Maru looked at the man to whom Ma.Xitllali had introduced her to. She was right. He was nothing like her godfather. While her godfather was tall, broad around the shoulders, had straight, jet-black hair, wore the most expensive pointed boots, belt, and hat, and always smelled of brandy, cigars, and cologne, this man possessed none of those things. When he spoke it was also different. Her godfather had a deep voice, and to Ma.Eugenia it always sounded very soothing. She had always liked men with deep voices. Not to mention the fact that her godfather had been a very good rider, when he was alive, and it was obvious that this man was not a rider at all, if he was in a wheelchair. He didn't even make a single gesture to hug her, kiss her, or anything. Whenever her godfather had seen one of his daughters, or even her, the first thing he always did was get up, and hold out his arms and hug them. And he always complimented them and gave them their own special nicknames.
It was the same with the other people to whom she was introduced to. They all stayed a distance from her. Unlike the dectuplets, they did not get close to her and hug, or kiss. It was like they were afraid of her, as if she was carrying a cold, or something. She didn't understand. And they did not have a single gift for her. Whenever someone came to visit in San Pedro, you always gave them gifts. They were also dressed strangely, too. Some of the girls wore pants! Imagine that! The ones who were wearing skirts, also wore them very short, and their blouses went all the way up to the neck, some of them. They didn't show their breasts. They also had short hair! And some of them wore it loose! She had only seen things like this on television, not in real life.
One was actually terrified of her. She wouldn't let her kiss or hug her. Another, it seemed he didn't want her to kiss him on the cheek, but seemed fin with a handshake. She pulled him close anyway, and when she did kiss him, she was surprised that he felt so...soft. Almost like when she kissed Sissy, or another animal.
"That was odd. Kind of soft, like Sissy."she said. "It's nice. I always did like to kiss cats better than people. They have nice hair. Nice fur, you know. It feels nice to hold, and stroke, too."
"That's because he almost is like a cat, Maru."
Ma.Xamila reached out and turned off the image inducer.
"Wow, I've never seen something like this before."
She reached up to touch his face.
"Nice."she said. "It's so soft."
She reached for some Rosary beads and gave them to him.
"The monjitas gave me these. I brought them to el Padre Juan, para que las bendiciera. Estan benditas. Como tu."she told him, as she handed the beads to him.
"Oh."he just answered confused at the fact that she wasn't afraid of him, and was giving him some Rosary beads. It was more as if she thought he were, not normal, but in a good way. She couldn't take her eyes off him.
The worst was someone who said his name was Scott Summers spoke to her. He was wearing something dark over his eyes! How dare he even look at her! Everyone knew that if a person was forced to hide their eyes, it was because they had a crime, or something very, very bad, a sin, hidden in their soul. It wasn't right to even step on their shadow. They were dirty, filthy. Though, everyone else her thought it perfectly normal.
Finally, when the introductions were over, she sat close to the dectuplets, and Don Chuy, and began to discuss Mujer de Madera, Mariana de la Noche, Alondra, and all their favorite actors, and actresses, what they thought would happen, and anything else that had to do with telenovelas.
When they got to the institute, and Meche was unpacking for her. She sat on her bed, and told Meche some of the things that were on her mind. Meche could only speak Spanish, so it would be obviously hard for her here.
"What do you think about him, Meche?"
"I don't know, Niña."
"El Padre Juan said I shouldn't hold anything against him. Arthur told me that my mother lied to me, and that the truth was that she never told him anything. Do you think that's even possible in real life? I saw Cristina hiding it from Viktor Manuel in El Privilegio de Amar."
"Maybe, Niña."
"Maybe I shouldn't confess, or comulgar, for some time. I also shouldn't say my novenas. I don't feel worthy. I still don't forgive him. You and I both know I'm not a very good person."
"I think you're a good person, Niña. After all, my grandfather and I owe you a lot."
"That wasn't me, Meche, it was the dectuplets, and my godfather. Oh, well, on a happier note, I guess, you could say, they told me that tomorrow I have to start pretending to go out with Lance. They say that I must tell him a lot about Piedras Grandes, and well, you know, us. So that way, when he goes back to Piedras Grandes, he will know something. It's supposed to serve a double purpose."
The next morning, during breakfast, Maru was shocked to find that the dectuplets would be going to school.
