After it got late everyone left. As Manny looked for his keys he found a foreclosure letter from the bank. This worried him, his mother had been having difficulty with money ever since Rodolfo died. He found her asleep on the table.
"Mom." He said tapping her. "Mom."
"Oh what Rodolfo?" She said waking up. "Oh my! For a second there I thought I was years ago. Everybody's gone, aren't they? Did they have a good time?"
"I'm sure they did. You okay?"
"Of course. But you go home. And be careful, I don't like that scooter thing you drive around."
"I'm worried about you. You're so alone. And I saw the letter from the bank."
"Oh my. You did? Oh, well. So? I'm a little behind, everybody is." She went to put the dishes away. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about it anymore."
She opened her purse and handed him some money.
"Here kiddo. Happy Birthday. You need it more than I do."
"No, I can't take that from you."
"Yes, you can! You can take this money from me. For God's sake, it's not much. Now take it! And don't you dare leave it here."
Her eyes filled with tears and she began to cry.
"I'm sorry. It's just that I miss your father so much. Can you believe it's been a year since he was taken? Why? Did I have to lose him?"
Manny felt an awful guilt. It was his fault his father was dead and his mother was suffering for it. He'd give anything to take back that terrible night, to stop that mugger, to save his father. But there was nothing he could do.
"You better take the rest of your cake home." She said.
Manny went to take out the trash.
"Hey." It was Frida.
"Hey. You're still here." Manny said. "I saw your billboard on Bleecker."
"Isn't funny? I'm kind of embarrassed."
"Don't be it's nice. I get to see you everyday now."
"I like seeing you tonight Manny."
"Oh boy, yeah." He said gazing at her lovingly.
"Oh boy, yeah what?"
"Nothing."
"Is there something you wanna say?"
"I..."
He was so in love with her he could hardly stand it. He wanted to tell her, to hold her, to kiss her. But every time he thought about telling her the memory of General Chapuza throwing her off the Brooklyn Bridge came back into his mind. She almost died that day, he didn't know what he'd do if she was killed on his account.
"I was wondering in you're still in the village."
"You're such a mystery." She stroked his face. "Happy Birthday."
"Thanks."
"Im seeing somebody now."
"You mean, like a boyfriend?"
"Well, I like him. What?"
"Nothing. That's good, you know? Companionship."
"Maybe more than that."
"More?"
"I don't know."
"I'm gonna come see your concert tomorrow night."
"You're coming?"
"I'll be there."
"Don't disappoint me."
"I won't."
She smiled and left. Manny went back to his apartment, his rent was overdue and the landlord took his birthday money. He laid in bed that night exhausted from the bad day he had. The next day Manny went with Davi to meet Dr. Montero.
"Noble Prize, Felix." Davi said. "Noble Prize. And we'll all be rich."
"It's not about the prizes Davi." He said.
"But you need money. You need my company. "
"Who do we have here?"
"This my good friend I called you about. He got me through high school science."
"Manny Rivera, sir." Manny said. "I'm writing a paper on you for-"
"Yes, I know what you're doing here... But I don't have time to talk to students right now."
"Ahem!" Davi said.
"But his company pays the bills, so."
"That's right! That's why I have to take off. Board meeting. But my job is done here, got you two geniuses together." He said leaving. "Good luck tomorrow, Felix. Nobel prize. We'll see you in Sweden!"
"Interesting fellow, your friend." Felix said.
"I won't take much of your time." Manny said.
"Rivera, now I remember you. Your Tonino's student, he tells me you're brilliant. He also tells me you're lazy."
"I'm trying to do better."
"Being brilliant's not enough, young man. You have to work hard." He said. "Intelligence is not a privilege it's a gift! And you use it for the good of mankind."
Manny looked over at a machine.
"So is that it?"
"Yes. My design to initate and sustain fusion."
"I understand you harmonics of atomic frequencies."
"Sympathetic frequencies."
"Harmonic reinforcement?"
"Go on."
"An exponential increase in energy output. You sure you can stabilise the fusion reaction?"
"Manny, what have we been talking about for the last hour and a half? This is my life's work. "
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to question you."
His wife Carmen came over with drinks
"Carmen, our new friend thinks I'm gonna blow up the city."
"Felix's done his homework." Carmen said. "And you need to sleep tonight."
"Did Edison sleep before he turned on the light? Did Marconi sleep before he turned on the radio?"
"Did Bernoulli sleep before found the curves of quickest descent?" Manny said.
"Carmen, I love this boy."
"Manny tell us about yourself. Do you have a girlfriend?" Carmen asked.
"Well...I don't really know."
"Well, shouldn't you know?" Felix said. "I mean, who would know?"
"Leave him alone, maybe it's a secret love." Carmen said.
"Love should never be a secret. If you keep something as complicated as love stored up inside, it can make you sick. " he said. "But if you want to get a woman to fall in love with you, feed her poetry."
"Poetry?" Manny said.
"Never fails."
Hearing this Manny checked out 3 books on poetry and began reading them for hours. After that he went to get ready to see Frida's concert. He put on the best suit he owned, unfortunately it wasn't perfect looking. He went to buy her a bouquet of flowers but he could only afford three single ones. Frida was very nervous and excited about him coming so she made sure to look her best.