Sol: Cousins & Friends, #7

By Clotilde Martinez

          Susana Casais never claim to be beautiful or intelligent or anything that might get others to notice her. For an introvert like Susana, attention of any kind was a big no. She like her list of daily routines which laid out the ground rules of what need to be done that particular day. But nothing on the list has prepare her for the "take no prisoners." Alpha male from Jersey and his daughter.

                                Years ago, Derrick George lost the love of his life and the mother of his preteen daughter Marie in a tragic road accident.  Hoping for some kind of closure, Derrick decides to visit his cousins Febronia, Julia and Holly in Ardura. Love is the last thing he expects to find along the quaint Galician seacoast. Certainly, not with the 'afraid of her own shadow' storyteller.

                               Opposite do attract. Much to the delight of their families and friends and especially Emily, Derrick's daughter. But there is one person who is not happy with the new couple. She will stop at nothing in her quest to destroy Susana's growing relationship with Derrick

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aranga2Cee
• Release date: Aug 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386602903

Clotilde Martinez

For those who are curious to know about me. Here’s a few tidbits. This Jersey girl comes from a large super close Galician family. My siblings and cousins were the first to rallied around me when I was diagnosed with both ovarian and uterine cancer. After working overnight, my brother drove to the hospital where I was getting my surgery. My sister held my hand when I went to my first chemo treatment. My other brother drove me back and forth to my treatments. Cancer for me has been a blessing. It sounds weird saying that but it’s the truth. I have so many people praying for me, sending me positive thoughts, that it gave me the strength to deal with the aftermath of the treatments. When I lost hair, I couldn’t stop staring at myself in mirror. Which I could explained how powerful and how fucking beautiful I felt in my bald head stage. The hair has grown back. It’s curly. The color’s now salt and pepper. I’m rocking it.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

It is not too late , I told myself as I reached to grab the package of sanitary napkins off the store shelf. Just walked away and pretend that you didn’t see her. Ignore that feeling you are getting that she looks confuse. This is probably her first time. Don’t you remember your first time?  I do.

Mama Aurora and Mama Mercedes explain to me in details on what I should expect. They didn’t even bother sparing me the gory details. I wonder if this girl’s mother gave her the same speech. Speaking of mothers, where is she? Doesn’t she know that this is an important day in her daughter’s life? Although she does look a bit young to be starting her menstrual cycle. I was ten when I started mine.  Running her hand through her wheat colored hair, she sighed despairing.

That was when I realize that her mother wasn’t coming. Maybe she was working. My heart broke for this girl. It was obvious that someone had to do something. It wasn’t going to be me.  Not need to get myself involve. Not when there is a perfectly good salesclerk to help her. Wait, where is that salesclerk going? Get back here, the girl needs you.  Don’t panic, Susana, someone else will be here soon. Grab the package and go.

What is wrong with my bloody feet? Why are they walking towards the girl? Don’t say anything, Susana. Pretend you didn’t see her. Hi. I said. The girl looked up at me.  Fear shone in her light green eyes as she took several steps back.  Good going, Susana. Nice of you to listen to your gut. Not! Leave the girl alone and maybe you can walk out of her in one piece. I –

Before I could finish my sentence, the girl bellows for her father. There was no need for me to turn around when the girl ran straight to whoever was behind me. Not when his voice reminded me as a hurricane to be reckon with. Still, one look won’t hurt. Once again, I have proved myself wrong on these matters. A mere human might not hurt me but him- that’s another story.

It is not too late for me to begged for mercy from this Celtic God. His impenetrable arm wrapped around the girl. Hugging her tight to him. His hair reminding me of a fuming sunset. Which seem fitting if you take into the account the menacing scowl on his broad features. And those eyes- dark green with flecks of gold. Without a doubt, those eyes were the inspiration for Fangorn Forest.

I’m sorry I started off. He brushed me off. I don’t fucking give a damn for your apologies!  Huh? Wait, I thought that the gods offered you some kind of compassion when you apologize. Although why am I apologizing when I did nothing wrong is a question that I going to have a hard time answering to. He’s still talking?

I couldn’t help but notice that your daughter - 

He spat out the words before I could even digest what was going on.

You revolting piece of shit. You thought that my baby girl was fair game. What is he talking about? What game? I thought she need help in which maxi pads to choose from.

. I’m not sure what is going on?

He cut me off. I don’t give a fucking crap. You stay away from my girl, you fucking pervert. If I see you near her, I will have you arrest.  I could hear nothing but the snickers that came from behind me.