"But you don't need school, besides, what am I supposed to do all day? There's nothing to do here. Nowhere to go. Nothing."
"Of course, there will be something for you to do, Maru."Ma.Xochilt said. "Around two thirty, Fermin will drive you to pick us up, and well, you'll see us, then."
"Well, I guess so."
After a week, of this, Maru began to grow tired of this place. She wasn't used to this life, after all. She wanted to go back home. There was nothing to do. Not to mention that the people here were very disrespectful. Not only to her, by pretending she was carrying something contagious, but to God. The people in San Pedro were always very devoute. Why at Piedras Grandes, the hacienda had its own church, and priest. Here, nobody prayed, nobody went to church, nobody anything.
She didn't like to see her father a lot. Sometimes, she felt she hated him. Really, that was very odd. She used to ask in her prayers when she was younger to the Virgin, to let her meet her father. Now, it was...difficult. She had been taught how to behave around strangers, how to treat he godfather, and all that, but she had never really learned how one was supposed to treat their own father. And especially a father like hers. She had never met another person like him. She didn't know whether to call him Father, that would feel very odd. The dectuplets called him El Profe, and everyone else Professor. She was also afraid to offend him, after all, the Ten Commandments say that one must honor their father and mother. Besides, she didn't really know to believe them, in the fact that they said he didn't know. That would mean her mother had lied. And her mother was dead. And one must always respect the dead. Not to mention the fact that her mother had always been kind to her. Then there was the fact that she knew she wouldn't make a good daughter. She knew she wasn't a good person. She always thought bad things.
Really, the only thing that was fun, was pretending to go out with Lance. Maru had always wanted to be an actress when she was younger, and she played the role of being in love very well. During these afternoons, obviously, Maru couldn't go out on evening after six, because of Mujer de Madera, and couldn't stay out before nine on Sundays because of Alondra, she would have long conversations with Lance.
"How is it you have a maid? Do you have a lot of money?"he asked once.
"Oh, no. Everyone has at least one, except the Altamira dectuplets, because they can get their hair to brush itself, and things like that. Meche works for me, because, well, you see she grew up at Piedras Grandes. Her grandfather is one of the workers there. He works in the fields. I've always known Meche, and well, I just asked her if she would like to work for me one day. I don't really have money. I just live with people who do, I guess you could say. My godparents do have a lot of money."
"Oh."
One evening, as Kitty was looking out her window, she saw something odd that made her jaw drop. So that was what Ma.Eugenia was doing every afternoon! That must explain why Lance didn't bother her anymore! She left the room, and went down the stairs as quickly as possible.
"You!"she told Maru. "What do you think you're doing? You can't go out with him."
So, she finally noticed, thought Maru.
"Why not, she asked. The dectuplets introduced me to him, and I thought why not. It's fun" She took her hat off, and gave it to Meche.
"Well, he doesn't like you."
"How do you know?"
"Because I know"Kitty answered coldly.
"Well, I think I'll have to ask him."Ma.Eugenia answered calmly.
"You better leave him alone!"Kitty warned her.
"Why is it any of your business? And if you'll excuse me, I have to get going. If I don't hurry I'll miss the beginning of Mujer de Madera."
And smiling to herself, she ran to tell the dectuplets the good news, leaving Kitty enraged at the foot of the stairs.
Maru did her best to think of anything that might stimulate Kitty's jealousy more. She made Lance a bag out of yarn, and mallas, she had brought with her from San Pedro, with his name on the front. Along with it, she got Arthur to buy her all of Cristian Castro's albums.
"You did say that you liked 'Veronica', didn't you? He composed it in honor of his mother. So, I just decided to get you all of Castro's albums. The ones with Veronica are 15 Grandes Exitos de Cristian Castro, and this one, right here. And, see, this is Veronica Castro."she told him, showing him a magazine.
"Thanks, but just why did you decide to spend so much money on me?"
"Who else would I spend it on. Besides, I still have to thank you, you know. Castro is my favorite 'artista', but here, nobody likes to listen to him. Only you. So, I just got you the CDs."
The monjitas gave me these. I brought them to el Padre Juan, para que las bendiciera. Estan benditas. Como tu."
The nuns gave me these. I brought them to Father John, to bless them. They are holy, like you.