Camila Noceda felt slightly guilty about what she was doing.
She had been planning on going on a three-day vacation to Los Angels for a while now, She just decided to go at the time when her daughter was away at camp.
L.A. was a lot different from Connecticut a lot warmer than she was used to, the streets were a lot more crowded and there was always something trying to get her attention. She had always wanted to visit Los Angles mostly because of Hollywood, she still loved the old movies on the old movie channel. she had already been on a few Hollywood tours which toured all of her favorite stars' homes, however, she had to admit this was a lot less fun than she thought it would be. The truth was that she missed Luz. She had passed two shops that sold those funny-looking cartoons her daughter watched, (Annemay?) she thought about buying something for Luz but when she did so she had to admit she had no idea what she was looking at The store clerks were friendly but were unable to help her. maybe it was another thing that made the relationship between her and her daughter a little strained. Luz would have loved L.A. she would have planned a tour of all of the places that they wanted to go to, from a few cemeteries to the theme parks. Camila wondered if she should have waited another week, however she knew that the trip would then cost twice as much. It was selfish but she deserved a break.
She was just walking back to her hotel from the Chinese theatre when she heard the argument.
"Mrs. Boonchuy do you have anything to about the allegations your daughter ran away from an abusive household" came a somewhat nasally voice.
Camila stopped and turned to look at where the voice came from she saw a woman with brown skin around her age, wearing a pink cardigan and Blue jeans, on her feet was a pair of crocs. she looked Asian. Standing next to her was a young man with a smartphone, he was pointing it to her screen first he was wearing a pink shirt and green pants he had a small beard which screamed "I want to look dangerous but I put way too much effort into growing this beard to actually be dangerous",
"I told you before," said the woman who looked like she was trying to hold herself together. "She was perfectly happy at home, and I don't like being tricked into making a delivery only to be assaulted by a hack journalist."
"So your avoiding answering my questions? this only adds more to the theory that you may have had something to do with your daughter's disappearance," he said smiling. Camila instantly took a dislike to him.
"Looks like your daughter wasn't the only thing you couldn't keep your arms on." said the journalist with a smile.
"Please, Go away, this is cruel"
Camila decided that she was going to interfere with this.
"Mrs. Boonchuy just gives me an interview and I'll..." the young man did not get a chance to finish his sentence because by then his phone had been snatched out of his hand and was thrown to the floor.
"HEY, THAT WAS MY PHONE YOU BIT..."
He didn't get to finish that sentence either before when he saw the look on the woman who had taken his phone and thrown it to the floor.
Camila Noceda had dealt with all many people in her life, racists who were annoyed that a woman of a different race was looking after her pets, Men who tried to make crude remarks about her gender, and Women who commented on her social standing, she had taken it all in stride because she wanted to set a good example for Luz.
However Luz wasn't here to protect this little turd.
"Leave." she barked looking at him like she might attack him.
The young tried to look strong but he was like so many other bullies, He was scared of anyone who stood up to him.
"Fuck you," he said angrily, trying to hold on to some sort of masculinity, and ran off he briefly looked back at Camila, who in response stamped on his phone just to make sure he would be spending a lot of money on buying a new one, he gave a scared yelp and ran off.
She turned to the other women "Are you okay?" she asked.
The other woman who had been a little shocked at her actions smiled, Yes, thank you, That man he's been..." the woman shook her head, "Thank you, I've wanted to do that for months now."
The Asian woman started to pack the rest of the bags into the car, Camila considered walking away and then decided not to, she picked up a bag from the floor and placed it in the woman's car, the Woman looked at her oddly. "Who are you?"
"Oh sorry, My name is Camila, Camila Noceda."
The woman looked at her and smiled "Oum Boonchuy."
…
After helping On pack the car Camila was surprised when Oum made her an offer, a Free lunch. Driving in the car the two talked about things like where she was from and what an asshole that guy was. Eventually, they reached Oum's restaurant called Thai-go.
Camila insisted that she would pay, (Or at least leave a rather large tip.) and she and Oum started to talk. They talked about their homes, what it was like to emigrate to another country, and their relationships, however, Camila noticed that the restaurant looked kind of odd, there were a few patches on the wall like there were some pictures removed. In fact, despite Oum's food being very good (she never thought that she'd eat squid never alone like it,) the restaurant was mostly empty. When the only others in the restaurant left Camila noticed that they looked at Oum with a look of sympathy.
