before."
I raised my eyebrows at Consuelo. I knew what she was talking about. I'd suggested it back in Sam's living room, where he could translate, but she'd been afraid. I guess the thought of five more days on buses and ruteras was more daunting.
And it would certainly answer Alejandra's unspoken question.
"When does she want to leave?"
Compared with the stuff we arrived with, Consuelo's little suitcase was tiny, but she was taking back a box of regional foods she couldn't buy in
California
.
"Any grasshoppers? iChapulines?" I asked.
Alejandra laughed and Consuela said, "No. Sam no like."
Still, walking uphill into the jungle, the box was heavy and I was sweating by the time we reached the level spot where I'd transported Consuelo's gifts. I could've jumped here from the patio but I was cautious. I'd decided that the rules had some merit.
So what about rule four? Who tells you when it's okay to jump?
"Can you keep a secret? Like your aunt?" I used English. I didn't trust my French and it had to be crystal clear.
Alejandra tilted her head to one side. "Will it hurt me? Will it hurt my family?"
I swallowed. "Not keeping it could hurt your family." She frowned and I said, "I would never hurt them, but those who are after me might hurt them, getting to me."
"Okay. I can keep a secret." She leaned slightly closer to me than her aunt and whispered, "And who tells their parents everything?"
Ouch.
"All right. Let's start with this box."
I jumped to Sam's living room. He wasn't in there but I heard movement in the kitchen. I called out, "Sam, it's
Griffin
."
"Jesus!" I heard a dish clatter across the bottom of the sink. He appeared in the door, wiping his hands with a dish towel. "Everything okay?"
"It's fine. These are Consuelo's," I said, raising the box slightly. I put it on the table. "She changed her mind about the traveling thing."
"Oh? You guys someplace private?"
"You ever been there?"
"For the funeral."
I stared at him. "I didn't know you knew her then."
He shrugged. "Just. I found them. Their bodies."
Oh. "Well, we're in the jungle, up the hillside from the house."
He nodded.
"Okay, then. I'll be back."
Alejandra was sitting on Consuelo's suitcase, her head between her knees. Consuelo was fanning her with a hat.
I knelt beside her. "You okay?"
"Jesus Cristo!" She sat up. "Mi tia dice–my aunt says you just traveled to
California
."
"Verdad." In the week I'd known her, I'd never seen her lose track of which language she was speaking.
"And back again?"
"Yeah."
"How?"
"Beats me. Can I have the suitcase?" I pointed. She stood up abruptly and Consuelo steadied her. I took the case and jumped.
Sam was sitting in the corner, arms crossed. I put the suitcase down against the wall. "What took so long?" "Alejandra."
He frowned, then said, "Consuelo's niece? Is she there?" "Yeah. Only her, but we didn't tell her first. Only asked for secrecy. She's a little freaked."
His eyebrows went up. "Well, it do take some getting used to."
I jumped back. Alejandra flinched but it didn't seem to be fear. Just the sudden appearance of something unexpected, caught from the corner of your eye.
"So, you're going to take my aunt now?"
"That's the plan."
"Have you ever done this before, with a person?"
I shook my head. "When we were discussing it, back at Sam's place, I tried it with a kitten. Worked fine."
"My aunt is larger than a kitten. How do I know you won't leave part of her behind?"
"That's just gross," I said. But it worried me a bit. The heaviest thing I'd carried was the carts we'd used. They only weighed about thirty–five pounds, though, big as they were.
Alejandra said, "Try it with me first."
"What?"
Consuelo, watching us both carefully, said, "iQue di–jiste?"
Alejandra pursed her lips and I realized she didn't want to tell her aunt, that Consuelo would protest.
I stepped up to Alejandra from behind and put my arms around her. I only came up to her shoulder blades; my cheek pressed
I raised my eyebrows at Consuelo. I knew what she was talking about. I'd suggested it back in Sam's living room, where he could translate, but she'd been afraid. I guess the thought of five more days on buses and ruteras was more daunting.
And it would certainly answer Alejandra's unspoken question.
"When does she want to leave?"
Compared with the stuff we arrived with, Consuelo's little suitcase was tiny, but she was taking back a box of regional foods she couldn't buy in
California
.
"Any grasshoppers? iChapulines?" I asked.
Alejandra laughed and Consuela said, "No. Sam no like."
Still, walking uphill into the jungle, the box was heavy and I was sweating by the time we reached the level spot where I'd transported Consuelo's gifts. I could've jumped here from the patio but I was cautious. I'd decided that the rules had some merit.
So what about rule four? Who tells you when it's okay to jump?
"Can you keep a secret? Like your aunt?" I used English. I didn't trust my French and it had to be crystal clear.
Alejandra tilted her head to one side. "Will it hurt me? Will it hurt my family?"
I swallowed. "Not keeping it could hurt your family." She frowned and I said, "I would never hurt them, but those who are after me might hurt them, getting to me."
"Okay. I can keep a secret." She leaned slightly closer to me than her aunt and whispered, "And who tells their parents everything?"
Ouch.
"All right. Let's start with this box."
I jumped to Sam's living room. He wasn't in there but I heard movement in the kitchen. I called out, "Sam, it's
Griffin
."
"Jesus!" I heard a dish clatter across the bottom of the sink. He appeared in the door, wiping his hands with a dish towel. "Everything okay?"
"It's fine. These are Consuelo's," I said, raising the box slightly. I put it on the table. "She changed her mind about the traveling thing."
"Oh? You guys someplace private?"
"You ever been there?"
"For the funeral."
I stared at him. "I didn't know you knew her then."
He shrugged. "Just. I found them. Their bodies."
Oh. "Well, we're in the jungle, up the hillside from the house."
He nodded.
"Okay, then. I'll be back."
Alejandra was sitting on Consuelo's suitcase, her head between her knees. Consuelo was fanning her with a hat.
I knelt beside her. "You okay?"
"Jesus Cristo!" She sat up. "Mi tia dice–my aunt says you just traveled to
California
."
"Verdad." In the week I'd known her, I'd never seen her lose track of which language she was speaking.
"And back again?"
"Yeah."
"How?"
"Beats me. Can I have the suitcase?" I pointed. She stood up abruptly and Consuelo steadied her. I took the case and jumped.
Sam was sitting in the corner, arms crossed. I put the suitcase down against the wall. "What took so long?" "Alejandra."
He frowned, then said, "Consuelo's niece? Is she there?" "Yeah. Only her, but we didn't tell her first. Only asked for secrecy. She's a little freaked."
His eyebrows went up. "Well, it do take some getting used to."
I jumped back. Alejandra flinched but it didn't seem to be fear. Just the sudden appearance of something unexpected, caught from the corner of your eye.
"So, you're going to take my aunt now?"
"That's the plan."
"Have you ever done this before, with a person?"
I shook my head. "When we were discussing it, back at Sam's place, I tried it with a kitten. Worked fine."
"My aunt is larger than a kitten. How do I know you won't leave part of her behind?"
"That's just gross," I said. But it worried me a bit. The heaviest thing I'd carried was the carts we'd used. They only weighed about thirty–five pounds, though, big as they were.
Alejandra said, "Try it with me first."
"What?"
Consuelo, watching us both carefully, said, "iQue di–jiste?"
Alejandra pursed her lips and I realized she didn't want to tell her aunt, that Consuelo would protest.
I stepped up to Alejandra from behind and put my arms around her. I only came up to her shoulder blades; my cheek pressed
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