This is my fault. I should have ordered the sanitary napkins online. Not that I need them. But no, I had to venture to the store today. I know I promise my parents that I will try to socialize more. Still, I didn’t bargain on being humiliated at the store. I tried to flee but my path was blocked by the mob.

Where’s the fire, pervert? said one man who tried to grab me.

Let me go. I said, kicking my way through. Tears streamed down my face as I flew the outside air on my face. Never again will I go to that store.

My hands shook as I put the key into my car door and open. I slid in and closed the door. All I want to do now was to cry and possibly throw a brick or two at the demigod. How dare he called me a monster! He has no right to insult me. Not when I only want to help his daughter.

But now, this is not the place nor the time. They are coming. Starting up the engine. I drove off before the mob knew that I was missing.  Apartment building sweet apartment building. Can’t tell you how happy I am to see your concrete walls, wooden floors and stairs that creek your presence the moment you place a foot on them. I could have taken the elevator.

After all, my apartment is on the third floor. I shook my head. Who was I kidding? With my luck, there would have been another person or two in the elevator. The talkative kind too. The ones will think that there was something wrong with me when I don’t answer back right back.

A part of me couldn’t help but agree with them.  Papa Carlos told me that there was nothing wrong with being shy. As if it was perfectly normal for a body just to laid back and do nothing. I want to talk. Let everyone know that here’s Susana. Hear her roar. How can I roar when I can barely manage to purred?  Papa Jacquinto was fond of telling me there is a time and place for everything.

You time will come, my precious treasure. Trust me.  My precious treasure- that was my parents’ nickname for me.  There was no doubt in my mind where I stood with my parents. They love me as much as I love them. There is not many who could honestly answer that they had a happy childhood with their two moms and two dads. Or that we all live happily in the same house.

I remember people mumbling that it was not normal. The word pervert was tossed around a lot. One woman even said that my parents were going to hell for their devilish ways. Which didn’t make sense to me. How can my parents go to hell for being good parents?

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize that I have arrived at my apartment until I put the key into the slot.  The clock on the kitchen wall told me that I had enough time to make a sandwich before I head off to work. One chorizon sandwich later, I was ready to start my job. But first where did I put my notes?

Edna Zapata is going to want to know my thoughts about the articles that she sent me.  If you haven’t guessed it by now, Edna is my boss. There they are. My notes right next to my laptop, the only thing that is truly mine in this apartment. Everything else including the table that my laptop is resting on belong to the previous tenant who sometimes stops by to see how I am doing or if I have seen her pet cat Mika. Most of the time, Vanessa and her husband Frolian keep to themselves.  Their apartment was located at the other end of the building.

They were the first people I meet when I came to Ardura. Alvaro introduce me to them. He wanted me to know the people that he and his sister Gemma were friends with. Gemma is currently living the nomad life with her freelance photographer husband Nathan. It must be nice to travel the world. See new faces, embrace new cultures or maybe gain a friend or two.

Nathan’s sense of adventure was the reason why he came to Ardura in the first place. His best friend Holly was the reason. They meet during the pilgrimage to Santiago. Holly’s sister Julia had planted the seeds of the religious experience in her sister’s head when she mentioned about her husband Arturo’s own pilgrimage.

Needless to said, that Julia won’t have met Arturo if it weren’t for a 3 am phone call that her cousin Febronia answer which set up the events that change their lives for the better.  I know that mine change when I first saw Alvaro and his friends on the news. A friend of theirs had simply vanish. No one could find a trace of her anywhere. Whoever this woman was, you could see what her disappearance was doing to her friends especially Alvaro.

The man would not stop searching for her. She was in his blood. Until one day, the unexpected happen. Alvaro gave up. His Carolina didn’t want to be found. To this day, I still remember the look on his face as he swallowed that bitter pill. A few days later, he asked me out. Yes, I was thrown for a loop. Guys don’t ask me out unless they are dare to.

Enrique Lago can testify to that. I couldn’t believe when he first asked me to our school dance. After all, he and I barely said two words to each other during the eleven years of school. He was outgoing, popular. Basically, he was my opposite. Once, I overheard a classmate joke that pencil sharpener was more entertaining than me. That stunned but when Enrique ask me, I thought that this was my chance to shine. My parents pitch in and brought me the most beautiful dress I ever saw. The color was a slivery blue.

I couldn’t believe when Enrique picked me up in a limo. For the first time in my life, I felt like a princess. When we arrive at the dance, I felt all eyes on us. Including Enrique’s former girlfriend Merinda Nieves, the one he dated for what it seemed to be eternity.  Enrique excused himself to go get us drinks. Twenty minutes later, I’m still waiting for Enrique to come back with his drinks. An hour passes by. No Enrique. I tried to mingle but people either clammed up or move when I approach.

