"Don't be stupid. You're not going to date anybody."Sissy spat at them. "Besides, use your common sense. It's obvious those boys have money problems, and they hate the Xavier kids, so why would he go out with you. For your money."
"Don't worry, Sissy. You know I'm not interested in him or anybody else. It's just for fun."
"I don't care if it's for fun, or not. I said you aren't dating anybody. Besides, you don't have time. The sooner we go home, the better. And I was thinking we should do something about the guy who wears those shades. He gives me the creeps."
"Scott, you mean? We don't like him, either."
"Sissy's right."spoke Ma.Eugenia, after Ma.Xochilt told her. "He is creepy. And very desvergonzado. Imagine, he covers his eyes, and he acts like it's normal. He should be ashamed of whatever he did. Whatever it was, it was something very bad."
"You two are right."said Ma.Xulia. "I think we should put drugs in his car, locker, or something, and frame him."she sighed dreamily. "I always wanted to do something like that. It would be exciting, we just have to pay someone to do it. And nobody would suspect us. Would they, Sissy?"
"You'll do nothing of the sort. However, he does spend his time meddling in other people's business. So, you should do something about it. But not drugs, something like I did with the car, the other day. Yes, just like that. But not the car, like...I'll have to think about it."
"Sissy, Sissy, Sissy, Sissy. It's time for your manicure."Ma.Xiomara picked up Sissy's nail clipper, and started clipping her claws. "God, Sissy, they're sharp!"
"Of course, they are. What did you expect. And you're still not dating that Pietro. I won't allow it. I simply won't. Even if I have to possess him."
"It's just for fun, Sissy. I always wanted to date the same way the girls on TV do. You know, like going to fancy restaurants and all that. It'll just be one time. And it will be an expensive restaurant, because I'll pay for it. I won't be going anywhere cheap, and I'll dress in my best."
Kitty was thinking about what Ma.Xacinta had told her. She had always known that Ma.Eugenia took her religion very seriously. You always found her with Rosary beads in her hands. Well, the dectuplets, too. They also prayed every evening, after they watched whatever they watched. And she though that Ma.Xacinta had a point. Ma.Eugenia never stayed out late. When she arrived, the first thing she did was look at the clock. And she nearly always came home at least five minutes to six, so she could join the dectuplets for the next three or four hours, when they all went to bed.
Really, what danger could there be in a girl who spend her time praying, sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidering, singing, and talking to a cat. But the dectuplets were just like that, and it was obvious that they could certainly be dangerous. They had, after all, beat Scott up pretty good one day, for asking them to change the way they dressed. And their cousin, Arthur, had said that they put a girl in intensive care once, and one guy who said they looked like weirdo was still in the body cast. Still, it would never do to underestimate your opponent.
"And that's why they told me you have to come and I don't know, have some hot chocolate. Really, Meche makes great chocolate. Of course, not as good as when we're in San Pedro, because the ingredients are different, but, it's still all right. I'll also have her bake whatever cookies you like best, or if you prefer an agua fresca. Meche makes great I think you call them potato chips. And if you want, you can stay to watch Mujer de Madera and Mariana de la Noche with us. I'd invite you on Sunday to watch Alondra, but that's on at nine, and it doesn't end until eleven, and it wouldn't be proper, you know. But you could also listen to our music with us. You'll just love it, I swear."Maru was telling Lance.
The dectuplets told her to bring him to the institute. They told her it would serve a double purpose, to make much more jealous, and so they could watch Scott fume, and Lance, hating Scott agreed.
"He will want to, but he couldn't kick you out, you see. I'm inviting you, and let's hope, no let's pray, that...he will take my side. But then again, we mustn't get our hopes up. I've noticed these people don't really value their blood. After all, you know, he never cared. My godfather always did, and he always sided with his daughters, and defended them, whether they were right or wrong. I always loved my godfather, he was a very good man. But, well, sure he loved me and gave me a lot of gifts, and everything, but we weren't related. We didn't have the same blood. It's unusual, you know."
"If blood is what's important to you, then why don't you just call him 'Father', and just act like everything's normal?"
"That's what Arthur tells me to do. And el Padre Juan, you know, tells me I should forgive him. But I don't see what I'm doing wrong. I honor him, just like the dectuplets and their sisters honored my godfather, and still do. But el Padre is a good person, and Arthur, well, he's probably just saying all those things so the trip he made won't have been in vain. He didn't want to go in the first place. And everyone else, well, of course they're going to take his side. They all like him."
They arrived at the institute, and effectively, Meche did make great chocholate. It was very sweet. Lance had never tasted anything like it before, while Maru told him and the dectuplets told him about Piedras Grandes, San Pedro, and all the other places they had visited. They had certainly traveled a lot.
"Of course, this isn't the real drink of the gods, you see. We've tasted that. It's very bitter. I don't know if you'd like to try it. If you go to Oaxaca, though, there, they have great chocolate there, you go into the store, and you tell them how much sugar, cinammon, and chocolate you want in the chocolate. The exact amounts. In Veracruz, that's where we have the vanilla. It's not like here, that you need who knows how much to get the right flavor. Every year on the day of our santo, Grandma will always bake us a chocolate cake, and mole, and we drink hot chocolate, and horchata. Grandma also makes great flan, and especially mole. With rice, and beans. That's just what I miss most, the food."
