Chapter 62 – Don Alejandro's talk
"Victoria, don't you think you should let him breathe?" Don Alejandro said.
She moved away from Diego then, with a big smile on her face.
"Yes, you are right. I should. But I am so happy I can't help it," she said, showing Don Alejandro the ring in her hand.
"That's your mother's ring," he said, recognizing it at once, looking at Diego.
"Yes. And now it's Victoria's."
"You are not wasting time here, are you, Son?"
"Well, it was already hers, because Zorro gave Victoria that ring a while ago, but due to a little misunderstanding she returned it only a few days ago. Pity, because it could have got lost when I forgot it in Zorro's trousers. But now it's back on her finger, and it fits around it perfectly."
"I never wore it in my finger before because our engagement was secret, but no way I am taking it off now," she said, looking at her hand with pride, admiring how good it looked in there. "Thank you, Diego," she said, coming back to him for another kiss, that was meant to be a quick, chaste one, but it somehow became long, wet, and endless, like all the others, until Don Alejandro cleared his throat and they reluctantly parted.
"Well, I think congratulations are in order! Welcome to the family, now officially," Don Alejandro said, embracing her warmly when she stood up. "I tried to give you a hug when you told me you had reconsidered about Diego, but I never did it properly. Damn counter!"
"Yes," she said, giggling. "So many things happened since. And that was only three days ago!"
"Diego, what happened to your nose? It looks sore, and it's bleeding," the old don said when they broke the embrace.
"Oh, that," Diego said, using the towel to wipe off the bit of blood that was trickling down his nose again, blaming the surge in his blood pressure every time Victoria kissed him. Before he continued talking, he looked down to check if the inconvenient bulge was noticeable under the bed covers. It wasn't. "Victoria got a bit confused between love and hate, I'm afraid. Nothing to worry about."
"Did you punch his nose?"
Victoria nodded, looking at the floor, flushing red with embarrassment one more time.
"Don't be ashamed! Well done, you," Don Alejandro laughed, tapping her back. "Although I said I wouldn't hit him, I am not sure if I will refrain myself from doing so in a moment, if he is ready for the talk now."
"Oh, no. Please, don't!" she said, mortified by Diego's worried face. "I think he had enough."
"Don't worry, my dear. I won't get wild. Although, I could have punched Zorro so many times during the past few weeks, for toying with you and for stealing my roses, for example. He deserved a good wallop for his naughty behaviour, and he knows it."
"Thank you, Father. You are always so understanding."
"In a minute, Diego, in a minute," he said, pointing a finger at him while still looking at Victoria. "My dear, do you mind leaving us now?"
"Please, be gentle with him."
"I'll try, but the same as you, I may fail." Don Alejandro walked her to the door then, and before she stepped out, he talked to her ear. "I'm only joking, but I like to bother him, make him sweat a little."
"I see. Have fun," she whispered back, closing the door behind her as silently as she could.
When Don Alejandro returned to Diego's side, he got upset by his son's fearful, apprehensive expression.
"Are you really that afraid of me, Son? Is that really possible, the fearless Zorro afraid of anything?"
Diego took a while to answer.
"Yes. I have always dreaded this moment since the first time I created Zorro. And that uneasy feeling has been growing exponentially as the time went by and the deception got deeper and deeper."
"But, why you didn't tell me? Do you understand how frustrated and angry I feel because you didn't trust me, your own father, and how ashamed I am at the same time because I didn't figure it out myself?"
"I couldn't tell you for so many different reasons; the main one, the same as Victoria, to keep you safe."
"Nonsense!"
"No, it's not nonsense. It makes perfect sense," he said, sighing, taken a little break before he continued, seeking some courage to carry on. "And the second reason, which won't go down very well on you, is because if you knew I was Zorro, you would not have been able to control yourself. You would have been so worried about me every time I was in danger, while dodging the alcalde's bullets or doing whatever other stunt, like jumping off the roofs with Toronado, you would have done something silly and give me away. Every time I got injured you would have gone out in a Quixotic rampage, seeking revenge. Hit me if you want now, as she did, but you know it's true: I couldn't really trust your volatile temper, so it was better for everybody that you didn't know."
Don Alejandro looked at him with his jaw dropped, speechless, not used to be told so boldly the painful truth, specially not from his bland son. It was the first time Diego had talked to him like that. At that moment, he realized the dynamics of their relationship would never be the same from now on, ever, because Diego didn't have to pretend to be a milksop anymore.
"I guess you may have a fair point in there, Son. But still, why didn't you tell me, if only to spare yourself the abuse every time I scolded you for behaving like a spineless coward? As much as I wanted to love you as you were, you had to admit your behaviour as bland Diego irritated me to the moon and back. At least now I know it was all a lie, an elaborated façade, and you were never such a wimp, which is a huge relief."
"I know it irritated you no end, and I'm sorry for being a constant source of disappointment for you, but that was one of the key issues of my make-believe plan: if you couldn't see through the deception, then nobody else could. And you have to admit that plan worked really well, going on for years. However, every time I couldn't fulfil your expectations, every time you looked down at me and berated me, a piece of me got chipped away, eroded inside. That was the most difficult part of impersonating Zorro. It hurt, a lot, and it still does, more than all the stabbing and gunshot wounds could ever do."
Diego's voice faltered with the last sentence, and his lower lip started to twitch. Before he let go of the tears, Don Alejandro sat on the bed and hugged him, and Diego got hold of his father as if he was an anchored lifeline, one he could never let go or he would drown.
"I'm so sorry, Diego. Forgive me for being so callous. And forget about all that. I'm so proud of you now I could burst at the seams, honest."
Diego laughed and cried at the same time with his head resting on his father's shoulder, holding his back as tight as his unresponsive, feeble muscles allowed him. Then the old don started crying as well.
