I read the reviews about the romantic dinner where it was suggested that the story shouldve involved the spaghetti more. This involves the classic scene one where they chew on the spaghetti, move closer to each other, and meet each other in a kiss.
Let me clarify, that was the specific reason that I added the spaghetti in the first place. But as I was writing the chapter, I was more absorbed in describing the magic show and the dialogue between Phineas and Isabella. When I was finished, I thought "Oh crap, I forgot about the spaghetti." Even though I wanted to add that part back in, I couldn't see a way to put it that wouldn't disrupt the flow of the story. Besides, I wanted the "kiss scene to make it official" farther back in the story.
So yeah, sorry if I disappointed the fervent Phinabella fans. Even though I would love to edit the chapter to include a scene like that, I realized that it would be in the best interests of the story to keep it the way it is. Small steps are relished more than leaps, so to speak.
At any rate, here's the next two chapters. Enjoy :)
P.S. Aunt Rosa is married to Uncle Juan. Aunt Teresa (from The Greeting) is the sister of Isabella's mother.
Nothing really interesting happened for the next four days or so. Phineas and Isabella just relaxed at uncle Juan's house, spending time with Manuel and each other. They also called their parents just to check on what was happening back in Danville. Phineas learned that Ferb had started cultivating an affinity for solitaire, and that Perry kept on disappearing. Isabella received news from the Fireside Girls and learned that Pinky had swallowed a patch that she hadn't sowed onto her sash. No matter, the incident would earn her the 'Pet Swallowed a Patch' patch.
On Friday morning though, they were woken up by a knock on the door of their room. Phineas opened the door and saw Manuel. He asked a sleepy, "What's up?"
"Dude, it's my mom's day off and she decided that we're going to Juarez. Wake your girlfriend up and tell her the news."
Phineas glared. "Okay, I'll tell her. And she's not my girlfriend." He felt a wave of heat come to his face.
Manuel laughed. "Whatever." He went to the living room and started talking to his mom.
As instructed, Phineas walked over to Isabella's bed and gently shook her by the shoulder. She stirred, and he stopped. She opened her eyes, saw Phineas, and smiled.
He was all smiles. "Wake up, sunshine!"
"Goodmorning Phineas, what's going on?"
"Manuel just told me that we're going to Juarez today, and she wants us ready in an hour."
"Oh, I can do that." She frowned as she pointed at her head, saying, "Now you know what I'm talking about when I say I'm a nightmare when I wake up. Look at my hair."
Phineas found himself staring at Isabella's hair, but he saw no flaw with it. Sure, it was messy and a little frizzy from the sleep, but he couldn't complain about it. When he looked at her, it was only her and her beauty. Whoa, snap out of it, he thought. He finally found the strength to put together words.
"I see nothing wrong with you."
She giggled. "You're just saying that. Let me get ready." Not before Phineas gave her a good morning hug. She noticed that he had fallen into the habit of giving her these ever since they were in El Paso. But she relished in the extra attention.
Isabella showered and dressed for the day ahead, and Phineas followed suit. As he was in the shower, he thought about what had been happening to him the past few days. It was as if he had grown closer to Isabella, in the closest way possible as friends. Yet he still found himself feeling like he was facing a wall. He wasn't as interested in what they routinely did over the day anymore. It wasn't that he found her boring, quite the opposite. He felt as if there was so much more that he wanted to do with her.
He supposed that it was all because he had known her for so long. Since first grade. How could he forget the girl that always sat next to him in class, wearing the cute Fireside Girl outfit? The girl that had always asked him the familiar "Whatcha' doin'?" That question always inexplicably made his heart temporarily bounce with joy. What was happening to him? Phineas put all of his questions into the back of his mind and continued showering. When he was dressed and ready, he joined up with Isabella, who was sitting on the couch watching television.
