see,” Fernando said with a frown. “But you know you don’t really have to, Mother. Miguel and I would be willing to take over if you would like.”
Victoria turned, and gave her favorite son a small smile.
“I know. And the two of you would probably do a good job. … But,” Victoria said, before pausing to dab her eyes with a handkerchief she had removed from her purse. “I don’t believe I’m quite ready for retirement – at least not yet.”
Fernando grinned, and his dark eyes revealed his understanding. “Whatever makes you happy, Mama. … By the way, Maria. About an hour ago, some gay American gringo dude stepped into our shop on Second Street and asked about you. He said his name was Chad Buckingham, and the two of you attend Miami’s International University together.”
“Chad’s here … in Arica?” Maria shouted in surprise. “How can that be? We said our good-byes at the university …back in Miami.”
“I don’t know,” Fernando answered as he opened the passenger door for Victoria. “But he’s definitely in town now, looking for you?”
“Did you tell him where we live?”
Fernando ...