Chapter 34

Claudia had not said a word since they left the Platas home. She’d been staring outside the window the entire ride to the seamstress’s house. The road was bumpy and strident albazos had been pounding on the radio since Malena and Claudia had entered the bus. Malena shifted her weight on the seat and faced forward. The bus was crammed and the smell of half-rotten produce and bodies in desperate need of a shower had taken over. Malena refrained from scratching her legs, which had started to itch just thinking about all the germs floating about. She reminded herself they would arrive shortly. The day they’d gone for their measurements, it had only taken fifteen minutes to get there. Then again, Javier had driven them in the Chevy.

The tires screeched and the bus came to a sudden halt. A booming smash sent Malena’s torso against the seat in front of her, like a rag doll. The passengers’ screams surpassed the music. Then, for the briefest moment, there was silence.

“What happened? What was that?” several voices asked in unison. Rubbing her sore collarbone, Malena turned to Claudia.

“Are you okay?”

The color had drained from Claudia’s face. Nodding, she rubbed her chin, which was quickly turning red.

Malena stood to look ahead. Through the windshield, she spotted the side of a small green car, the driver door squashed inward as though it was made out of paper instead of steel.

“It came out of nowhere,” the bus driver repeated again and again.

He turned off the ignition and climbed out, followed by a row of passengers.

“We should go,” Malena told Claudia, who seemed to be in some sort of trance. She barely nodded and followed Malena out of the bus like an automaton.

In the street, the driver and several passengers attempted to remove a young woman from the driver’s seat, but it was impossible to open the door. Another man broke the passenger’s window and unlocked the door. With the help of another bystander, they dragged the woman out. Her face and her hair were filled with blood and her eyes were shut. There were pieces of glass and metal all over the pavement.

If only Malena had taken her nursing studies more seriously, she could have helped this poor woman, but she stood there paralyzed, unable to remember the steps she was supposed to take in case of an emergency. Check for breathing. Roll person onto one side. She took a step toward them, but Claudia grabbed her arm.

“Let’s go,” she said.

“Wait, no, I want to help—”

“No. Let’s go.” Claudia’s hands were shaking, her eyes were wide in shock. “Now.”

Malena feared that at any moment, Claudia would snap and start screaming like a lunatic. If she didn’t faint first.

“But …”

Claudia walked past the wreckage with brisk, long steps.

“Wait!” Malena said.

But Claudia didn’t listen; she darted down the street as though escaping a fire. What had taken over her? Malena was now running—as much as her heels allowed her to—to keep up with Claudia.

After three blocks, Claudia finally stopped. She held on to a light post, her chest heaving.

Malena placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right?”

She jerked away. “Don’t touch me.”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Look, I understand why you’re upset. That was not a pretty scene over there.”

“You don’t understand anything.” Claudia’s voice quivered. She looked at her with disdain, hatred even. “Why did you have to come here? You’ve ruined everything.”

Was this about Sebastian? Did Claudia know how she felt?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Malena said. “But there’s nothing between Sebastian and me, I swear. It was just a dance. We were only trying to help Amanda with her business.” She felt a couple of raindrops on her nose. “Look, I’m sorry for dancing with your fiancé, okay? Now can we go help that poor woman?”

“No, you’re not sorry. You love to be the center of attention.”

The center of attention? How? She’d spent her entire life on the sidelines.

Malena turned around but Claudia gripped her arm. “You’re going to listen to me now!”

Malena jerked away.

“I’m not easily fooled like the rest of my family,” Claudia said. “I can see right through you. You’re a hypocrite!”

“And you’re a prude!”

“Better to be a prude than a whore who sleeps around with married men.”

Malena crossed her arms to keep herself from punching Claudia in the face.

Claudia pointed a finger at her. “I know all about you, Liliana.”

Malena slapped away Claudia’s finger. “Look who’s talking about being a hypocrite! If you’re so decent, then what were you doing last night with Sebastian? Why did he drop you off at dawn?”

She stiffened. “Nothing happened between us.”

