Chapter 77

8:18 PM.

Esme looked at the time on her dashboard.

She expelled a long breath through her parted lips as she sighted the convent gate in the distance.

She turned to look at Carlos who was sitting beside her in the passenger’s seat with his eyes glazed. It was much worse earlier on. For the first time ever, she was grateful he had a high alcohol threshold. Well, this day had been one of several firsts.

While on the ride, Carlos made an apology to her about being an asshole for most of their lives. The switch from asshole to sweetheart was quite swift. It surprised her a great deal.

Knowing his sense of self had been predicated on a lie had made him change his ways, obviously. He believed this would be the way to redeem himself in her eyes, make her forgive him. Esme was willing to let bygones be what they were – bygones. There was no point maintaining the bad blood between them.

As they got closer to the gate, Esme recalled Aurelia had once made a joke about being in the convent. She shook her head at that memory. See why it was necessary for people to watch the kind of jokes they made? The subconscious did not understand they were making jokes and some of those jokes ended up playing out in real time and space. She sighed at that thought and huffed gently.

Earlier on, she and Carlos had rehashed their plans to get Aurelia out of the convent. As they went over it, they were sure it would not fail them. And holding on to this belief that the plan would not fail, Esme drove through the big gate of the convent after they introduced themselves to the security personnel who let them in.

The man’s eyes lit up as he recognised them based on their name. Contrary to what Shakespeare’s Juliet thought, everything was in the de la Cruz name, apparently. He went on to give them direction to the Mother Superior’s office, saying he would call someone who would meet them and arrange for them to see her.

A woman wearing a habit, who Esme surmised to be in her early thirties met, them in the large courtyard. After introducing themselves and making them understand they needed to see the Mother Superior for an urgent matter, she asked them to wait while she went to get the woman.

Within 15 minutes, they were ushered into the austere looking office by the first woman and the Mother Superior. All it contained was a desk, three wooden chairs, and a large crucifix. The wooden floors were shinny, even though it was evening.

It was Carlos who spoke after they had gotten pleasantries out of the way. “We are here to take Aurelia Villalobos home. Aurelia is meant to get married to me this weekend. Her father decided to lock her up here, because there was a mistake somewhere. He was angry. All he did was out of his anger. He regrets his ways, and he would have come to get her himself, but he feels too remorseful, and is scared that Aurelia would not want to see him. Everything was as a result of serious miscommunication and misunderstanding.”

Esme smiled. She continued from where Carlos stopped in a sweet voice, hoping to butter the woman up, “Everything has been resolved, and we would like to take her home with us.”

But her charms were lost on the woman judging by the stern look on her face. The woman’s lips formed a line on her face. “No. She will not be leaving the convent until her father says so himself. Perhaps you would have him on the phone?” Her tone did not leave room open for negotiation.

According to how they planned, Esme fished out her phone from her purse and put a call across to her father. “Father,” she started, and averted her eyes away from the formidable looking woman. “The Mother Superior has refused to release her. She says only Villalobos can do so.” Pause. Don Alonzo spoke. Esme nodded her head. She looked back to the woman, and handed the phone to her, “My father, Don Alonzo de la Cruz, would like a word with you.”

A look of unease crossed the Mother Superior’s face when she heard the name.

As she held the phone to her ear, a smile broke across her face. Esme scoffed. So the scary woman had it in her to smile. After Don Alonzo had talked some more with her, with the nun replying monosyllabically, she handed the phone back to Esme.

“Okay, we’ll release Aurelia to you.” She had a warm smile. She did not know what it was her father said, but she was sure to ask him when they got back home.

As they waited for Aurelia to come to them, Esme stared up at the starry night sky. It reminded her of one evening she and her lover had stayed outside to stargaze. Esme was telling her about constellations. With the events of the past week, that evening seemed like a lifetime ago.

“Hey, Esme,” Carlos said beside her, and she turned to look at him. “Try not to give the nuns an indecent show when you see Aurelia.”

She lightly swatted his arm.

This would be the first time they would have a sibling-like relationship. The irony of it was not lost on her. Now that they knew they did not have blood ties, Carlos had easily stepped up to the role of big brother. Or maybe it was all an act to him. It was hard to trust him. Maybe he was trying to make up for everything because he knew he had lost. Something about getting into her good books.

Esme’s heart skipped a beat the moment she sighted Aurelia, led by the Mother Superior and another nun, from the distance. What Carlos told her about giving the nuns a show flew out of her mind, and she raced the distance to meet up with her. Aurelia did the same.

They met halfway.

Esme wrapped her arms tightly about Aurelia.

“Baby,” Aurelia muttered into her neck. She pressed a soft kiss there.

Esme held on tighter like Aurelia were a raft she needed to stay afloat a stormy, turbulent sea.

Not caring who was watching, she moved away from Aurelia and kissed her on the mouth.

In the distance, she heard the horrified gasps of the nuns. But she could not be bothered. In fact, it was good they saw this, so that they learnt that love triumphs all forms of stupid, unfounded prejudice.

When Aurelia slipped her tongue inside her mouth, she moaned and leaned away from her lover. With their faces an inch apart, Esme whispered with her eyes closed while nuzzling Aurelia’s nose, “You want to kiss me like that here? You know I can’t behave when you kiss me that way.”

Aurelia smiled at her, running her thumb across her puckered lower lip. “I have missed you, baby. How could I not kiss you that way?”

“I have missed you, too.” They broke apart and then Esme said to the scandalized nuns, “We know our way from here. Thank you. I hope we don’t cross paths again.”

“Me, too.”

Not waiting for the women to say anything to them, they made their way to the car hand in hand.

Carlos was standing few steps away from the car.

Esme felt Aurelia’s grip tighten, and slowed down her steps. “What is that bastard doing here?”

Esme took two steps forward and stopped so she was standing before Aurelia. Looking lovingly into her eyes, she said, “It’s a long story, but I can assure you that he’s on our side.” Esme smile softly. “Trust me?”

Aurelia looked from Esme to Carlos, who was standing several feet away from them, and then back to Esme. “I trust you. I hate him.”

“I understand. I’ll explain more to you as we go.”

On getting to the car, Carlos took a step towards them and started, “Aurelia, I’m sorry fo—”

Aurelia’s palm landed on his face in a loud thwack! “Fuck you, asshole!”

Esme winced at the sound.

“Fuck you very much, Carlos!” She spat in his face.

“Babe.” Esme’s voiced her concern and gently pulled Aurelia back. Carlos batted his eyelids and wiped the saliva off his face with the arm of his short-sleeved tee-shirt. “Please, I know you are mad at him, but please, let’s just get out of here. Please.” Aurelia gave him a stony look. She did not take her eyes away from him as Esme led her to the back seat of the car. She opened the door and let Aurelia sit in.

“Carlos, please come in.”

Carlos was still in shock at Aurelia’s behaviour, and so he asked in a hushed tone across the roof of the car, “Are you sure it is safe?”

“I don’t know. Do you want to sleep in the convent?”

Soon, the three of them were seated in the car.

As they got on the road, Carlos spoke, “I am so sorry, Aurelia.”

“Esme, can you make this idiot keep his idiotic mouth shut?”

“Carlos, you heard the lady.”

Carlos nodded in his seat.

The car was quiet as they cruised through town and made their way to the hacienda.