CHAPTER 12 - CHANGE OF AIRS

A RINGING IN YOUR EAR AND THE WORLD SEEMED TO STOPPED SPINNING, THAT MOMENT WHEN YOUR HEAD STARTED TO HAVE A DIALOGUE THAT SEEMS ETERNAL BUT ONLY LASTS SECONDS IN REALITY, MY ONLY ACT WAS TO CALL MY FRIEND MARCUS AND ASK HIM TO PICK ME UP BECAUSE EVERYTHING ENDED AFTER BEING EXPELLED FROM HOME, I BELIEVE THAT IN MY MOTHER'S HEAD I HAD IN MIND THE EXPERIENCES WITH MY SISTERS WHO CRIED AND BEGGED NOT TO DO THIS I SIMPLY SAID: IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT? SHE REPLIED THAT IT WAS WHAT YOU WANTED. AS SOON AS MARCUS ARRIVED I TOOK MY CLOTHES THAT SHE HAD DELICIOUSLY PACKED IN SUPERMARKET BAGS AND I TOOK THEM WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER TOLD ME: MY DAUGHTER DOESN'T DO THAT AND I REPLIED THAT IT WAS MY MOTHER WHO DID IT, THE GRANDMA, NOT ME, SO SHE THOUGHT THAT A NEW STAGE WOULD BEGIN EVEN MORE WITH THE FEELING OF HAVING THE BRAIN ANESTHESIATED. ON THE WAY TALKING ABOUT HOW EVERYTHING HAPPENED WITH MARCUS I RECEIVED A BEAUTIFUL SERMON MARCUS SOMETIMES ACTED LIKE THE BROTHER I DIDN'T HAVE TELLING ME THAT I WAS WRONG FOR SPENDING TWO DAYS WITHOUT EVEN WANTING TO GIVE NEWS IF I WAS ALIVE I WOULD BE VERY ANGRY AT MOST INSIDE ME I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. I CALLED MY FRIEND WHO I HAD SUGGESTED YOU GUYS TO LIVE TOGETHER AND ASKED HER IF THE PROPOSAL WAS STILL ON AND SHE SAID YES AND THEN I SAID THEN I NEED IT TODAY BECAUSE MY MOTHER JUST SENT ME AWAY, SHE TOLD ME TO GO TO HER PARENTS' HOUSE SO THAT'S WHEN MARCUS LEFT ME WITH THE WARNING JUDGE JULIA. THAT WARNING SPLIT MY HEART THAT FEARED ME. I WAS THE BRAVE ONE IN MAIA'S HOUSE AND AS THE DAYS PASSED SHE ALWAYS WENT OUT AND ALWAYS WITH A LOT OF MONEY. I CONFESS THAT IT AWAKENED ME A CERTAIN CURIOSITY BECAUSE EVEN MAIA HAD A BETTER FINANCIAL SITUATION BECAUSE OF HER FATHER. THERE WAS A COMPANY THAT MANUFACTURED COMPUTER PRODUCTS, BUT IT DIDN'T GIVE HER MUCH MONEY BECAUSE SHE HAD LEFT SCHOOL AND DIDN'T WANT TO WORK. THAT INTRIGUED ME. I WAS ON THE BUS ALL MONTH AND DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO SPEND. ONE DAY I ENDED UP IN A SCENE WHERE I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE MAIA FIGHTING HORRIBLY WITH HER FATHER WHO WAS OLD WITHOUT THE MINIMUM OF RESPECT, BECAUSE IF I HAD ANY ATTITUDE LIKE MY MOTHER SHE WOULD HAVE ALREADY BROKE MY FACE, WHEN SHE WAS KNOWING AND DEMANDING THAT HE HELP US RENT AND BUY THINGS FOR AN APARTMENT AND HE ASKED HER TO WAIT A LITTLE LONGER AND SHE DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT. WHEN SHE WENT TO THE ROOM WE WERE SHARING I TALKED TO HER BECAUSE UNCLE ÁLVARO WAS A SWEET MAN AND HE DIDN'T DESERVE THIS FROM HER I DON'T KNOW IF HE HEARD OUR CONVERSATION FOR MORE TWO HOURS HE CALLED US TO MAKE MAIA'S DEMANDS AND HE WAS ALWAYS SMILE, I DON'T KNOW IF HE KNEW THAT I WOULD BE LIKE THE JIMNY CRICKET IN PINOCCHIO BUT WE WERE. I TOLD HIM I WOULD PAY THE RENT AND HE KINDLY TOLD ME YOU DON'T NEED THAT, DAUGHTER, YOU NEED TO HAVE MONEY IN CASE I HAVE LOST SOMETHING THAT I FORGET, AND WE RENTED THE APARTMENT AND WE CAN'T BUY MANY THINGS, BUT THE STOVE, THE REFRIGERATOR, THE MATTRESSES AND CLOTHES, THE BED THINGS WENT ALONG, EVERYTHING WAS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN TWO DAYS AT OUR NEW HOUSE. I GAVE MY SISTERS THE ADDRESS AND TOLD THEM THAT IN TWO DAYS I WOULD BE MOVING IN. TWO DAYS PASSED IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE. WE CLEANED EVERYTHING AND PUT EVERYTHING AND ALMOST NOTHING IN ITS PLACE. YOUR ÁLVARO GAVE US A SMALL CLOSET TO STORE OUR CLOTHES AND THERE WAS A NEW HOUSE. IT DIDN'T TAKE MAIA LONG TO SCHEDULE A HOUSEWARMING PARTY, BUT I NEVER WANTED TO FILL THE HOUSE WITH PEOPLE, INCLUDING PEOPLE I DIDN'T KNOW, SO I FOUND MYSELF GIVING MAIA ADVICE, LET'S DO THIS SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN HERE, BUT NO RESPONSE FROM MAIA.