There was no answer from Merceditas, just as she had had no answer to Rosa’s complaint a month ago. Did you hear what I said? Alejandro said.
I’m resting, said his mother. Tell me some other time.
Rosa went out to unearth the money, but then put it back, thinking she would wait for the best time. He came to her as she was rinsing out the bedclothes and hanging them over the bushes to dry. He had Mondo on his shoulders.
You come back, he said. He was sober.
She was coy.
I am doing the washing of two rich ladies. I pay you back all the money I took.
Okay. That’s good. He went to play in the water with Mondo.
The result of this conversation was that he stayed a week without saying anything to her about going back, as if he had come for a long vacation, or worse to take up semipermanent
