Seven Stories for a Summer Afternoon Read online

  That woman looked at her with a damn clinical magnifying glass, but what hurt her most were Borja's hints. He was still angry, and her beloved sister was backing him up, they bugged her just to piss her off.

  When they parked, she felt she was going to pass out from the anxiety. She had to be strong and to hide her state.

  —Borjita! —said Maricarmen as soon as she saw him—. What a handsome guy you are, boy!

  —Oh, Maricarmen! And what about my curled chips?

  —Oh, my child! They are ready, do you think I would forget? —she said hugging him—. And Emmita?

  —She must be crossing herself before greeting Sarito. —Maricarmen laughed.

  —Don't be bad with my girl.

  —You know how much I love her, but lately she's acting more strangely than usual —he said without hesitation and went with the suitcases into the house.

  That response puzzled her.

  —I think that we will have angelic laughter in a while—murmured Jacobo, leaving her even more confused and that was accompanied by Iraida's smile, so she ended up frowning.

  And when she laughed like that, it was about something that was up to no good and affected someone in the family, then she saw Emma coming.

  —Oh, Emmita, my girl!—she exclaimed with joy, but then she noted the dark circles on her face—. Are you ill?

  —Intestinal flu —she responded to protect her lie.

  —What?—She looked at her from top to bottom and without much digging, she understood—. Oh, my God! —shouted. Emma immediately covered her mouth.

  —Mom... —shushed—. For once in your life, keep it for yourself.

  —But Emmita —she said murmuring—. How do you expect me not to be excited if it's what we were hoping for! —she made it clear to Emma, almost starting to shout again.

  —If you tell it to Conchi, I swear by the Virgin of the Pine that you'll never in your life see me again —she warned and Maricarmen's eyes opened, confused—. Borja said actively and passively that at the moment he doesn't want children and we've scored a goal.

  —Oh, Emmita, at some point he'll find it out, it's not so serious. Borjita is not as uncompromising as the others, and the belly is going to grow —she replied kind of offended for having to hide the great news—. Now I understand that comment from the poor guy that you were rare, it's the symptoms. —They heard Borja and Aday talking and approaching them.

  —Dear sister-in-law! What a beautiful you are!

  —Thank you, you are the only one who has told me that in last few days here —replied Emma with a certain irony. Borja snorted and circled her waist, kissing her cheek.

  —Sorry for being so irrational.

  —Don't worry —added Emma, regretting—. It's my fault, the stress has issued me a bill. —And before her mother let go of any nonsense, she looked at her with severity, although it was too late as she saw Aday lifting the thumb.

  Her secret was known by more and more people.

  19th of December

  Thanks to Iraida, she managed that the gynecologist gave her an appointment as soon as possible, but that day she was passing a big test, meeting with her aunt Sarito.

  The previous day, her mother didn't let her alone even for a moment. She was grateful to Aday who took Borja to catch waves, otherwise he would have drawn conclusions right away, as her mother was giving them plenty of tips and, not stopping there, hours later, returned from the supermarket with a quantity of things in order to relieve the discomfort of the symptoms, started making a ginger tea.

  —I thank you very much —she said a bit tired of all the attention—. If you continue treating me as a dying, Borja is going to notice, and not only him, also aunt Sarito, when she enters and sees all of that in the kitchen.

  —We'll manage —answered Maricarmen without giving it importance.

  —It's aunt Sarito and nothing escapes her —replied Emma.

  —And I am your mother and I can surely figure out how to mislead her —she indicated winking her. She breathed with patience, she had the feeling that her aunt would find it out right away.

  They heard the doorbell and Maricarmen pushed her daughter to open the door, in the meantime hiding everything. Emma thought of the thousands of excuses that she could give to her aunt.

  The haze, climate change, and, if she becomes very heavy, she would come out with one of hers. Although her Sarito always had an answer for everything and was capable of clinging to her something so colloquial as the lack of a chest sweat... because of a sweating of the chest is why she ended up in that state.