"I thought you were dying, and I didn't know what to do! I couldn't believe I just found out you were really the best son a father could ask for and I would lose you immediately, before I even had the chance to let you know how proud I was of you! Please, forgive me for mistreating you so much, and for not questioning your dramatic change of personality and temperament when you returned from Madrid. I should have known you apparent weakness and indifference was only a lie. I should have known. Forgive me."
"No. You forgive me for not telling you, for not trusting you, and for giving you so much grief with my eccentric behaviour. I don't think I could have been able to put up with my apathetic self and my dull disposition for as long as you have. Thank you. I could not ask for a better, more loving father than you."
They carry on crying in each other's arms, comforting each other with their apologies for a while until they both calmed down. Don Alejandro placed his hands over Diego's shoulders then and pushed him back gently to look at him in the eye.
"All right, Son. Let's put all that crap behind us and let's look forward to the bright future ahead."
"Yes," Diego said, wiping off his tears, while his eyes wandered down, breaking eye contact with his father again. "But I am not sure if the future will be that bright. Not while Luis Ramón rules the pueblo. I am engaged to Victoria now, officially, but, how is that going to work? I either don't ride as Zorro ever again to stop any future abuse from the alcalde, or we can't make this affair public, even less get married. Can't you see how trapped I am in this hopeless situation? Not knowing any of this also spared you two of this writhing pain. You should thank me I didn't tell you and I spared you four years of this misery."
"Don't worry, Son," Don Alejandro said, holding Diego's head still between his hands, shaking it a bit so he'd look up at him again. "Look at me. Don't despair. We'll figure something out, all right?"
"All right," Diego said, nodding, holding his father's gaze this time. "I don't know what that could be, but thank you."
Don Alejandro let go of his son's head then, and he leaned back on the pillows again, looking exhausted.
"How do you feel now? Are you still angry with me?" Diego said.
"No. Well, I am relaxed now, as if I have lifted this heavy burden off my soul by asking for your forgiveness. But, yes, I am still frustrated with you and with myself for not knowing. I don't think I will ever shake off that unsettling feeling, not completely."
Diego remembered then how much anger and frustration he had released after punching Esteban, and how calmed and loving Victoria had acted today after hitting his nose. Maybe controlled violence was the key to resolve those deep, emotional issues quickly.
"Now, I think you should hit me, for closure. To get all the residual rage out of your system forever."
"No."
"Yes. You said before I deserved a good wallop."
"Yes, I did, but now I don't want to hit you. Not now."
"Yes, you have to."
"No. Shut up. This is ridiculous. Don't insist."
"Yes. Come on, hit me. You'll feel better. Victoria did. Hit me."
"I said no."
"And I said yes."
"No."
"Yes. Do it."
After all that silly bickering, the mighty slap got Diego by surprise, and with his lack of muscle strength he fell to a side, leaning dangerously over the edge of the bed. His father grabbed his nightgown collar quickly, before he could drop off the bed on his face, and pulled him up, back on the pillows, as if he was a rag doll.
"Happy now?"
Diego nodded slowly, taking a hand to his burning face, opening and closing his jaw a couple of times, testing for function, fearing the mandibular joint had dislocated with that unexpected, thunderous blow.
"Yes. "Happy". Gosh, menudo bofetón.I didn't see that coming."
"You asked for it, about a hundred times, so don't complain now. Are you alright?"
"Do you feel better now?"
"Yes! As a matter of fact, I do, thank you. No anger left at all. Excellent therapy!"
"Good. I'm glad someone is feeling better."
Diego sneezed then, and a large amount of blood splattered the bed covers, and it continued to trickle down his nose.
"Shit. I made your nose bleed again. Here, take the towel," Don Alejandro said, handing it over. "I'm so sorry, Son. I shouldn't have hit you so hard, but you were insisting so much... I don't know where that blow came from, honestly."
"It came from your most primal, deepest feelings, like Victoria's punch, I guess. But I hope all the issues are sorted now and you two don't take whacking me as a daily sport."
"Never again, Son. Never again, don't worry," the old don said, tapping Diego's upper arm gently. "Are you sure you are alright?"
"Yes. I'll live."
"I think I should leave you alone now, so you can rest a little bit more. Do you need anything?"
"A new face?" he said, while looking at the towel he was still dabbing his nose with, checking for more traces of blood. "No, thank you. I'm fine. I don't need anything. Thanks for the talk. Much appreciated. So good to have a civilized conversation with you."
"Shut up. And behave from now on. Because now you know the strength of my mighty arm, like Don Quixote's," Don Alejandro said, flexing his right arm, displaying his biceps proudly on the way out.
"Get out of here!" Diego said, laughing, threatening to throw him the blood-stained towel, although he doubted he would manage to throw it past the bed.
After his father left and he was left alone in that room, he sat back and sank his head on the pillows again with a long sigh. He recalled then both conversations, the ones he had dreaded for such a long a time.
Hum. That went well... Easy! Nothing to worry about, he thought, leaving the towel on a side again, closing his eyes with a big smile on his face, while the image of an excited, happy Victoria proudly displaying his mother's ring lingered in his mind.
Soon, the smile faded when he thought about their future. Yes, they were officially engaged now, but that didn't take away the danger for Victoria, did it? Wasn't her safety the whole point of keeping the secret for so long? Because she wasn't safe yet. And she would not be while Zorro rode and that crazy alcalde ruled the pueblo. His father said he would figure something out to get him out of that stupid situation. But, what could that be?
I'll think about that tomorrow. All this pounding is giving me a major headache, this time for real, he thought, reaching for the glass with bark infusion at the side table.
ZZZZZ