La India

The day couldn’t have gone any slower.

At lunch I sat with my boys only to be dragged off by my cousin. She dragged me out of the lunchroom and into the hall.

“Are you meeting Venecia after school?” she barely whispered.

“I was planning on it,” I shrugged.

“Good,” she sighed. “She was almost heartbroken before. I don’t want to see her crying over you again.”

“You knew my reason for not reading the letter. If anything, you shouldn’t have encouraged her.”

“Do you think I didn’t warn her? She knows about your complete obsession with that woman! I was surprised by her calm and confidence. She’s determined, Miguel. That’s for sure.”

“I wasn’t obsessed.” The words were bitter.

Rosana burned holes through my retinas, “Call it what you want. I was surprised she didn’t pull you up against a wall and break everything down for you.”

“She’s not you.”

“That’s obvious. She’s too shy to even speak to you. All these letters. You won’t even believe it! She has rough drafts and everything.”

“And you say I’m obsessed,” I shook my head before stepping off to leave.

“Are you sure you’re going to meet her?”

I turned to look back at my cousin, “Where is she now?”

Rosana’s eyes narrowed. “She’s still in class.”

“Which room?”

“What does it matter?” She crossed her arms.

“If you won’t tell me then just take me to her.”

She stood there for a while giving me a strange look. After a long moment, she grabbed my arm and brought me to the second floor.

When we reached the door of the right class, I could see Venecia through the small window in the door. She sat in the front, perfectly straight with her legs crossed.

Her eyes stayed glued on the professor. I wasn’t sure how to distract her. Rosana poked my arm.

“What are you doing?” she hissed.

“Scheming,” I whispered.

“If you want to see Venecia now I can take her out of the class,” she smiled.

“How?”

“Step back,” she knocked on the door twice. Then she walked in.

“Excuse me, sir. I need my cousin for a minute. It’s a family emergency.”

“That’s all very well, miss, but who is your cousin?” the professor answered.

“Miss Venecia Guerra.”

“I see. Miss Guerra, you may step out. Take as long as you need.”

I stepped back as far as I could. The halls were badly lit so I could hide behind a corner and not be seen.

Rosana had already stepped outside the classroom and stood waiting for Venecia. When the door closed, I could hear their heels click closer to where I was. They stopped.

“You gave Miguel the letter this morning right?”

“Yes, I did. What was with the strange excuse? We aren’t related.”

“That’s not the point. I have lunch with Miguel now. He asked me to come get you.”

“Where is he?”

“Well, he was with me.”

I was guessing that was my cue. I walked out from behind the corner and was surprised as to how close they had been.

Venecia looked almost afraid. The voice I had heard earlier couldn’t have been hers. It was so confident. Not the tiny voice I had heard this morning.

Rosana had begun to walk away. When Venecia noticed, she turned and almost made a run for it. I held onto her hand as delicately as I could. She noticed this too and stopped trying to run.

She turned back to me with the face of a child. She looked pretty like this. But when her face was strong and confident, she looked like a beautiful woman who could rival Manzanita.

I let go of her hand but she reached for mine again. I wasn’t even sure why I was there anymore.

“What do you say?” her tiny voice was startling in the dead quiet of the hall.

“I’ll meet you at the library. Be brave, though.”

“What do you mean?”

“Right now you look like a child you’re so scared. I heard you speak with confidence. I’m sure that’s who you really are, not this child that’s standing in front of me right now.”

She looked away for a moment. I was sure I had hurt her feelings.

“Venecia, I’m sorry for being so rude. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s not that,” her voice was more enforced. “You’re right but you don’t know what you do to me. My heart screams, my lungs clench, my stomach flutters. I feel dozens of things at the same time when I’m near you. It’s a little scary. My shyness takes over and this confidence hides itself deep inside me.”

“I think that’s the most you have ever said to me,” I smiled.

She looked up at me and smiled.

“Listen, you should go back to class. I’ll meet you at the library later,” I kissed her forehead and walked back to the lunchroom.