Luisito was very excited about the championship game coming up, but he was even more concerned about getting to Miami.
“Are we going to Miami for Christmas?” Luisito asked one night at dinner.
“I am not sure if your father can get time off from work,” José said.
“That is true, Luisito,” his dad said.
“I really want to go” Luisito said.
“Don’t worry. If we can’t go now we will go for spring vacation,” Rosie said.
Luisito quietly finished his dinner, pondering how to get to Florida.
That night he remembered that Abuela always prayed when she needed to make a decision. He could try that as well. He closed his eyes and found himself praying to Our Lady of Charity and asking her to guide him to her shrine somehow. He opened his eyes and waited. He wondered how she would guide him. Would a limo suddenly be waiting at his door? Would God phone him? The thought made Luisito smile, but in all seriousness he didn’t know how our Lady could help him. For a minute the whole prayer thing seemed absurd, but all he could do was trust and hope that things would turn out right, just as Abuela trusted.
He was getting sleepy. His body ached from the grueling basketball practices. As he lay there he suddenly realized that he couldn’t do this on his own. He needed to trust someone with his secret.
“Tommy, are you awake?” Luisito asked.
Tommy rolled over. “What is it?” he said sleepily.
“Do you think Sonia could drive us to Miami?” asked Luisito.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” he said.
“Why not?” Luisito said.
“Number one, Mom would kill her,” said Tommy, now wide awake. “Number two,” he said, pausing. “Number two doesn’t actually matter because, as I said before, Mom would kill her.”
“It’s really important,” Luisito started explaining in a whisper. “Before I left Cuba Abuela whispered something in my ear.”
Tommy was sitting up in bed with his eyes wide open. “What did she say?” he asked.
“She told me it was very important to tell a particular Cuban priest in Miami these two things,” he said, pausing.
“Well?” Tommy wanted to know.
“First, she said to tell him Exodus 32:1–35, and then she said to let him know that his mother was waiting for him in Italy,” Luisito said, feeling a sudden relief to share that with someone.
“Creepy!” Tommy said.
“Why do you say that?” Luisito said.
“Well, that was the same Bible verse on the sign of the man you saw on the street,” Tommy said.
“No, no,” Luisito said. “I made that up. Sorry. I just wanted you to read that Bible verse to me. I wasn’t ready to tell you the secret just then.”
“Why?” Tommy said. “What’s the big mystery? Tell my folks and then they would make sure to take us to Miami quickly.”
“That would be easy, but Abuela also said not to tell anyone,” Luisito said. “I had to tell you because there is no way I can get to Miami without your help.”
“Why would she say not to tell anyone?” Tommy said.
At that moment, Sonia knocked on the door, then opened it without waiting for a response.
“Hey, Tommy,” she said, “did you leave the phone off the hook?”
“Oops, sorry,” he said, looking toward the phone stand in his room.
“Great!” Sonia was visibly upset. “I’m sure he called me and couldn’t get through!”
“Who’s he?” said Luisito to Tommy.
“Beats me,” he answered and shrugged.
“I heard that!” said Sonia as she stomped away.
“Wait!” Luisito yelled. “We need to talk to you.”
“I don’t think that is a good idea,” Tommy said.
“Well, it’s the only idea I have right now,” Luisito said.
“What mess did you guys get into?” Sonia asked, walking back into the room.
Luisito told her about the secret and how she couldn’t tell anyone.
“Of course, you can count on me!” she said, smiling. “This is the most exciting thing that has happened to me since William asked me to go to junior prom with him!”
“I say we do like in the movies and set out on an adventure, just the three of us,” said Tommy, getting very excited.
“Yes, brilliant idea. We can get into all sorts of trouble . . . or we could tell Mom and get the job done quickly,” Sonia said.
“I hate when she is all practical,” Tommy said, making a face.
“Well, what if she tells my parents and they don’t want me to get involved and I can’t carry out Abuela’s plan?” Luisito said.
“We’ll tell her to keep it a secret,” Sonia replied. “She won’t tell anyone because we are ‘doing it for Cuba.’” Sonia smiled. “You know how she always wants us to feel proud of our heritage.”
“She’s got a point,” Tommy said, looking at Luisito.
“Okay. I will tell her tomorrow after dinner,” Luisito said.
“Tell her now,” Sonia said. “Your parents are in their room and she is watching a movie with Dad.”
“I wanted to tell her alone,” Luisito said.
“Oh, Dad fell asleep beside her,” Sonia said. “Mom had to put up the volume because of his snoring. Go, go now!”
Luisito got up from his bed to go talk to Rosie. A minute ago he had felt relief in sharing his secret with his cousins, but now he was afraid. Two people knew and he had to tell a third.
Luisito slowly tiptoed down the stairs. How would he tell her? What if she said no and told his parents? Is this what Abuela would want him to do?