  The door opened, her aunt looked her up and down, adjusting her glasses and frowning.

  —Dear Emma, have you furrunguiado[6] a lot lately?

  —What? —she asked, bewildered.

  —You are pregnant!

  Emma wanted to die. Her aunt definitely was a witch, just upon seeing her, she knew, but she had to change her opinion by all means.

  —Aunt Sarito, I have come because of the email that you sent —she replied feigning certainty.

  —It was a guess —replied Sarito—, but your response confirms it. —"Damn it", she said to herself, Sarito continued watching her with a grin on her lips—. She guessed because of the ginger tea, the smell was all around in the house. —In that moment, Emma realized that she had fallen like a fool.

  —I regret to tell you that I'm not —she indicated, maintaining her dignity. She wouldn't give up no matter how much her aunt would insist.

  —If not you, then the little attorney-surfer is pregnant. Don't you tell me that it's some new scientific method? I'm going to ask him —she said, moving her away from the door.

  Emma begged that her mother helps her in that mess, but what she never imagined was seeing her with unflattering appearance, she looked as if someone had taken her out of a cave at midnight, wearing that frayed housecoat.

  —Sarito! Don't get too close. I have caught a virus, you already know, the winter. —Sarito stopped and looked at both women carefully.

  —You are pregnant! And the attorney-surfer doesn't know it.

  —This is a shit! —blurted out Emma, tired of hiding the news—. I don't know how all of you have realized, and, by your comments and attitudes, I'm going to end up signing the divorce as you predicted. —Sarito observed her, frowning.

  —I remember I said during the first year, and I'm not a fortune teller to predict it. In any case, my words weren't for you, but for the attorney-surfer, who made a cry girl out of you, and if he would dare to leave you with a child, he'll meet the wrath of Sarito the Nuts.

  Emma and Maricarmen's eyes opened and, after a second, the laughter of her mother was totally abnormal.

  —I would pay to see that, but my Borjita won't leave them. You know Emmita and she's exaggerating all of this. She wants to surprise him on Christmas Eve when we all raise the glasses.

  —And why the secrecy? —Sarito opened her eyes and crossed herself—. You made a cuckold of him!

  —Sarito! —shouted Maricarmen—. Of all the crap that you normally say, that is the worst that could appear in your head —Maricarmen scolded her, offended by those conclusions—. Why does she want to keep it secret is her business, and if I hear you rolling out some sarcastic hints, the one who will meet the wrath of the Nuts would be you?

  The aunt fidgeted a bit in her seat and raised her chin.

  —Let's see what stuff does have your mother here to help with that discomfort, I doubt they are of good quality.

  23th of December

  The day came to find out how many weeks she has been pregnant.

  After the visit from Sarito, the situation worsened. They all smiled at her and hugged her, except for Borja, who didn't understand what the hell was happening and he blamed it on the holidays, that special spirit that was hanging in the air, which made people totally change at Christmas.

  The previous afternoon they had decided to take a walk in the park Doramas and there, next to the waterfall
with fishes, they took a few pictures. In that moment, a little girl approached Borja and hugged one of his legs. He bowed toward her, surprised by this gesture.

  —Hello, little one.

  —Dad!

  Emma wanted to die, the fate conspired against her cruelly. Something like that had never happened before, but of course, it had to happen to her while she kept the greatest of the secrets.

  —Excuse me —one woman said glancing at the couple—. The children are so sensitive.

  Emma let out a nervous smile, while in her mind she was bumping her head against a wall. Borja dismissed the little girl and turned to her with a half smile on his lips, still surprised by what happened.

  —It has been cool that she called you dad. —Emma nodded with a heavy heart.

  —Don't tell me that the paternal instinct has appeared?

  —It has always been here, but what you've said many times, we currently do not have a lot of money and once when we will have a kid, I don't want that it misses anything.

