Chocolates and Beer

IV

‘Hi, Jean? Jean Rodriguez?’ a woman approached me while I was cleaning and getting the table ready for the next customer.

‘Yes, ma’am, how can I help you?’

‘How can I say this, uhm, I am your aunt. Oh, I'm Bethany Perez. I’m happy to finally meet you. You really have your dad’s eyes, don’t you?' She looked excited, but I felt a rise in my blood pressure as soon as she said, "Dad."

‘Sorry, ma’am, I don’t think you got the right person.’

‘No, I’m sure…’

‘Look, ma’am, I’m working. So, if you don’t mind, please leave.’ I felt bad for being mean, but it was like my automatic reaction to anything related to that man.

‘I’m sorry, what time do you go home? I’ll come pick you up.’

‘No, don’t do that. Don’t ever come here again.’ I left her there standing without looking back. What a series of unwanted events. Yesterday, that man came to our house. And today, my so-called aunt came to my work. My mom didn't even know I was working here, so how did she know?

My shift for the day came to an end. My body and mind are both tired, so I just want to go home and lie in bed.

‘Jean.’ A woman called, but I didn’t look back; I knew who was calling. My usual tiny steps turn to sprinting, but this aunt still catches up. She grabbed my arm, and we almost fell to the ground.

‘Oh, my dear niece, don’t walk too fast, I’m not that young to run after you.’

‘Why are you here? I’ve already told you…’

‘Just a few minutes, 15, 30 minutes. I promise this won’t take too much of your time. I just want to tell you what I know.’

‘I don’t really want to know, whatever it is that you know,’ I attempted to walk fast again, but this lady with tiny legs is quite fast. She's been calling out to me like she owns the street. Not even a care how the people we pass by look at us.

‘Just a few minutes. After that, fine, I will never ever bother you again. I just don’t want you to be blinded by anger because of the things you don’t know.’ Blinded by anger? Wow.

‘Please…’ She pleaded and almost got to her knees.

‘Fine.’ I surrendered. I just want to stop her drama and the unwanted attention.

We ended up in a café near the bus stop. I just sat there and waited for her, who took her time at the counter, ordering coffee and desserts.

‘You’ve already taken 15 minutes of my time. Can you just tell me quickly what you want to say?’ I told her aunt as soon as she sat in front of me.

‘Oh, sorry. Eat first. The staff said this was their bestseller.’

‘They label anything as the bestseller to lure sales.’ I said a little loudly, making the staff and some customers look our way. Ah, unwanted attention again. Sometimes, I really wonder why my voice gets pitchy when I'm in a bad mood.

‘Oh my, my niece’s a hot-tempered one.’

‘Just say what you want to say.’

‘Well, let me start by saying your dad didn’t mean to leave you.’ Excuses again.

‘Nice try, my so-called aunt. You think I’d bite that?’

‘I swear. I can’t imagine how my own uncle did it to his own son,' she sighed in disbelief. 'You know, they drugged Connor,' she whispered, 'put him on the plane and took him to Canada.’

‘Quite a story. I see that you have a rich imagination.’

‘I wished it was just my imagination, but it’s true. My mom told me before she passed away. Do you think a dying woman would lie about things like this?’ Is she making up stories? Is this some kind of drama?

‘Your dad is rich, yeah, but he is just a son. He’s powerless without his parents.’ I just sighed and smirked at those words. Unbelievable.

'It’s his parents that are rich, and they held him in a foreign country. All his credit cards and finances were frozen. He only got a taste of freedom when your grandfather died.’ She continued.

‘He came back here, he searched for you and your mom, the love of his life, but your grandmother said that she aborted you, and she's already married.’ She explained. But there are loopholes. I applaud the dramatic series of events and the act of looking for the love of his life. Really? Bullshit.

‘The hell…' I leaned forward, hand under my chin, and sarcastically asked her, ‘So what happened next? He felt so heartbroken, so he went back to Canada. Or did he look for her? I mean, he has already made the effort to come here, right? So why not confirm it?’ I said in the most sarcastic sound. As expected, she was caught in silence.

‘He didn’t anymore, because he might’ve thought that there was no point in looking for her if his child was never born. And she's married, right?’ She's still trying to defend him. What a kind cousin.

‘C’mon, really? You just said that she is the love of his life. It's not making any sense. If I were him, I would confirm things with my own eyes, and ask the person. I’ve waited for so many years to see her? Why would I be taken aback by some words from an old hag?' My fuse will blow at any second now, but I can't stop myself from talking.

'If he believed them, then what is he doing here? He thought that I wasn’t born, right? And my mom is married to a non-existent man.’ That's it. Let's go home before it becomes more troublesome. I got up when she didn’t respond. '30 minutes had already passed; I should go. And please, don’t follow me.’ Two stressful days in a row. Lord, if there's more, please put everything into this day. Put all the bad things in "today". A little prayer to heaven and hopefully "He" grants it.

‘What a day!' I murmur while nibbling a chocolate bar on the bus when my phone rings. ‘Mom? Yes, on the way.’ I answered.

‘Alright, I just called to tell you that I brought food for dinner so you don’t need to cook. I thought you were already home.’ Mom said on the other line.

'School project.' 'You know, graduation is near.' I'm always honest with my mom, but work and what happened earlier is not something that she should know. I sometimes wondered if mom already knew and was just not confronting me. Anyway, just a little longer. I'll be graduating anytime soon, and I think I have enough money for the first year of my college. If that's not enough, I'll just take a part-time job again. If it's not enough, I'll either just stop for a year again and save up. I'll think about it when I get there.

I got off the bus and saw mom across the street. She was standing on the traffic post waiting for the light to go "green" for pedestrians to cross.

It’s a little late and not many people are still on the road. It was a calm night but all of a sudden, a truck loaded with sand passed on the road. So fast that the sand from the truck looked like smoke that blinded the people. Not even a second, I heard tires screeching and the next thing I knew, the cars had already bumped onto the traffic post and trees. The traffic post on the other side of the street. Where my mom is standing.

‘Oh, God! Mom!’ my vision and my mind are both blurry. I can't breathe. Then I remember my little prayer. "Lord, if there's more, please put everything into this day." Put all the bad things in "today." Oh God, this is not what I meant.