"You've probably noticed that we're chocolaholics. It probably comes from Mexico, that's where the chocholate grows, it was the drink of the gods. Even mole, one of, if not our very favorite dish is made of chocolate. I don't know if you've ever tasted it, have you?"
"No."he answered.
"That's a pity, you should. Here, they don't have good chocolate. Someday, you'll taste the real chocolate. We promise."
"I don't think that will be possible, if you have to travel to San Pedro to taste it."he said.
"You can go to San Pedro."declared Ma.Ximena. You will go to San Pedro, it is your home, she thought.
"I don't think so."
"Well, anyway, you see, it's much nicer there, than here, we have much nicer weather."said Maru. "You should see some of the storms. Since it's a tropical region, you probably know what it's like. Or at least have an idea. And there's trees, and animals and plants over there. Not like here, where everything is made out of concrete. And you meet decent, normal people, who dress and act normally. Not like the people you see around here."
"Besides, you know, we thought this would probably interest your friend, I don't know his name, but you know the people down south eat tacos with bugs in them. We've eaten them before, they're very good. We just thought that would interest him. Just so he knows, he's not the only one. And we've eaten snails, squids in their own ink, duck and chicken feet, and well, loads of stuff. We never pass up the opportunity to taste something new."
"I see that you don't."
"We've been I guess you could say almost everywhere in the world. Except the places here. We don't care much for places like NYC. We like to go to places that have well, history, and where you can learn something. You know we go to the Jornadas Villistas in Parral every year. Our great-grandmother lives in Villa Matamoros, a small town close to Parral. We only saw Pancho Villa's assasination once, we didn't go to that again, because well, it's hot, and a lot of people. We've been to the mines in Zacatecas, There are rivers, down there, you know, subterreanean rivers, you've got to be careful, because well, if you fall down, then good-bye, they can't get you out. There are mines in Parral, too, but it's not as nice as the onces in Zacatecas. Once, when we were in Mexico City, we even measured to see if the table was still the same distance from the floor! We were only seven, and the city is sinking, you see, as it's build over a swamp. We've seen the most beatiful waterfalls, and well, I can't say everything, but almost everything in Mexico."
"Yes, parts of our house, the floor is actually saltillo. You can only find that clay in Mexico, they make the tile by hand, so no one tile looks exactly like the other, each one is unique. Some even have paw or hand prints on them."
"We also go every year to celebrate Independence Day. We've heard how they 'celebrate' it here, and that's just stupid. In Mexico, we go all the way to the Capital, and there, the president will ring the exact same bell that Miguel Hidalgo rang when he gave the 'El Grito the Dolores'. It's the same bell, the same church, it still stands today. Of course, something older than that would be the Kremlin, in Moscow, that's about four hundred years old. We've also seen St.Basil's Cathedral, and would you believe the Winter Palace, and the Peter and Paul Fortress, those things are just beatiful.. You wouldn't believe your eyes. We know we didn't, and every time we go back, we still don't! We've also walked the Great Wall of China, and, oh, let's see, we're boring you with these things."
"No." Wow, these girls were certainly smart. They did seem to have traveled, or read a lot of books. Imagine, to actually go inside a mine! Inside the earth itself! Wow! To see, to step on the same floors history figures did. Wow, they were very lucky to have had the money, to travel around so much, and see things, not just in museums or books! He sat entranced as they jabbered on, with Meche serving more chocolate, fruit, and cookies. Then, Ma.Ximena looked at he watch, and said that it was almost time for Mujer de Madera.
"You should join us," she said. "You'll love it. We'll drink more chocolate while we're watching it, or would you prefer something else? We'll tell you more about...whatever you want to hear."
"No, the chocolate is fine. Great."
On the way upstairs, Scott saw him.
"What are you doing here, Alvers?"he asked.
"I think he's walking. And breathing."Ma.Xictlalli answered coldly.
"You don't treat my guests that way."Ma.Eugenia warned him. "I see you people have no manners."
"No, Maru, they don't, at least this one doesn't." Ma.Ximena said.
"I didn't know you were friends with him, Ma.Eugenia."said the proffessor, who, hearing the argument, came to investigate. Maru just shrugged.
"What do you know about me?"she asked. "And I would suggest that you teach these people some manners, because if they haven't made a good impression on me now, it looks like they never will." And they walked away.
Really, Mujer de Madera, was just one of the most unusual things he'd ever seen. He'd heard about 'telenovelas', but he'd never actually watched one. It had a lot of drama, and even though, he didn't understand what they were saying, he could tell he was going to have to come watch this with Maru and the dectuplets every day now, from what they told him. It was an interesting story. Mariana de la Noche, too, but they said that one was just ending now, but soon, there would be a better one, called Amor Real, which they said would be excellent.
The asked him if he would like to join them during prayer time. He couldn't believe they even prayed! They said the prayers in Latin, since he didn't believe they even knew Latin. Afterward, it was already kind of late, so he had to leave, but they asked him to come back tommorow, then they would show him all their CDs, which they almost guaranteed he would like.