She was watching a Spanish channel, a network from across the border. They were airing a re-run of a Mexican comedy show, El Chavo, which was recognized worldwide. It was about an apartment complex where some kids did childish antics and slapstick comedy. It was still the favorite of many, even though it was filmed in the 1970's. Phineas tried to understand what was going on, but was temporarily lost.
He looked over to Isabella, and asked, "Do you understand what they're saying?"
"Yeah, most of it. There's some parts that I still don't get though."
Phineas smiled. "Maybe you could teach me Spanish?"
She beamed back. "Of course Phin. Maybe we can make it a project when we get back to Danville."
Phineas looked down, smiling but inwardly cursing that they were supposed to return home. He wanted these types of moments with Isabella to last forever. Isabella, who knew him like a book, noticed. "Don't worry, it will be our own personal project."
He looked up, the twinkle in his eyes returning, "Okay."
Just then, Isabella's aunt, Rosa, announced, "Okay everybody, get your passports and give them to me, we're leaving in less than a minute." Everybody turned their documents over to her, and she put them safely in her purse. Soon enough, everybody got in the car and they started their drive across the border.
After a half an hour on the interstate and a huge flyover ramp, they were at the international crossing. Phineas noticed how it was jam-packed on the other side with cars trying to cross into the United States. Their side was running more smoothly. Rosa drove into a lane and went through the checkpoint, which was nothing other than a toll booth with a stop-go signal in every lane. The Mexican customs only checked those cars that got the stop signal (red light), programmed by chance. Luckily they had gotten a green light.
As they entered Juarez, Phineas noticed a stark contrast between Mexico and El Paso. Although there were no really tall buildings, the construction was really dense. Stores, shoe shiners, newsstands, and vendors were jam packed on the sides of the road, with people flowing in and out of the shops and markets. It was hectic, bustling, and full of music and sounds. Phineas rolled down the window to experience everything. Immediately he got a puff of exhaust from a public transit bus (nothing more than an old school bus painted white). Apparently, Juarez was full of pollution as well.
Rosa told the kids that they would come back to downtown Juarez later in the day, and that she just needed to park the car at the grandparents' house. After a short time on the major avenue they were traveling on, and a turn onto what seemed at first an industrial road, they arrived at the neighborhood, and finally the house that was their destination.
Isabella looked at what was before her. If it weren't for the fact that it was decorated with shards of tile and painted in a lovely yellow-orange color, the house would've looked like a prison. No picket fence or yard bordering the sidewalk. Just a wall, about 15 feet high, with a clay roof facade. Steel rebar came out of the top, supporting razor wire. The main entrance was an iron porch door and wrought iron bars. It looked very traditional and homely, but it seemed like security was a serious concern here. All of the houses in the neighborhood had the same precautions; enclosed, with razor wire on top.
Soon, Isabella's grandmother came to the front entrance and unlocked the lock that was holding the door shut. She opened it, greeting her granddaughter with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She talked in Spanish, saying something along the lines of, "Oh my God, Isa is so big and so beautiful!" She then looked at Phineas, who was standing there smiling. In a heavy Spanish accent, she asked, "How are you?"
Phineas responded courteously, "I'm good, encantado en venir." The last part was said in an Anglo accent, slightly worse than the old man that attempted Spanish on the plane. Isabella's grandmother chuckled and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek too, commenting in Spanish "My, what a gentleman." The elderly woman chatted with Rosa for a moment; the conversation flowing back and forth. Phineas' name was mentioned, and he grew curious as to what exactly they were speaking of. At any rate, they entered the house.
It was evident that the house was constructed in phases, and on a slope. Each room was connected by a doorway with a couple of stairs. The room they had entered was obviously the oldest and simplest. There Rosa left a couple of things, including her car keys. Then, they went up the house, coming into a room that was the master bedroom. After a steel doorway and another step, they were in the kitchen. By now, they were at least three feet above the level of the bottom room.
