Chapter VII
Repeat
The spiral staircase must have reduced its width, the steps were most definitely narrower, the light of the lamp had turned irregular and weak.
Move calm down hurry focus be quiet
The stone of the curved wall was cool against her hand. And the descent, even if it was, objectively, only a floor, stretched on and on in an infinite tube of darkness.
Calm down they're coming are they coming? breathe Lord
At last, she made it to the bottom. There was a stumble and a trip, there were irregular rock formations and the smell of humidity and earth when they have intertwined for a long time. Josefina forced herself to follow along the corridor, convinced it would be a dead end.
Did they find the passage yet what will Diego say what will his father say
She had to put the lamp away to make sure the dim luminosity that was ahead wasn't just a reflection of her own light. It got brighter with each meter she gained, until its source was revealed: another lamp, just like hers, on the opposite wall of a cave type chamber. Maybe hay and a horse trough, but to that, she paid no attention: there was a way out as well, through a curtain of branches and ivy.
I could stay here.
They could come. They could catch you, and Diego… he would be in trouble for hiding you.
I could say I just happened to find this cave.
And who is going to believe that?
No one.
It's strange how the mind works: she had been so busy getting away, that only now she noticed she had no shoes on. It wouldn't be the first time. So she put the flame out, left the lamp next to the other one and headed out.
(...)
Life repeats itself, Carmen told her once. Her words used to stick with her, especially the last ones she told her:
Go, I'll distract them... Go!
The urge to cry always hit her at the remembrance of this.
And life repeats itself because it was all so similar, the rough ground under her feet and the fear, it was all the same from that night she escaped and the night she met him... Life does repeat itself, Carmen, but not always, because this time there wasn't just the dread and the rush and the woods all around, there was also the thought of Diego accompanying her, involuntarily and persistently.
I'm sorry, Diego.
Sorry about what?, he would surely say: don't be sorry. Just keep running. It will be alright.
She quickened the pace.
(...)
The rock outcropping was almost twice her height. Josefina rested her back against a side of it to catch her breath. And listened: it was quiet around, there was not even the chirping of crickets that she had heard in some stretches of the way.
What should I do, Diego? Should I stay here for a while and…?
"Señorita María Josefina Iglesias Martínez. Would you come out… please?"
"You are surrounded. Show yourself."
Ah...
A lamp was lit up when she stepped forward.
"I must admit, señorita, finding you has proven more troublesome than I expected." It was that voice from the other side of the passage's wall; the accompanying features, immersed in shadows, reminded her of those of a devil's depiction in a faraway catechism booklet: "Nevertheless, here we are."
"What do you want?"
"You are a juvenile under the care of Spain's public administration. You deserted from a facility dedicated to people of your kind, where you will be turned in, once again, as promptly as possible. García."
"Sí, Comandante?"
"Get the fugitive apprehended and let us return to the Garrison."
The soldier looked at her as if he hadn't understood at all what to do. He hesitated, looked around, took half a step forward, then a step back.
"Corporal Reyes!"
"Sergeant?"
"Get the fugitive apprehended and let us return to the Garrison."
"Why me?"
"Because…"
"You, incompetent fools!" The Capitán got on his white horse and looked down at his subordinates: "Well, what are you waiting for?"
"…"
"Before I get apprehended, Comandante... may I ask you a favor?"
"Speak."
"Could you tell me the time?"
"García, tell the prisoner the time. Quick."
"Uh… I don't have a watch on me at this moment, Capitán."
"I would be surprised if you did, I have to do everything myself." He looked in his jacket for a gold watch that glowed like a jewel: "Ten past midnight. Señorita." And then, back to his lancers: "Let us go already."
Josefina didn't see the bigger soldier giving an elbow on the ribs to the other, or the way the younger one doubted and looked at the Comandante, then at the Sergeant again. She didn't see it, because she was seeing, comprehending something else:
"I'm eighteen years old."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I'm… not a juvenile. I'm eighteen years old. I'm an adult. I'm not under the care of the public or the Kingdom. Or anything else."
Monasterio glared at her one more time: "You are lying."
"I am not." The folded birth certificate had been safe in the pocket of her skirt ever since Diego gave it to her. Oddly, he had evaded the question on how he obtained it, but she knew she could trust this Comandante wouldn't suspect him: "Look."
He snatched the document from her hand and examined it.
"Those idiots… they should have let me know."
"Does that mean we don't have to apprehend the fugitive anymore?" The shorter man whispered, then received another elbow on the side. Once again, Josefina hadn't looked at them, only at her pursuer, the one on the horse, who still owed a favor to a certain orphanage director; he despised owing favors.
"You win." He had to retort to a great deal of self control to return the paper in her hand instead of turning it into a crumpled ball and tossing it away: "Buenas noches."
As the beautiful white horse rode away, the other two had to hurry to get on their own mounts and follow him.
"Buenas noches, señorita! We would give you a ride but…"
"Nevermind. Buenas noches!"
She heard them get away until everything was silent again. Then, she gained consciousness of a lot of things at once: the texture of the paper in her hand, how cool the air really was, how her eyes had gotten used to the dark, how the leaves of the trees brushed against each other somewhere, not too far.
"I believe it's a good moment to say happy birthday."
From the shadows, behind the rocks, Diego emerged, bringing along his horse by the reins.
"I think so..." The pieces of the puzzles had fit together, all thanks to him, and if it wasn't enough, he showed up like this and smiled at her that way.
"How do you feel?"
"Good. Shocked. Glad and… Diego!, the secret passage, did they find it? The lancers?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"They didn't find it, I can assure you."
"Thank God... it's strange, I still think of the others that stayed behind, back at the orphanage."
"Like I told you, there must be something we can do. There is something we can do."
"There is?"
"We'll figure it out tomorrow. I imagined you would need this."
The shawl. It was thick made of wool, and she threw it over her shoulders.
"Gracias…"
"Shall we go home?"
"I need… to get a home."
"Let's worry about that tomorrow."
"And a job."
"Tomorrow."
It had been so easy to get used to being near him. To call his home home, even if not out loud. She would have wanted to stay there, so close to him, just a little longer.
So…
He got on the horse and helped her up. And as they took off, she knew it wasn't a coincidence that this felt so familiar: his arms around her as he guided the horse.
Let's stay like this, just a little more...
Like the night we met.
Like the time you almost kiss me…
Will you try again?
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I hope.
END.
Note: the idea for this story came to me from a movie whose name I don't remember, but I do remember that I saw it years ago (at least 10 or 12) and it was about a girl who lived on the streets, and the social services or something could take her, because she was 17 and she didn't want to go there; so she applied for a scholarship in a top university and she got it right the day she turned 18. Or something like that. So I just had that idea floating around, let's add some Diego de la Vega, which never hurts, and here we are. Also, I wasn't sure if I should make them kiss in the end. I decided not to, because it was kinda weird "well, you turned 18, now I can kiss you" LOL! So I preferred to let it happen later on. I mean, if I had my way, I'd make all of my stories end up in a wedding XD But ok, I try to make them a bit different and sometimes to just leave an open ending.
Thanks for reading, you guys!