“Oh, really? Why should I believe you?”

Claudia kicked a stone. Malena wanted to believe Claudia’s words, but she couldn’t imagine what else the two of them could have been doing together so late. Jagged flashes of lightning broke the gray clouds above their heads.

“It’s going to rain,” Malena said. “Come on. Hurry.”

“No! I don’t want to go back there!” Claudia covered her face with her hands.

Should she leave her here? Alone? Malena had never seen Claudia so unhinged.

A loud clap of thunder made both of them jump.

“Do whatever you please.” Claudia covered her head with her powder-blue sweater. “I’m going to the seamstress’s house.”

Damn. She should follow Claudia if she didn’t want to get lost. She didn’t know this part of town at all. Rushing behind Claudia, Malena prayed the woman in the accident would make it to the hospital alive.

The rain began, and soon it was pouring so hard it was impossible to determine what was curb and what was street, but Malena eventually caught up with Claudia, whose ordinarily pristine hair was now soaked and getting stuck to her cheeks. Claudia stepped hard in a puddle, splashing dirty water on Malena’s white swing skirt. Great, it had to be this skirt.

Claudia grinned. “Don’t be mad. It was an accident.”

“With that stupid smile on your face you expect me to believe it was an accident?”

“I’m just doing you a favor, really, as much as you like to clean.”

Malena kicked the same puddle and splashed Claudia.

“Of course, such would be the reaction of someone so uncivilized.”

Malena scooped up a handful of mud, ignoring the yucky feeling between her fingers, and threw it at Claudia’s chest. “I’m tired of your superior attitude.”

Claudia responded with a mud ball of her own. In this battle, mud was not the only thing thrown; they hurled at each other every insult they could think of.

So drenched and muddy from head to toe she was barely recognizable, Malena started to laugh. Claudia paused and soon followed suit. It was hard to believe that this was Ana’s daughter. If only Sebastian could see his proper bride now! But Malena was more surprised with herself. She’d never made such a mess of herself before, not even as a child.

By the time they arrived at the seamstress’s house, they were both shivering and covered in mud.

“Señorita Claudia!” the seamstress said. “Please come in!”

The seamstress, Nadia, was a miniscule woman with cinnamon hair in a statuesque bouffant that made her head look too big for her body. She led them to a bright den where the rain clattered so heavily it seemed like it would crack the skylight ceiling. They stood by a flower-print couch, looking at their ridiculous reflections in a floor-to-ceiling mirror. In the back was a mannequin, a sewing machine, and a variety of dresses hanging from a coat stand.

“Take those clothes off,” Nadia said. “I’ll go get some towels.”

Awkwardly, the two of them stripped off their muddy outfits, or what was left of them. As Claudia removed her panty hose, Malena spotted a piece of fabric sticking out of her brassiere. At first, she couldn’t tell what it was, but then she realized Claudia had been using handkerchiefs as padding to make her breasts look fuller. Malena smiled. She’d never imagined Claudia to be so vain or care about the size of her breasts.

“That’s weird,” Claudia said. “Tía Amanda has the same birthmark on her thigh.”

Self-consciously, Malena rubbed the coin-sized strawberry birthmark on her leg. She’d always despised her birthmark, as hideous as it was, but now the thought of Amanda having one made it somehow more acceptable. Claudia’s comment sent her mind wandering, making connections she’d never thought of before. She remembered what her grandmother had told her about her birthmark when she asked about it.

A birthmark like hers, she’d explained, appeared when a pregnant mother had a craving for strawberries that wasn’t fulfilled, or if the woman experienced fear during pregnancy.

“Your mother must have one, too.” Claudia unzipped her skirt. “I’ve heard those things are passed down only from the mother.”

Nadia reappeared with a couple of tangerine towels and robes for them. Malena snatched one of the towels and quickly dried her legs with it. Then, she slipped into a mint robe with white orchids and peacocks spread throughout.

“You girls may shower here and then I’ll bring some nice, warm agua de tomillo so you don’t catch a cold,” Nadia said and disappeared down the hall.