  She forced herself to smile, worried by his reaction when she tells him the news. That morning she had to invent the excuse that she lacked some gifts. It wasn't a lie, she had bought just a couple, but the most important will happen in a few minutes.

  They entered the office near to the park Romano and sat, she being a ball of nerves. Iraida picked up a magazine and passed it on to her.

  —Take it, to get steeped in the process. Mummy! —And then she laughed loudly.

  —Idiot! —exclaimed Emma.

  She was tired that everyone who knew her secret in some way made fun of her, except for her father Jacobo, who invited her to take a walk through Las Canteras one of those afternoons and congratulated embracing her, immersing himself in a sea of emotions, telling her his memories of when she was born.

  —Emma Berriel —said a nurse.

  She took a deep breath, the time had come. She would have liked that Borja was with her, but as the days went by, she was convinced that it would be the best to tell him the news on Christmas Eve. She clung to the idea that the miracle would happen.

  The specialist introduced himself and asked a series of questions relating to their menstrual period and their contraceptive methods, and there she learned that the flu before the Jimmy's wedding was the cause that the pill stopped working.

  —Emma, now let's meet the future boy or girl, and to tell you how many months you are exactly pregnant.

  —Can I see it? —asked Iraida.

  —Of course.

  They entered another room where there were several devices. The specialist told her where she needed to undress. Emma took off her panties and came out with the nerves on the edge. The specialist entered and sat down turning on the device.

  —Very well, do you see that little bean on the screen? —Emma turned around, and as soon as she saw the image, she was touched, while the specialist was pointing out—. Now let's listen to the heartbeat.

  —Is it possible? —she asked excited.

  —Of course —he replied.

  He turned up the volume and the pum, pum in the rhythm of the heart was heard throughout the room, she started to cry, realizing that it was the best Christmas gift she could get.

  —Very well, everything is within the normal range. You have fifteen weeks and I'll let you discover together with the father the sex of the baby, so you both have a nice Christmas gift. —She couldn't respond because of the tears.

  The specialist caressed her arm, and then handed her a photograph and a CD with a video.

  —Yes, that will be the best gift —she said in awe.

  24 December, seven o'clock in the evening

  She was so nervous that the nausea had increased. Borja began to worry, and they ended up arguing again for refusing to go to the emergency room.

  —Definitely, you're more stubborn than ever —he reproached, leaving her alone and went surfing, not to end in anger that special day.

  In the afternoon she was a bit better, so she helped her mother with the food, but when she saw the gofio ball, had to run to the bathroom.

  —Oh, my daughter! I don't believe that you can't stand the gofio. And what would you give to the child when he grows up? —She ran toward her, covering her mouth.

  —Oh, ma’! If you want, you publish it in the Canarias 7[7] —she said to her ironically.

  —Oh, Emmita! —exclaimed Maricarmen—. I forget that he doesn't know. He is the only one in the house, I don't understand how he hasn't realized it. —She decided to ignore her mother, it was evident that he was happy and not for her pregnancy.

  At ten in the night they all heard the doorbell.

  —Borjita, please open the door —said Maricarmen.

  Emma frowned. The gesture that she had done putting the hands to her chest and smiling made her uneasy. Until she heard Borja screaming.

  —Mom! —Dad! What are you doing here?

  —Borja Daniel, you don't welcome your mother like that! —proclaim boastfully Conchi. She gave him two kisses and went straight to greet the Berriels—. We have decided to come to spend Christmas on the Canary Islands, Arantxa stayed in Germany and you two came here, so we refused to pass the holidays alone.

  Emma turned immediately towards her mother. This was not a coincidence, it was one of the traps that used to set up these two Machiavellian women. Conchi came to her smiling and so she knew that her mother had let the cat out of the bag.

  —What a thrill! But calm down, I will keep the secret.

  —What secret? —asked Borja looking at his mother, then at Emma, and finally at the hand of his mother over the belly of his wife—. What the fuck is going on? —he asked waiting for the truth.

