When Imelda appeared in the living room, she found Héctor sitting on the couch, and asked him what was wrong. The tall musician sighed, not knowing what to say. So he took a chance and expressed his thoughts. He was still unsure of this strange situation. They are reunited, their baby is on the way, so why couldn't they marry?
Imelda told them nothing that was new to Héctor She wanted to wait because she was afraid that the baby may die like her last one or else they'd get married for nothing. Héctor took offense at that and said, "I'd gladly marry you even if you were not with child."
Imelda felt her heart flutter. She wished she could believe him, but there was something holding her back. What if he changed?
To put his conscience at ease, Imelda assured him, "We'll get married after the baby is born."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
"Okay, in the meantime, I am going to do extra work to support you and the baby," her truel love stated. He was rewarded with a soft and tender kiss on the lips.
"Te amor Héctor."
"Te amor Imelda."
Now that the Rivera household had welcomed five people, everybody settled into their new daily routine. Francisco and the twins help Chicahrron tend to the farm. It was a situation that satisfy both men. Chicharron's chires would be finished faster than usual amd Francisco would recieve wages for his work. Juanita amd Martha care for Imelda. This time, they were making sure that the pregnancy goes well. Hector divided his time between playing gigs, helping at the farm, and checking on Imelda. Although the pregnant woman was touched by her lover's constant checking, she told him to rest because her mother and his aunt had it under control. But that still didnt stop Hector from making sure she's all right.
A week later, Héctor introduced Imelda to his close friends as his "wife", which was actually quite easier than he had anticipated. At first, Martha and Francisco believed that Imelda should be hidden in her new home until the preganncy was over. But Héctor, who refused to keep his true love locked up like a bird in a cage, designed a much better idea. The clever musician summarized to his friends that he met Imelda while visiting Patzcuaro. They courted for a few months and got married at Imelda's home church.
("It was her mother's dream that Imelda got married in the same church that she did," Héctor spoke in a way that would make hearts melt. Imelda rolled her eyes playfully at that statement, knowing it was a lie but it was a very believable story. It was something that ner mother would wish.)
The reason the musician came home alone, was because his "wife" wanted to say goodbye to her extended family, before joining him. Although Héctor s friends joked with Héctor in a good naturally way for not telling someone sooner, they bought the story for they knew him to be honest. They also teased him upon noticing Imelda's swollen belly, much to Héctor s embarassment and Imelda's discomfort. Luckily for them, their friends didn't know that they were not really married. It also helped that the musician blurted out that the baby was concieved on theur honeymoon. He received a smack in the head from Imelda's boot, causing his friends to laugh out loud. After they exchanged goodbyes and pleasantries, the couple walked back home (Héctor nursed his head, asking Imelda, "Did you have to hit me that hard?" "Oh stop your whining!" the woman scoffed. "You'll be fine." )
Later that night, Imelda sat in a chair, reading a book of baby names. She was content to focus on the baby and not worry about marriage yet. It was not that she did nit want to marry her true love but the chances of them getting married would be difficult. Her mother had privately fretted to her that a priest may not marry them, but she refused to believe it. Someone will marry them. They have to! She loved Héctor him and he loved her! She hoped so. Of course, a new fear aroused in her head. Ernesto was a nice man when she met him. Then after marrying him, he changed. Imelda suppressed her thoughts, as much as she could, but they kept rising. If they do marry, what if Héctor does change? What if he stopped loving her? Just like Ernesto did? A shiver ran down her spine.
On December 1, 1917, Ernesto hopped off the train, along with Antonio and Gustavo.
"Wasn't that so much fun?" Antonio asked.
"Yes but I wished we could extend the tour for two more weeks," Ernesto grumbled. "I don't understand why Señor Molina couldn't extend it like he did last time?"
"It's almost Los Pasados!" Gustavo exclaimed. "Don't you want to be home for the festivities? I know I do!"
"Why would I look forward to celebrating Los Pasados with the shrew?" His friends winced. 'Shrew' is a word that Ernesto used to refer to Imelda. He didn't want the tour to end, but the talent agent told them to take a break because he wanted to spend Christmas with his family. Christmas was never fun. Because Ernesto didn't like doing it with Imelda, he always spends the holiday at the local bar. His stomach grumbled for food. Might as well make the journey from the train station to home. First, he would eat his home-cooked meal by Imelda, and then, he can go to the bar for a drink.
Ernesto opened the door, by kicking the door open. He thought it was strange that the door was unlocked, but he figured that the shrew was working in the backyard. Turning on the light, Ernesto noticed that the hallway looked a bit dusty. Didn't that lazy woman clean it up? Oh well, no matter in that!
"Imelda, I am home!" He called as he strolled in through the door. "You better have dinner ready!" The sooner, he gets his dinner, the better. He would leave for the bar right afterward. Instead of a response, there was only silence. "Imelda?"
