Chapter 129 - The Reunion - Feddos
Luisa
I found it beautiful, even though I hadn't exchanged many words with my sister-in-law, aside from the day of the will. I had a great appreciation for her, for coming back to life and to us, to my Maluco. The truth was that Roland held the title of the king of sex, something our idiot cousin had overheard.
"Look, Manolo Manjarrez, stop making comments about my brother."
My cousin was a complete drama queen. My brother and he were the only ones I allowed to get close and hug me in a brotherly way. He would come to do my nails, wax my legs, and brush my hair.
"Sorry, but he's the only one who has managed to make your hands tremble. And look, that man is just how he wants to be, physically speaking."
"He's very masculine," I said.
"Attractive. He can't compare to the sheer sensuality Roland exudes, but his friend is just how he wants to be. His penis must be responsible." I felt my ears get hot. "Oh, come on! Stop being so prudish. You're the only twenty-nine-year-old virgin woman surrounded by muscular men, exuberant cowboys, and federal agents. I'd love to have those views."
"If you keep talking like that, you'll never have a serious relationship. Please stop behaving like a wolf in heat."
"Alright, alright! I have work to do. Change so I can wax your legs. From now on, you should consider getting waxed somewhere else because those looks from a few minutes ago suggest there might be a fire soon."
"Idiot!"
I started walking to the bathroom to put on some shorts. It was obvious I waxed my private parts, but I had my stylist for that. I wasn't going to tell this idiot anything; that was my private life. Once I changed, I went back to his side.
"Luisa," he changed his expression. "I'm not trying to bother you, but the advantage of being gay is that we notice reactions in both genders. That massive alpha male was this close to punching my face." I was about to speak.
"No! Let me finish. The way he described how you were dressed, it was evident he detailed you minutely. He thought you and I were going to do something. By the way, what were you wearing?" I covered my face. My cousin had never seen me naked, but he had seen me in pajamas.
"Do you think?" I sighed. "I thought it was you. I opened the door in a robe. You know how my robes are."
"Oh, God! Your brother catches on quickly, but you need a drawing with clay to understand. I still find it hard to believe you're the director of a federal agency. The case with your brother will catapult you in your field. You've seen the evil in humanity, and yet, you remain so innocent. It's surprising." He looked at me mischievously. "At least one man saw those great legs you have, cousin."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?"
He smiled. I was lying on the bed, and he was kneeling with the wax gun in hand.
"I'd never insult you, you know… you're my sister. I owe who I am to you and Aunt Consuelo."
"We're not to blame for your craziness."
My cousin had a beautiful smile, with the Manjarrez features: black hair and green cat-like eyes, as he would say.
"You know what I mean. When the family found out about my condition, and since Dad is homophobic, you understand. I get that people still don't accept us, but we're human beings; we have hearts, and rejection hurts us."
"At twenty, you were the only ones who reached out to me with love. Returning to Colombia a couple of years ago has been gratifying. I can't complain. The beauty salon has given me a way to live, and now with Roland's investment… That construction will be a monster of a salon." He hugged me and kissed my forehead. "Thank you."
"We love you. Now finish up. I have to make two calls. As you know, you can't be present, and my nails look terrible."
My cousin didn't know about the mission with my brother. He knew that out of jealousy, someone had tried to kill him, and he had to stay hidden for a few months. He knew about his marriage and love for his wife, and they would soon live together. However, I was surprised that Simón still referred to Roland as a dead person. I didn't dare correct him; I had to tell him first.
While my cousin was waxing my legs and armpits and then entertained himself by doing my nails, I remembered how much our lives had changed since our reunion.
That afternoon, he arrived at our humble apartment. I already had a good position at the agency, but I wanted to buy a house for my mother. That's why we decided to stay in that place for a couple more years while I saved to buy the house I had promised the woman who gave me life since I was a child. For her, it hadn't been easy or happy. She knew the suffering of losing Roland.
For not being able to find him, we spent two years searching and hiding from my father. I saw her work day and night in family homes, as we were undocumented when we arrived in the United States. I had never gone hungry; I had a mother who sacrificed day by day to give me a hot meal on the table. We may have lacked luxuries, but never love and food.
Those were years of watching her pray for my brother to be protected by thousands of angels. I had to admit, at times I felt jealous. But as I grew more aware, I understood that she was the best. The bravest and strongest woman in the world, and I am proud to say she was my mother.
That afternoon, I had decided to stay home with Mom. Never, not even for a second, did I imagine we would see him again. When I opened the door, I saw that imposing man, radiating power, and I knew it was him, my twin brother.
“Daughter, who is it?!”
She was in the kitchen making popcorn; we were going to watch a movie. I couldn’t speak, tears streaming down my face as he tried to hold back his own.
“Roland,” I whispered with tear-filled eyes.
“Luisa! Is something wrong?” my mother asked again.
“Can I come in?” he asked. He was beautiful. I nodded.
“Mom might have a heart attack.” His expression changed; neither of us moved.
“I don’t think so. You abandoned me.”
There was anger in his face, and I understood. He never knew why my mother left that way with me. Does he think we abandoned him? Something urged me to throw myself into his arms. He didn’t respond at first, but as he heard my sobs, his arms began to tighten around my waist.
“We never abandoned you. Never, Maluco.”
When I called him by his nickname, his embrace tightened around my waist. I didn’t care; he almost left me breathless, and a groan escaped him.
“I came because... now I want... my girlfriend deserves it, she’s the reason I’m here. That angel has taught me to put myself in other people’s shoes. Maybe I’m a fool for coming to beg for affection.”
“Don’t say nonsense,” I said, still clinging to my brother.
“Luisa... why are you crying? Look…”
I felt the ceramic bowl shatter. When I turned, we saw my mother collapse. Neither Roland nor I reached her in time; she hit the floor hard.
“Mom! Help me, Roland.”
He carried her, and I led him to her room. Our apartment was comfortable, with everything we needed. I looked for the alcohol to revive her.
“Is she faking it?” I looked at him with a frown.
“What happened to you that makes you hate us so much?”
“Did you hear me?”
“No, sorry, I was distracted.”
“That attitude was one of jealousy.”
“Don’t say nonsense.”
I remembered that moment when our lives came together again...
“You ask me that?! Leaving me at seven years old with a bitter man, he took out his anger from your abandonment on me. I was tied to the tree in that house and beaten.
“He would let me sleep outside in the yard whenever he felt like it. That’s why I rebelled and went to live on the streets. I had to steal at eight years old to eat, staying for hours in a bakery to snatch bags of bread, wandering aimlessly in the cold.
“Thinking I had done something wrong for my mother to leave me, thinking I had failed, that she chose you and not me. I felt insignificant; our father's words drilled into my mind.
“With the days, the hunger, and the cold, I began to hate you both, until I forgot you existed. Months later, I ended up living in the Cartucho. You can’t imagine the horrible memories of that place, but I learned through hardship, analyzing people’s behavior to survive. My life depended on it; I discovered I had a talent for making people listen to me.
“Roland…”
“I managed to gather a group of kids. We provided drug distribution services, carrying and delivering that resource. I never used them; seeing how people ended up in the Cartucho was enough to understand the harm. That place was hell itself.
“I swore never to end up that way. What I did see was the money management, which moved to the other side. It wasn’t hard to know which side I wanted to be on, so I profited from it.” Mom’s crying made him stop. His eyes were wet. “You abandoned me, discarded me as if I didn’t matter!”