It makes me wondered if I forgot to put on deodorant. I was about to go search for him when the disc jockey started playing a slow song. Then I saw her in his arms. At that moment, I realize that I was not a princess. I was merely a pawn that Enrique used to get Merinda back. It was a bitter lesson to learn and one that I never forgot.

Using the emergency money that Papa gave me, I called for a cab and hightailed out of the dance. My parents didn’t bombard me with questions when I arrive home. Instead, they laid out a tray of sandwiches, hot tea, and an array of videos from my favorite genre- horror. They knew I will tell them what went wrong at the dance in due time. For now, they allowed me this moment of peace.

Back to my first date with Alvaro. It wasn’t much of date as all we did was talk. Rather, he talked. I listened to his stories about Carolina. Who she was. What she meant to him. That should have told me not to accept another date from him but I did. Once again, the ghost of his one true love was there with us. I was starting to think that maybe I was a sucker for punishment as I kept going out on dates with him.

Then one night, Alvaro surprise me by asking me about me. I told him about my horror movie collection. How I hope that one day to meet my favorite horror movie icon. That I major in ancient studies at the university Papa Jacquinto worked at. He was chairperson of the psychology department. My relationship with Alvaro was comfortable as a pair of broken in sneakers. I enjoy being with him but I wasn’t sure that I love him the way he deserved. To tell you the truth, I don’t think that Alvaro felt the same way about me. In a sense, we both need each other for the company.

Which is probably the reason why I said yes to his marriage proposal. Even more shocking was the way his friends accept me into their group. My parents were accepting as well. Deep down they probably thought I was doom to a life of spinsterhood. Honestly, that didn’t really faze me. It was better to be alone and happy then live in a marriage of lies.

A year later, Carolina surfaced. This time, she did not come alone. You didn’t need a paternity test to know who fathered Adam. You could see it in his mannerisms. The way he stood in front of his mother protecting her. Adam captured a bit of my heart that night. I wished that I too might be bless to have a child just like Adam. However, Alvaro would not be my child’s father. There was no way I was going to stand in the way of true love. With tears in my eyes and a smile on my face, I gave Alvaro my blessings to go to Carolina.

You love her. I told him. The look on Alvaro’s face told me I made the right decision.

CHAPTER 2

Iwent back home to the people who knew me better than I knew myself. It was then I made the decision to break out of my shyness mold. I accompanied Papa Jacquinto to Korea where he was a guest lecturer at one of the local universities. Papa Jacquinto was kind enough to introduce me to the chairperson of ancient studies at the university.

Professor Hamin indulged my thirst for ancient folktales. He emails me once a month about any new stories he come across. After a while, I decided that it was time for me to get a job. The idea of complete strangers asking and poking had me wanting to go hide under the bed. Which might explain why I replied to the assistant editor assistant position when I came across the ad as I surfed the internet. There was no interview. I mean no face to face  interview.

Everything was done online. At first, I thought the job offer was joke until I saw my first paycheck. Afterwards, I like the idea of not having to commute. As long as I kept up with my workload, I could work from home. The invitation was no surprise. I want to be there to witness true love winning. Once again, I packed up Horatius and drove to the small town located along the Galician seacoast. The sign bearing the name of Ardura was a sight for this girl’s eyes. In no time, I was welcome back.

You could hear sniffing as Adam probably walked his mother down the aisle and then he took his rightful place next to his father.  It was a wedding that I never will forget for as long as I live. Afterwards, we went to Listo’s for the wedding reception. Arturo went out of his way for the menu he planned for the happy couple. It goes without saying the couple did have one request. Josefa or Fa as she is affectionally known as, honor their request by making her famous chicken and potato stew.

Frolian and Vanessa bake the wedding cake. Nathan who told the blushing bride that wild horses could not keep Gemma and him from celebrating her special day was the photographer. As for my role in all of this, it was simple. Keep the children entertained.

Which I did by telling the folk stories from the Far East and the ancient worlds where Gladiators fought in giant arenas, the Trojans were just one step from the winning the war and the Amazon Women were a force to reckon with. My parents were surprised when I decided to stay in Ardura.

Work was not an issue since I could work anywhere. Vanessa was looking for someone to give her apartment to. That’s the juice of it all. Now, I need to see what assignments are instore for me.  The pros and cons of pasteurized milk in the 21st century. That doesn’t seem too bad. I had work with this author on several occasions. Granted, the article doesn’t exactly sound exciting unless you are into pasteurized milk. However, this author not only checks her sources but she gives you links on where you could find out more.