Ernesto walked to the backyard, wondering if she heard him. But when he arrived in the backyard, she wasn't there. "Strange," the musician murmured. "Is she upstairs?" He went back inside the house, double-checking if Imelda was on the first floor. No, she was not here. Then, he ascended upstairs. He opened the door to her bedroom and...she was gone. Her clothes were gone. The money was gone. And so was the cat. He searched for Imelda carefully in other rooms, but he could not find her. Panic and frustration gripped him as he threw his hands up in the air. "Dónde está ella?" He shouted.
Ernesto went to the plaza and asked everybody around. Strangely, nobody knew of the whereabouts of Imelda. The fruit produce man didn't know. The seamstress did not know, either! Nobody knew where she went. Not one person!
"Oh come on!" The large man barked, blowing air into Alana's face. While walking around the plaza, Ernesto had spotted the seamestresses coming out of their shop amd wasted no time running up to them. "How could you and the girls not know where Imelda is? After all, she is your best friend, right?"
"Yes, but she doesn't tells us every single thing," Alana said, firmly.
"Some friends you are!"
"Why don't you go to her parents's house since you are so concerned?" Abril challenged him.
"Yeah!" Amalia added.
Ernesto growled and stomped away from them. While walking to his -in-laws, Antonio amd Gustavo caught up with him.
"Hola amigo, " Antonio said. "We just heard you shouting in the plaza. Que pasa?"
"Que pasa?" Ernesto repeated, slowly turning to his friends with a glare. "I'll tell you what happened: my wife is not home! I have searched everywhere for her and no one knew what happened to her-not even her friends!"
"You mean, you came to find your house destitute?" Gustavo asked in a shocked and haunting voice.
"Yes!" answered the bulky man. "Which is why I am heading over to her parents' house. Surely they will know."
But when the three men had arrived at the Rodriguez's old house, no one was there.
"How could those two oldsters and their annoying sons not be here?" Antonio inquired.
"Maybe they went out to eat," thr short man suggested, shrugging.
Their leader was growing increasingly frustrated. His shoulders tensed up and he gnashed his teeth. "Isn't there anyone that knows the wheareabouts of my wife or her family?"
"I do," an unknown old male voice spoke.
The three men turned to their right to see an old man sitting in a chair, rocking back and forth at a slow pace. The old man was dressed in his suspenders and an old hat. He held a pipe for smoking. "I knkw what happened to the family, inclusing their daughter."
"You do?" Ernesto asked.
"Yes, but if you want to know, you must pay me a fee."
"Por Que?" Antonio questioned.
"I need a new pipe," saild the old man. Thr musicians gave the old man a few pesos.
"Ah, gracias," said the old man, taking the coins and putting them in his pocket. "My name is Senor Lopez and I know everything about thr family. I am their next door neighbor, so I hear everything and I see everything that goes on in this house."
"Well, don't just sit there amd keep me in the dark!" Ernesto said urgently. "Tell me where they are!"
"I don't know where they are right now," Senor Lopez said calmly. "What I do know is this: Your wife is with child."
"Que, that is impossible we didn't have-" the pompous musician started but then trailed off. It was as if realization hit him in the head. He hadn't slept with Imelda in the same bed at all since they first met. "Who is the father of her child?" Someone nas stolen his property? He couldn't seem to recall any man that would do such a thing.
"Yo no sé " Lopez shrugged, as if to annoy his guests. "But her family found out the news and had to take her to the father of her child. They tried to keep the matter a secret, but Imelda's swollen belly was easy to notice, despite their attempts to conceal it, with ner shawl. They all left and decided to never come back! That is all I know!"
"So Imelda ran away, huh?" Ernesto growled. "Well whoever took her away, that person will pay dearly! Are you sure you do not have any idea on what man she had an affair with?"
"No, but rumors are that it was with a man that they always seen her with in public."
Well that did not sound very helpful to the scorned husband. What man did Imelda knew that she would hang around with so often?
(His two friends looked at each other privately in shock and horror. They had a feeling who the man could be, but they did not want to believe it).
"Gracias, you were somewhat useful," The musician grumbled. He and his friends walked away.
"So Imelda and her family left Patzcauro, for good?" Antonio asked.
"Where did they go exactly?" Gustavo added. "That I would like to know."
"Yo no sé," Ernesto said with gritted teeth. "But I will search every town and city in Mexico!"
"But that will take years!" Antonio and Gustavo cried.
"Then I suggest señores, we get started!"
"What if we had to go on another tour?"
"Then we will go on our tours and perform, as susual. Then while off-stage, we we will search for that shrew!" True, he didn't love Imelda but she was his property. The only property that he owned was fair and square! And nobody takes anything that belonged to Ernesto! "And whoever this paramour of hers is, I will kill him!"