Camila didn't say anything but she gathered that this might have something to do with what the journalist was talking about earlier. She didn't want to intrude any further on it. In all fairness, Oum Boonchuy seemed like a very nice woman who seemed to have been going through some problems. She couldn't help but notice that several times Oum briefly looked out of the window, Mostly at teenage girls wearing a school uniforms, she always looked disappointed when they passed, like she was hoping to see someone.
Around the fourth Time Oum realized that Camila had taken notice of this.
"I'm sorry, It's just... "
"I understand, that reporter said something about your daughter, you don't have to talk about it."
"No... It's... Okay, you should know..." Oum looked like she was trying to hold herself together, like she had told this story so many times but telling it still hurt.
Camila stood up and walked to her and knelt beside her, "It's okay," she said putting her arm around the woman "You really don't have to."
Oum was silent for a minute and then "Four months."
"What," said Camila.
"My daughter Anne and her friends vanished four months ago."
"Oh."
"It was her birthday, we had so much planned, we hired a clown and I was going to tell her she could start cooking in the restaurant but..." Oum couldn't hold back the tears anymore.
"It's okay, you don't need to tell me anymore..."
"No, you should know this I haven't told anyone for a while and... She skipped school."
"What?"
"She skipped school so I don't why she left. I remember talking to Mrs. Wu, That's the mother of Anne's friend, she thinks Marcy ran away because they were planning on moving and maybe Marcy told her and Sasha and they ran, I don't know myself but... She just vanished."
Camila held on tighter, she had known what it was like to deal with people who had no idea how to cope with loss, Both she and Luz still remembered the days they had a man who loved them both, Seeing Oum right now, she would be the same if Luz disappeared.
"The worst part is I don't even know why she left, we loved her and she would never do something to hurt us, every time I hear a phone call or a knock on the door I fear it's them or someone coming to tell me that..." Oum couldn't hold anymore she was crying again Camila looked at her and started to cry herself.
This woman had gone through so much pain and still kept going, she had seen hundreds of people go through the same in the Clinic every day, she thanked God every day that she had never gone through this herself.
and that's when the guilt hit her.
she had sent hers away.
Her Luz was now at a camp because she wanted her to be better. She knew Luz was wild and could do some stupid things but hearing Oum's story just broke her, Her daughter was kind and always made her laugh even if she was odd. she what she told her daughter to do the last time she saw her, telling her to put a book that she loved in the garbage. How could she do something like that? It was just a stupid book, what was wrong with that.
Luz seemed fine from both the texts and the letters she had sent, but how did she know her daughter wasn't just lying to keep her happy.
Camila felt her own tears start to fall. Maybe she was a bad mother.
"Camila, Are you alright?"
Camila turned to see Oum looking at her with tears in her eyes, even at her worst On was concerned for other people.
"I'm fine it's just... Your story... My daughter, I sent her to this camp, that would help her and..."
"Why," said Oum confused.
"She did stupid things in school like release snakes in the school and bring fireworks and... well I wanted her to start being normal but I don't know I think I did the wrong thing, I head your story and..." Camila sighed "I'm a bad mother."
On looked at her. "Do you still love her?"
Camila looked at her "What?"
"Do you still love her?"
Camila looked at her and then looked down with tears in her eyes, "Yes" she said.
She was shocked to feel two arms wrap themselves around her. Oum was hugging her, the woman had gone through the worst thing in the world and still had the strength to try and comfort her, that strength was something Camila didn't think she could ever have. Camila hugged her back two women crying over their daughters.
"Explain to me the snakes though." asked Oum.
Camila then explained how her daughter brought the snakes to school Oum laughed they both started to tell stories about her daughters, they eventually went to Oum's home in the suburbs and spent the night talking about how silly, stupid, and somehow all-around wonderful their daughters were.
On left around midnight she wished both Oum and her husband Bee a good night.
Before she entered the taxi Oum called to her.
"When you see Luz again could you do me one thing?"
"What?" replied Camila.
"Give her a hug and make sure you tell her how much you love her."
Camila smiled and nodded and entered the taxi and returned to her hotel, the next day she started to pack, she was cutting this vacation short, how could she do something like this without Luz as she boarded the airplane she promised herself that she would do what Oum said and remind her daughter that she was her world.
...
A few months later She would discover the truth about her daughter and would realize just how worst things could be.