Which is great for me since I’m always on the outlook for more knowledge. Let me see what the next article is about. Jazz music.  Vanessa likes jazz. I need to stop by Dulce and pick Vanessa’s brain on the musical genre. When I first move in, I was surprised to see no television set. Vanessa mention that she had no use for the set since she rarely watches television.

Next article. Strange, this must be a mistake. Most of my assignments are for magazines. I hardly ever do books. Perhaps, my boss decides to see if I could handle editing books. Let me start with the synopsis.  It starts off with There is one everywhere you go. One what, I wonder. You tried to avoid it but it is no use. Intriguing. Go on. Losers, perverts, the scums of the earth. Wow. I’m starting to get the hostile vibe from this author. That is just from the first few sentences.

The last sentence almost had me falling off the chair. Her name was Susana and she was my nightmare.

There aren’t too many stories where I share the same name as the main character. Needless to say, I was excited about the book. Until I saw the author’s name. Merinda. Somehow, I have a feeling that Susana in the book is actually me.  After the disastrous dance, Merinda make my life a living nightmare. She blamed me for accepting Enrique’s invitation.

Trust me if I knew what was going to go down at the dance, I would have never accepted any invitation. My parents got involved when I came home with my clothes savagely ripped. It was a case of she says versus she says. No one want to face Merinda’s wrath. Even the teachers were scared of her. As much as I want Merinda to be held responsible for her actions. I knew that was going to impossible. Another lesson for me to learn.

That the good guys don’t always win. I finished the rest of my school year at home. All of four of my parents took turn in teaching me. Although, I think Papa Carlos did enjoy teaching me the fundamentals of basic car mechanics. Maybe I should email my boss. Letting her know that since I know the author personally, it might not be a good idea for me to edit her book. On the other hand, if I do that, my boss will never give me another book assignment.

What is it that Mama Mercedes always told me? That’s right. Fight through your fears. Never give in. Always remember that we have your back. I turned around in my seat and look at the picture of the four smiling faces posted on my fridge’s door. That four who were always there for me. Getting up from the table, I walked over to the fridge. Already, I could feel their strength channeling into mine. I only wish it was enough.

CHAPTER 3

Vanessa’s knowledge about jazz music was astounding. Taking a bite of my éclair, I scribble down some of Vanessa’s insights in my notebook. The laptop was back at the apartment. Resting. Besides, I find that my brain works better when I have a pen in my hand. Do you think that jazz is somehow responsible for the breakdown of family values? I asked Vanessa as she sat down to join me.

Her brow slanted up. I’m not sure what you mean by that statement? Clarify it for me. 

Please don’t take this personally. I’m writing to understand this writer that I’m editing and since you know jazz music.

Vanessa waved me off.  Sus, you should know by that I’m a perfectly calm person. She was interrupted by Frolian’s Ahem. 

Continuing, Vanessa replied Expect that right now, this pregnancy is bring out a whole new side of me. Feb could have warned me about the mood swings. I’m happy and sad at the same time. I’m scared to death of being responsible for this precious soul that I’m carrying. What if I am not good enough? And Lian- that poor man has to deal with me and I have to tell you that isn’t easy. You know what helps me calm me down. Jazz. No matter what mood I am in, I have always found that jazz knows exactly what I need to bring me out of my funk.

My head nodded. I feel the same way about horror movies. Papa Jacquinto read in one if his psychology magazines that horror movies are responsible for the creation of serial killers. I didn’t agree and neither did Papa. Papa wrote to the editor of that magazine. Telling him that most horror movie fans are your everyday normal people who just happen to be horror movie fanatics.

Exactly. If anything, Jazz helped woman realize her worth. We continued to talk.  Vanessa’s sparkling green eyes glanced over to her husband who was serving one of the Sanchez sisters. Lian, I’m heading over to Listo’s, if there anything you want me to pick up.  Frolian handed the money before replying.

You are not picking up or lifting up anything. Before you protest, Arturo already knows not to let you carry anything. For crying out loud, Lian. Emilio didn’t say that I couldn’t carry a cup of soup for my stubborn jackass.

Coming from behind the corner, Frolian walked over to Vanessa and helped to her feet.  His arms encircled her. Humor me. You are my world, sweetheart. Before kissing her of her forehead.

A part of me felt fortunate to see true love at its finest. The other part was sighing sorrowfully. No man was going to tell me I was his world. Let alone use the term sweetheart. The red hair man with the massive shamrock tattooed on his neck  from the other day came to mind. Why am I thinking about him? Do I have a death wish? Besides, I am not his