  Emma looked at all of them. She didn't want things to end up like that, her plans always went wrong in the most disastrous way.

  —Well, what could be happening —said Sarito, returning from the kitchen, opening a can of brown sugar[8] and seeing that nobody spoke, she added—. That chest sweat has given a result, you've made a baby bump to my dear Emma.

  Borja looked at Emma, frowning, passed the hand over his head and pointed at her, but then turned around and went out to the terrace.

  —You always have to say the last word! —reproached Emma to her aunt and went out.

  It was the end of their marriage. Their love and times of happiness have been lasted for long. Again rose the curse of the thirtieth birthday.

  On the way out, she found him sitting, hammering the ground with his leg.

  —I don't know how to explain it to you —she began —. I struggled to accept it and it gave me the terror, and as you've always been saying that it wasn't the time yet, I thought that it would be best to tell you after a couple of drinks.

  —Were you seriously going to wait until I would be happy? I didn't know that I had turned into Shrek. Now I understand the change and discomfort. I don't deny that I'm puzzled and yes, I have said many times that the moment hasn't come yet, but things do change. What upsets me is that everyone knows it. I feel like a loser!

  —I'm sorry —said Emma—. In the end I mess up everything. —And she started to cry. Borja snorted, stood up and hugged her—. I swear that it wasn't on purpose —she explained between whines—. The day when I found out I got a panic attack and from then on everybody was saying that I'll be the worst mother on the planet.

  I'm about to end up believing that not only I will be a bad mother, but that I am a disastrous partner. I know that I have no idea of motherhood or how to raise a child, but they say I will leave it somewhere or, concerning the weird things that happen to me, the little one would end up climbing the Canary Wharf, can you believe it? —The gurgling of a laugh came out of Borja's throat.

  —I would like to have a Spiderman as a child —said Borja, giving her a kiss on the head—. And I'm sure that you'll be a wonderful mother, as you are a wonderful wife.

  They looked at each other and kissed with a lot of tenderness. They came back to the living room and all
welcomed them with confetti and streamers.

  At midnight the gifts were distributed. Emma came with the CD and the photo inside of a small box. Borja was excited when they played the disc and heard the heartbeat.

  —The next time I have to see my little girl —he said happily.

  —Are you sure that it'll be a girl? —asked Sarito.

  —Of course! —he answered, knowing her very well.

  —Ha! I don't think so. —She put on her glasses and looked again—. I doubt that the girls come with three legs, or that video had been tampered with.

  Everyone looked proving what Sarito saw.

  —It's a boy! —said Conchi.

  —Oh, I believe it is! —indicated Sarito—. By the way, the name will be Canary or Basque?

  The name was the last thing that Emma and Borja were thinking about. They were excited by the new experience that began to live, the best Christmas gift. On the other side, the matriarchs looked at each other, so Conchi finished saying.

  —Maricarmen, have you saved the five cents?

  If you want to know more about Emma Berriel, Borja and aunt Sarito, you can find their story on Amazon, Google Play and iTunes in Thirtieth birthday.

  It Took Me Three Days to Fall in Love with You

  Otherwise, I would have gone to one of those criticism pages and told all the worst about your tourism agency...

  6

  From the first months of the year, Elena had worked hard for a well deserved vacation and on the Monday, when she arrived to the office, she found a memorandum. She would have to travel by the end of the month to Scotland to take a course given by a technical and marketing company.

  "The end of the month, just few days before her vacation". Now she understood why her boss had asked her repeatedly if she had planned to travel. If she planned, he couldn't stop her, however, if she would only be there in the city, she could defer her vacation for a few days.

  Of course, after reading the memorandum she mentioned all of his ancestors, she wanted to kill her boss. She had planned to be at home, sleep during all fifteen days, she wanted to spend her vacation on her couch and on the dates that she had requested.