admission and a scholarship.”
“That’s great,” I said. “You sound pretty organized. What are you going to major in? I bet you know already.”
“Computer science. Where the money is. A&M has a good program.” He grinned and shrugged and I noticed how broad his shoulders were. “I love anything to do with computers. My mom complains that I spend too much time with them.”
Glenda came into the kitchen just then and stared down at us. “My goodness, Julie,” she said. “Are you helping Luis?”
“Not exactly,” I answered.
“She will,” Luis said. “If she’ll hand me that pipe wrench over there.”
As I did, he smiled up at Glenda and said, “I’ll tighten the U-joint and the job will be finished. I cleaned it out, and you should have no more trouble. I’ve got those bedding plants you wanted in my truck. I’ll plant them where you showed me.”
I climbed to my feet and kept chatting with Luis while he washed his hands and Glenda wrote out a check for him. After he’d left, I took a good look at Glenda. There were dark circles under her eyes, and the skin around her cheeks sagged. Guilt swept over me. I’d been sent here to
help
Aunt Glenda, not make life more difficult for her.
“I’m sorry I frightened you last night,” I said. “You were right. No one was outside. I must have let my imagination go wild.”
My aunt put an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t blame yourself. I hadn’t gone to sleep yet when you called for help. I’d been thinking … and there were those night sounds.… Living out here is nothing like living in the city with people close by. It’s difficult to get used to at first.”
I wasn’t convinced she had ever become used to it. Even after living here well over a year, neither Glenda nor her friends seemed to have grown used to life on Rancho del Oro. I made a quick breakfast and had no sooner finished gulping it down than Ashley knocked at the back door.
Wiping my hands on my shorts, I pulled open the door. “Hi,” I said. “Come on in. Did you bring your swimsuit?”
She nodded and held up a thin plastic bag. Inside I could see something blue with a price tag attached. She must have bought a new suit after I asked her to go swimming. I smiled and said, “Let’s put on our suits and go down to the pool now, before it gets too hot. I’ll show you where the bathroom is so you can change.” I hoped she knew how to swim. I pulled on my team’s dark blue one-piece suit, hoping I could still be part of this summer’s competition. Stepping into my flip-flops and taking Glenda’s car keys from the key board in the kitchen, I waited for Ashley.
When she came into the kitchen, a T-shirt over her suit, I handed her the tube of sunscreen and led her out the front door, heading toward the carport.
If I’d been moving any faster, I might have tripped over Luis again. He was on his knees, carefully planting yellow and orange marigolds next to the front of the house.
“Let’s hope the cows don’t like the taste or smell of marigolds,” he said.
“Snails do,” Ashley said. It was a simple statement, but she made it sound as if Luis didn’t know what he was doing.
I looked from Luis to Ashley and back again. “Do you two know each other?” I asked.
“Sure,” Luis said. He didn’t look in Ashley’s direction, but he gave me a big smile as he added, “We already said hello when Ashley’s grandmother dropped her off.”
Ashley didn’t say anything. The tension in their attitude toward each other was making me uncomfortable,so I said, “We’ll see you later, Luis,” and walked to the car.
Once we were in the car and I had backed into the road, I said to Ashley, “When I first got here I thought I was going to be living with a lot of elderly people, so it’s great to know that I’ll get to spend time with you and Luis.”
I thought that would get Ashley to open up, but she didn’t say a word, so I tried again to make conversation.
“That’s great,” I said. “You sound pretty organized. What are you going to major in? I bet you know already.”
“Computer science. Where the money is. A&M has a good program.” He grinned and shrugged and I noticed how broad his shoulders were. “I love anything to do with computers. My mom complains that I spend too much time with them.”
Glenda came into the kitchen just then and stared down at us. “My goodness, Julie,” she said. “Are you helping Luis?”
“Not exactly,” I answered.
“She will,” Luis said. “If she’ll hand me that pipe wrench over there.”
As I did, he smiled up at Glenda and said, “I’ll tighten the U-joint and the job will be finished. I cleaned it out, and you should have no more trouble. I’ve got those bedding plants you wanted in my truck. I’ll plant them where you showed me.”
I climbed to my feet and kept chatting with Luis while he washed his hands and Glenda wrote out a check for him. After he’d left, I took a good look at Glenda. There were dark circles under her eyes, and the skin around her cheeks sagged. Guilt swept over me. I’d been sent here to
help
Aunt Glenda, not make life more difficult for her.
“I’m sorry I frightened you last night,” I said. “You were right. No one was outside. I must have let my imagination go wild.”
My aunt put an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t blame yourself. I hadn’t gone to sleep yet when you called for help. I’d been thinking … and there were those night sounds.… Living out here is nothing like living in the city with people close by. It’s difficult to get used to at first.”
I wasn’t convinced she had ever become used to it. Even after living here well over a year, neither Glenda nor her friends seemed to have grown used to life on Rancho del Oro. I made a quick breakfast and had no sooner finished gulping it down than Ashley knocked at the back door.
Wiping my hands on my shorts, I pulled open the door. “Hi,” I said. “Come on in. Did you bring your swimsuit?”
She nodded and held up a thin plastic bag. Inside I could see something blue with a price tag attached. She must have bought a new suit after I asked her to go swimming. I smiled and said, “Let’s put on our suits and go down to the pool now, before it gets too hot. I’ll show you where the bathroom is so you can change.” I hoped she knew how to swim. I pulled on my team’s dark blue one-piece suit, hoping I could still be part of this summer’s competition. Stepping into my flip-flops and taking Glenda’s car keys from the key board in the kitchen, I waited for Ashley.
When she came into the kitchen, a T-shirt over her suit, I handed her the tube of sunscreen and led her out the front door, heading toward the carport.
If I’d been moving any faster, I might have tripped over Luis again. He was on his knees, carefully planting yellow and orange marigolds next to the front of the house.
“Let’s hope the cows don’t like the taste or smell of marigolds,” he said.
“Snails do,” Ashley said. It was a simple statement, but she made it sound as if Luis didn’t know what he was doing.
I looked from Luis to Ashley and back again. “Do you two know each other?” I asked.
“Sure,” Luis said. He didn’t look in Ashley’s direction, but he gave me a big smile as he added, “We already said hello when Ashley’s grandmother dropped her off.”
Ashley didn’t say anything. The tension in their attitude toward each other was making me uncomfortable,so I said, “We’ll see you later, Luis,” and walked to the car.
Once we were in the car and I had backed into the road, I said to Ashley, “When I first got here I thought I was going to be living with a lot of elderly people, so it’s great to know that I’ll get to spend time with you and Luis.”
I thought that would get Ashley to open up, but she didn’t say a word, so I tried again to make conversation.
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