onto
the bed. Jane appeared behind her with a suitcase. She threw all
the things already on the bed into the suitcase while Maria changed
her clothes.
Edna watched them from
the door for a while before she went back to the living room. Tom
was outside speaking to Nate. She picked up the phone and dialed a
number she had called for years, just for the sake of listening to
his voice, a few months ago for help, which she didn’t need anymore
and again that night, to request for something he wouldn’t find
impossible to give. He owed her, in more ways than one.
“ You need to
come as soon as possible.... well the SOB isn’t dead, he’s like a
roach.... no, she’s leaving tonight....she’s taking him with
her.... you do it or I will,” she wiped the tears from her cheeks
as she listened, “hurry, please.” her voice broke. She stayed on
the line, listening to the voice she’d missed so much before she
hung up.
Maria walked into the
living room holding her sleeping son against her chest. Tom walked
into the house with Nate in tow, with a large bag in his hand. He
was well built, his body toned by his daily farming.
She stood there and
waited for the plan she hoped they had come up with. She was sure
Ricky was outside and there was no way he was going to let them
walk out and drive away. She was finally on board with running
away, but she didn’t want to get shot trying. “So what’s the
plan?”
Nate put the bag on the
table and opened it wide, “We can’t just walk out of the house, I’m
sure that maniac is hiding in the bushes, so we are going to put
Michael in this bag and I’ll carry him out in it.” He spoke with a
smile. Maria held Michael closer to her and stared at Nate as if he
had completely lost his mind. There was no way she was putting her
baby in a bag that looked like a body bag. “You’ll walk out between
Tom and me. You are small enough to go unnoticed.” Maria stared at
Edna then at him, incredulously. She was still stuck on the part
they wanted to put Michael in a bag.
“ Just try it.”
Edna spoke as she wedged Michael out of Maria’s hands. She wrapped
him in a blanket and carefully put him in the bag. She then zipped
up the bag, but stopped at Michael’s head when she heard Maria
whimper. She understood her fear, she wasn’t too comfortable with
her grandson in a bag, but there was no other way.
“ What about
mama?” Maria spoke, her eyes glued on Michael’s sleeping
face.
“ I’m not
coming with you.” Edna said quietly.
Maria’s eyes shot to her,
“What, why not?” She asked, falling into a panic again.
“ I can’t come
if Ricky is to think you are still in the house, and I’m also
waiting for someone.”
“ Mama, Miguel
is never coming back.” Maria said annoyed. She had always hated
seeing her mother sit in one place and wait for her father to come.
She had been waiting for twenty-two years and she was still
waiting.
Edna hugged Maria then
kissed Michael. She wished she could tell Maria the truth, but she
couldn’t, not yet. “It’s time.”
Nate carefully picked up
the bag with Michael in it and walked to the door. He waited for
Tom to go out first with the suitcase, and Maria to go out after
him, moving very closely behind him before he came out, blocking
the shadow her body may make against the porch light. Tom opened
the back door to his truck and placed the suitcase in. They
pretended to talk and laugh for a while so that Maria could sneak
into the car, and then Nate put the bag in and closed the
door.
“ See you
tomorrow Tom.” Nate yelled joyously in pretence as he got into the
driver seat. He started the car and drove slowly, not wanting to
draw too much attention to himself. When they got to a reasonable
distance from the house and he was sure no one was following them,
he accelerated and sped to the train station.
Maria stayed down between
the seats. She pulled the bag open wider, the sight of Michael
sleeping in there like a corpse made
the bed. Jane appeared behind her with a suitcase. She threw all
the things already on the bed into the suitcase while Maria changed
her clothes.
Edna watched them from
the door for a while before she went back to the living room. Tom
was outside speaking to Nate. She picked up the phone and dialed a
number she had called for years, just for the sake of listening to
his voice, a few months ago for help, which she didn’t need anymore
and again that night, to request for something he wouldn’t find
impossible to give. He owed her, in more ways than one.
“ You need to
come as soon as possible.... well the SOB isn’t dead, he’s like a
roach.... no, she’s leaving tonight....she’s taking him with
her.... you do it or I will,” she wiped the tears from her cheeks
as she listened, “hurry, please.” her voice broke. She stayed on
the line, listening to the voice she’d missed so much before she
hung up.
Maria walked into the
living room holding her sleeping son against her chest. Tom walked
into the house with Nate in tow, with a large bag in his hand. He
was well built, his body toned by his daily farming.
She stood there and
waited for the plan she hoped they had come up with. She was sure
Ricky was outside and there was no way he was going to let them
walk out and drive away. She was finally on board with running
away, but she didn’t want to get shot trying. “So what’s the
plan?”
Nate put the bag on the
table and opened it wide, “We can’t just walk out of the house, I’m
sure that maniac is hiding in the bushes, so we are going to put
Michael in this bag and I’ll carry him out in it.” He spoke with a
smile. Maria held Michael closer to her and stared at Nate as if he
had completely lost his mind. There was no way she was putting her
baby in a bag that looked like a body bag. “You’ll walk out between
Tom and me. You are small enough to go unnoticed.” Maria stared at
Edna then at him, incredulously. She was still stuck on the part
they wanted to put Michael in a bag.
“ Just try it.”
Edna spoke as she wedged Michael out of Maria’s hands. She wrapped
him in a blanket and carefully put him in the bag. She then zipped
up the bag, but stopped at Michael’s head when she heard Maria
whimper. She understood her fear, she wasn’t too comfortable with
her grandson in a bag, but there was no other way.
“ What about
mama?” Maria spoke, her eyes glued on Michael’s sleeping
face.
“ I’m not
coming with you.” Edna said quietly.
Maria’s eyes shot to her,
“What, why not?” She asked, falling into a panic again.
“ I can’t come
if Ricky is to think you are still in the house, and I’m also
waiting for someone.”
“ Mama, Miguel
is never coming back.” Maria said annoyed. She had always hated
seeing her mother sit in one place and wait for her father to come.
She had been waiting for twenty-two years and she was still
waiting.
Edna hugged Maria then
kissed Michael. She wished she could tell Maria the truth, but she
couldn’t, not yet. “It’s time.”
Nate carefully picked up
the bag with Michael in it and walked to the door. He waited for
Tom to go out first with the suitcase, and Maria to go out after
him, moving very closely behind him before he came out, blocking
the shadow her body may make against the porch light. Tom opened
the back door to his truck and placed the suitcase in. They
pretended to talk and laugh for a while so that Maria could sneak
into the car, and then Nate put the bag in and closed the
door.
“ See you
tomorrow Tom.” Nate yelled joyously in pretence as he got into the
driver seat. He started the car and drove slowly, not wanting to
draw too much attention to himself. When they got to a reasonable
distance from the house and he was sure no one was following them,
he accelerated and sped to the train station.
Maria stayed down between
the seats. She pulled the bag open wider, the sight of Michael
sleeping in there like a corpse made
Similar Books