The crowd gathered in the kitchen and chatted a bit, before setting out to leave. Rosa led the way out of the kitchen door, which opened into the same corridor that they had used to get in earlier. There was another opening to the side, which led into a gorgeous courtyard. Most of the area was shaded from the desert sun by lush grapevines, which had grown on a trellis made out of rebar and wood. The result was a sight that was simply wonderful, more apt to be found in a romantic Parisian location instead of the middle of the desert. Grapes were days away from being ripe, within easy reach, hanging temptingly above the crowd as they walked under the cool shade.
Phineas was in awe at what the house looked like. At best, he figured they would have visited a simple home with only a few rooms. He was left speechless, expectations more than fulfilled. Here he saw many rooms to explore, lots of tools lying on a worktable presumably used by Isabella's grandfather, and a very peaceful, perhaps romantic location where he could relax.
Immediately he thought of spending some time sitting there with Isabella, but now was the wrong time to think about that stuff. They were about to leave the home to explore the downtown area. Rosa assured Isabella and Phineas that they would return in a few hours. Isabella was inwardly more desirous of spending some romantic time with Phineas in the grapevine courtyard. At any rate, they said a temporary goodbye to the grandmother, and started walking.
Rosa led Manuel, Isabella, and Phineas on a downhill street. The sidewalk was riddled with steps as the street descended. This was obviously not a city for the handicapped. There were no provisions on the sidewalk for wheelchair access.
Finally, the ground evened out, and they crossed a street that was a little wider and with more traffic. They stood in front of a church, waiting for a bus to come by. Finally, a white bus with an orange stripe stopped in front of them, and they got on after paying the fare. Manuel sat with his mom. Isabella and Phineas sat together in the row behind, with Isabella taking the window seat.
Phineas mostly sat in silence taking in the sights and sounds of the city. The bus driver had decked out his bus on the inside, putting speakers in the front and back. The top of the windshield was decorated with CD's, sporting insignias of his favorite soccer team. A radio station was playing on the bus speakers, pumping a very vibrant cumbia mix. These type of mixes came on every hour from what Phineas understood, and lasted between 10 to 15 minutes. He was entertained by the music, nudging Isabella to listen to it as well. They sat in silence, entertained, tapping their fingers and toes to the beat.
Before long, they were within blocks of the downtown. The bus then did a sudden turn, and went into a narrow street. Shops, vendors, and more than enough people crowded the sidewalks. In contrast to downtown El Paso, Juarez seemed grimier and more ragged. The sidewalks were beat up and cracked. The shops looked very battered, some sporting graffiti on the walls. Utility poles strung wires in a messy web over the road. After a minute of cruising by shops and a turn that seemed impossible for a bus in such narrow conditions, they finally came to a stop. The bus driver opened the door, and almost everybody rushed out. The group set foot in the downtown, and gathered together for a word.
Rosa warned them that Juarez was a dangerous place, instructing Isabella to take off any earrings or jewelry if she had any. She didn't wear any that day.
The ground rules were to stay close to her at all times, and be aware of the surroundings. Juarez was notorious for being the main stage of drug-related killings along the border. By midday, three bodies had already been found. If anything happened, like a gunfight, Rosa instructed them to drop to the ground and lay idle until the event calmed itself (euphemism for death on either side of the firefight).
Phineas and Isabella, who had never been in a situation close to this in Danville, were uneasy about the sudden warning. Isabella showed this outwardly. Phineas noticed, and grabbed her hand, assuring her that he would protect her if anything happened. She had heard this line in too many movies, but blushed at his promise.
When done speaking, Rosa motioned the group to follow her. They ventured deeper into the narrow streets, as they began their journey through downtown Juarez.
Another thing that I felt like clarifying is why I chose El Paso, out of all cities. The main reason is that I am very familiar with both El Paso and Juarez, since I have family there. More or less, Isabella's family members are abstract representations of my family living in the area. Plus, since she is Jewish-Mexican, it made more geographic sense for her to have family on both sides of the border. El Paso fit the bill perfectly. Plus, as said before, I know the city very well, which explains why I try to be detailed in the story.