Chapter 136 - Towards La Dorada - Feddos
Veronica
We were in front of the hotel where Luisa was staying. Simon got out to go look for her, and I stayed with Miguel. In the truck behind us were Cereza and Arnold with Diana, Isaac, and Ines. Gustavo was supposed to pick up Gladis, Enrique, and Cereza's family: Clarisa and the kids. Churrusco had already been in La Dorada for a few days.
A few minutes later, I saw Simon dragging a suitcase. I got out of the car, my heart pounding for some reason. The woman behind my friend was my height, with shiny black hair and glasses. She was beautiful, quite imposing, with an air of confidence. She extended her hand, but I hugged her, surprising her.
"Sorry, we don't know each other. I've only heard about you from my friends. I'm glad you came," I said, not understanding why I hugged her. I wondered if it bothered her. Simon was watching us. Luisa smiled.
"I've heard them call you an angel of light. Now I see why, Veronica."
She took off her glasses, and my heart raced. She had the same eye color and a resemblance to Roland. I must be crazy. We got into the truck.
"Where's Cereza?" Luisa asked, and Simon's fists clenched.
"They're the best drivers. When Miguel is behind the wheel, Cereza is in front of another. You can't imagine the maneuvers they can pull off," Simon replied.
"I think I can imagine, given what I've experienced on missions. Are they always by your side?" Luisa switched her sunglasses for reading glasses, and I nodded.
"Roland's absence brought us closer. For me, they're all I have left of him, and I think they feel the same way about me."
"I know I wasn't invited. I'm here because I lost a bet," she said, and I burst out laughing.
"You bet against Simon?"
"He cheated."
Their laughter echoed inside the car. We stopped talking as Miguel drove. Luisa and I were nodding off, both of us sleep-deprived. We were woken up when we arrived at my dad's farm. We didn't have many rooms, so Luisa, Diana, the baby, and I would sleep in my room. In Santiago's room, Simon, Miguel, Arnold, Cereza, and Churrusco would sleep, with Churrusco hanging a hammock.
Gustavo went to sleep at the hotel with Gladis and Enrique. Dad had bought inflatable mattresses. Ines would sleep in the small room. The rest checked into hotels. Raul confirmed his attendance and would stay at a hotel. I also found out that Juan would attend. I hadn't seen him since he was at the house.
The wedding was in two days. Tomorrow would be busy with the event organizer. Dad seemed happy to see the house so full. I now appreciated my friends. In a couple of conversations, I heard him regret being angry with my husband. Santiago had a smile from ear to ear, and my lovely sister-in-law would stay at her house.
With all the commotion and her condition, she got tired quickly. The day before the wedding, she would come to sleep with us, and we would share a room. It would be a cowboy wedding, simple, with a barbecue as the main dish. It was night, and we were all having dinner. Simon looked happy. That girl made him happy.
Not to mention the family Miguel made with Diana. Since we arrived, he hadn't let go of his son. I went out to get some fresh air. Tomorrow would be a crazy day. I couldn't imagine the day after.
"What are you doing away from the family gathering?" Luisa adjusted her glasses. "Sometimes I get tired of wearing contact lenses. When I'm resting, I try to wear regular glasses to give my eyes a break."
"It's okay. I didn't really leave. Every person in that room is important."
"But..."
"But he's not here." I bit my lip to hold back the tears. "In two days, there's a wedding. I can't help but feel nostalgic. My wedding, despite being perfect, ended in blood."
"Did you love him?"
"Roland? I didn't just love him. I still idolize him. There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss him and wish he would come back to me."
"When he arrived at the agency, he seemed a bit arrogant," she said, and I let out a small laugh.
"He wasn't just arrogant. He was also eccentric, manipulative, proud, imposing, egotistical. He solved everything with money. That was my Roland. Behind all those traits was a protective, thoughtful, attentive, romantic, seductive, confident, intelligent, mischievous, and loving man with the most beautiful eyes in the universe. I still have a hard time accepting his death."
"You're young..." I raised my hand.
"Don't continue, don't be like everyone else, because the answer was, is, and will always be the same. There was, is, and never will be another man in my life besides Roland Sandoval Manjarrez. I don't want anyone else's hands to erase the caresses my husband left on my body."
"It's beautiful to love that way."
"Haven't you ever fallen in love?"
Luisa shook her head. She had something... if my husband had had a sister, maybe she would have resembled her.
"Would you like to be in love?"
"I'm picky with men. I've created the perfect one in my mind. Until a few months ago, I thought no one would fit that mold."
"Don't make it so hard for Simon." She wanted to speak but held back. I saw a bit of a blush on her face.
"What does Simon have to do with this?"
"Nothing, but seeing your eyes light up when you look at him while he's distracted, doesn't that mean something?"
"I idealized a perfect man and..."
"And now you don't think anyone fits that mold. Luisa, I don't know you, but there's something about you that made me trust you. Let me give you some advice."
"Sure." She adjusted her glasses again.
"Life hits you with unexpected changes. In my experience, I regret not giving myself to my husband sooner. I waited to be a virgin at the wedding when I knew he was the man of my life.
"We all know when that special person arrives. If it's my friend Simon who makes your skin tingle, and when you hear him, something stirs in your lower belly, if your eyes find him among many people.
"Oh, if his face pops into your head constantly, if he makes you laugh and get angry at the same time, he's the one. When your mind, heart, and skin have the same reactions, don't let him go. Encapsulate any fear and enjoy life because it's very short, and it can be taken from you at any moment."
"And what if what you have is fear, a childhood trauma?" I looked at her, and there was fear in her. Something must have happened in her life.
"I don't know your past, but you have two options." She furrowed her brow. "Those options are based on truth. You don't owe it to me, you owe it to that person. Once they know your trauma and understand it, you either close your eyes or keep them open."
"What? Explain, I don't understand."
"If you allow him to get close, you can close your eyes and keep in mind who the person is that you like, who is touching you, so you don't get distracted. You can ask him to talk to you to push away the tormenting memory. If you allow him to get close with your eyes open, you already know who is touching you."
"I just received the best advice without paying a dime."
"I'm glad I could help. Try it." At that moment, people started coming out to the terrace. We were at the far end of the railings. "One thing I can tell you for sure." Simon came out carrying Isaac and talking to Santiago and Miguel.
"Both Roland, Simon, Miguel, and the rest of that brotherhood follow a code of loyalty. They are also the most sincere men, almost to the point of being blunt. I prefer a man with courage who doesn't lie to you. They are protective of their feelings, they've been through many women, but I guarantee that if they say they love you, it's because they truly do. They would give their life for you.
"My husband gave his life for me, and the most admirable thing is that his code of life has been passed on to people I met after Roland's death. I've realized they all have that code." My eyes welled up. "Don't be afraid."
"What do you mean by code of life?"
"It might sound strange. When they tried to rape me and I felt lost in the situation, I only asked God to send me an angel. That angel was my husband. At that crucial moment in my life, Roland got off a motorcycle shooting, and Simon did the same." I remembered that moment.
"At the same time, Daniel, Gustavo, and Negro got out of a car, and Arnold and Aníbal got off another motorcycle. Negro died trying to save my best friend, but there are seven left, seven angels who carry a lot of deaths on their backs. I know they've killed because those were heartless beings."
"They've killed, they've been murderers."
"Ask Diana if she sees them as murderers, ask Enrique if he sees them as the bad guys. For them, they became their superheroes. Ask each of the women they saved or the fifty children they rescued from prostitution. Everything is relative, and everything has a different point of view."
"Where are you going with this?"