Chapter Fifteen
"Really Tony, it’s not like I’m totally helpless.
Just walk behind me." I snicker as we exit the elevator. Tony had practically carried me from the car through
the lobby of the hotel.
"Sis, I’m just trying to help." Tony replies as we round the corner.
"Well, I appreciate you trying, but you’re trying to hard. I can do this on my own. I was walking fine around
the hospital yesterday." I remark as we near the suits at the end of the hall. Tony pulls out a card and slides
it through the lock. He opens the door and holds it for me. I gingerly enter the spacious room, and glance around.
It’s very open and a door is opposite from the bathroom.
"Closet?" I ask, pointing at it.
"No, that’s a door to father and my room. We’re right next door." He answers.
"Oh. I see." I walk over to the door and knock on it in a rhythmic beat, leaving the last few knocks
out. A few seconds later, there is a knocking reply coming through the door, and a minute later, it opens. My father
stands on the other side, wearing a pair of khaki pants and blue button down shirt. His dark brown hair was slicked
back, and his olive eyes pierced mine.
"Hello Maria. I’m so glad you’re outta that hospital." He perkily remarks, pulling me in for a gentle
hug.
"Thanks father. I’m so happy to be outta that hospital too. It was just awful!" I laugh lightly as he
pulls away.
"Shall we celebrate your departure in your room or ours?" Tony asks, smiling from ear to ear. I lean
over my father and peek into their hotel room. Clothes were laying on the floor, chairs, and beds. The beds were
unmade, and all together, it looks like a tornado decided to go through.
"Um, I think it’s best if we stick with mine. I wouldn’t want to mess your room up."
"Funny Maria. Very funny." Tony sarcastically replies.
"I like to think I am." I say sweetly. I smile brightly, as my brother snickers and walks past me. Over
to the hotel mini-bar he goes, and my eyes follow his every movement. He pulls out three cans of Squirt and places
them on the table. I will my feet to move and go sit on the small couch. My father comes to sit next to me, and
hands me a can. I sip it gingerly as Tony pulls up a chair and sits across from us.
"Your mother come to visit you this morning?" Father asks, breaking the silence which was looming in
the air.
"Yes. Her, Theresa, and Miguel. You saw Theresa yesterday, but you wouldn’t believe how much Miguel’s grown.
He’s a total stud, Theresa said." I excitedly ramble.
"Don’t let Maria fool you into thinking that’s all he is. He’s really a great kid. Very polite and respectful.
Not at all like Luis." Tony bitterly adds.
"Tony, you shouldn’t be so hard on Luis." Father reminds him.
"I know. It’s just amazing, that’s all. He helped raise both Theresa and Miguel, and they’re both so different
from him. It’s like they saw him and decided to be the opposite." Tony defends.
"Father’s right Tony. I’m not saying I forgive Luis, but he did what he thought was necessary in all circumstances."
I interject.
"Oh you’re not going soft on him too." Tony whines.
"No, I’m just saying we should give him a chance." I reply.
"But you remember how he acted yesterday." Tony argues.
"You both were acting like complete jerks if you want my opinion." I snap.
"So if he was to just come up and apologize to you, you’d forgive him?"
"No, it’d have to be a heartfelt apology. Something he’s truly sorry for. I don’t want no half-assed apology."
I shake my head lightly as I answer his comment.
"You both need to have patients with Luis. He’s always been competing for attention. Tony, you always showed
favoritism and that hurt Luis. He did everything he could to impress you." Father states.
"He’s right Tony." I sigh, trying to convince my brother to lighten up.
Tony runs his hand through his raven hair, and his deep green eyes look skyward. He rolls his neck, cracking it
at the same time.
"God Tony! You know I hate it when you do that!" I yell out at him, disgust in my voice.
"That’s why I do it." Tony smirks, prompting me to through one of the decorative pillows at him.
"Here we go again." Father mumbles, as the small pillow fight begins to grow.
A sudden knock on my door stops us a half an hour later. Father, Tony, and I all lay on the floor, pillows and
blankets tossed around my dismantled room. The remains of the pillow fight still apparent.
"Did you order something?" I ask Tony.
"No. I don’t know who that could be." Tony replies, furrowing his brow. The person knocks again, this
time a bit more impatient.
"Help me clean this junk up." I whisper to the two men in my life. We quickly get up to our feet and
begin putting the blankets back on the bed.
The person knocks again, and I call out, "just a minute." We scurry around the room, placing the fallen
lamps in their proper places, and finally putting the pillows back in order.
I hustle over to the door, and open it, without looking through the peep hole.
"Luis! What a....surprise!" I shout out, my eyes widening. I glance back at the room behind me, and a
sudden panic races through me.
"Hi Paloma. Mama wanted me to stop by, and well, I wanted to too. What’s going on here? You’re hair’s all
messed up, that’s not like you." Luis comments, trying to look past me and into the room.
"Nothings wrong Luis. Me and Tony were just having a pillow fight." I deny quickly.
"Are you sure that’s all? You seem a little edgy." Luis point out. ‘Damn, he’s good.’ I think, nervously
glancing back again.
"What’s back there?" Luis asks.
"Nothing, nothing." I shake my head.
"Well then, you won’t mind if I come in." Luis smiles.
"Well, I’d rather you didn’t. It’s really a mess." I say. A loud crash comes from the back room, and
father can be heard swearing.
"That’s not Antonio’s voice Paloma. And definitely not Hank’s." Luis glares, an anger coming upon his
face as he pushes past me. He walks into the back bedroom before I can speak. I stay put by the door, listening.
"Papa?" I faintly hear, before a loud thud. I race towards the back room, and find Luis passed out on
the floor, my father and Tony surrounding him. |
