by Macias, P. T
“Okay Jacki I’ll try to calm him down and to make him see that this is serious,” replies Jessy. “I have to let you go, I have lots of work to do.”
Hmmm should I try to go over and talk some reason into mi papa? I really don’t want to argue with him, I do love him, ponders Jacki.
Jacki returns to the cuarto and sees that Ricky is awake looking at her.
“Mi Reina, I don’t want you to have any problemas with your padre. It is only a few more days away from our wedding in the church and that will please him,” says Ricky winching from the pain of the stiches and the broken ribs when he moves.
“Baby where’s your medication so I can give you some, it looks like they’re wearing off.” replies Jacki going to look at the paper bags from the hospital.
“Mi Reina, I’m serious,” says Ricky almost in a whisper, feeling the pain each time he breaths or talks.
“Baby I want you to forget about it. You’re mi esposo and I’m taking care of you. That’s it,” replies Jacki firmly.
She locates the medication and quickly gives Ricky the pills with some water.
In a few minutes he falls asleep and she rests right next to him, holding his hand. I will not leave him, no way in hell, thinks Jacki as she falls asleep.
Jacki wakes up and looks into Ricky’s beautiful green ojos. “Baby, te amo,” says Jacki giving him a beso, thanking dios that he is alive.
“Mi Reina,” replies Ricky with love stroking her cheek. “Estas tan bella (You are so beautiful).”
“Ricky, stay right there. I don’t want you to pull your stiches,” replies Jacki getting up to get him some water. “Do you need more pain killers?”
“Si, it’s starting to hurt,” says Ricky looking at his esposa con felicidad.
“Baby I’m going to go to mi casa and get some of mi ropa. I’m also going to talk to mi padre,” says Jacki looking into Ricky ojos as she gives him his medication with a glass of water. “I’ll be right back.”
“Si mi Reina, but I don’t want your padre to get upset at you. I want our marriage to be happy even for our padres,” replies Ricky looking into his esposa’s eyes.
“Si Baby and I will talk to him,” says Jacki. “No worries, okay?” she sits next to him rubbing his brow as he falls asleep.
Hmmm he’s asleep and I’m going to mi casa to talk to mi padre, thinks Jacki grabbing her purse. Good thing that we live around the corner and I will bring back mi carro with some cosas. Jacki walks out of la casa.
A few minutes later, Jacki walks into her casa and seeks out her padres. “Mama, Papa,” calls out Jacki. She walks into la familia cuarto looking at her padres watching a show on the television.
“Si mi hija,” says her Mama Rosa standing to hug her hija. “How is Ricardo?”
“Mama, Ricky is doing better. He has some broken ribs, two broken fingers, and lots of bruises,” replies Jacki smiling at her Mama turning to her Padre. “Papa I came to talk to you.”
“Si mi hija,” says her Padre Juan looking at Jacki full of rage. “I told you and Ricardo very clearly that you will stay in mi casa until after the church ceremony has taken place. You are disobeying mis ordenes!”
“No Padre, we are not disobeying your ordenes. I am taking care of mi esposo that is hurt. We are married by the civil law and dios knows we will be married in our church on Saturday the 18th. That is only nine more dias,” replies Jacki looking at her padre with frustration and compassion for his desires.
“Mi hija, Ricardo is not dying and he’s now en su casa con su familia. You can attend to him en el dia, pero you need to come to mi casa en la noches until your wedding,” commands her Padre Juan.
“Padre, I will not leave a mi esposo side and he needs me,” replies Jacki turning away to go to her cuarto to get some ropa.
“Mi hija,” calls out her Mama Rosa with pain and frustration with her esposo attitude.
“We need to allow Jacki to attend to her esposo. They are married by the civil law,” says her mama looking at her esposo. “Your being muy duro.”
“Si mujer, pero asi soy,” replies her esposo Juan with a stuborn look in his eyes. “Has to be the way that I say.”
“You’re not being fair, Jacki is truly in love with her esposo,” replies Mama Rosa. “She will stay with Ricardo”
“Jacki is not going to stay with Ricardo,” roars Papa Juan with anger. “If she does, I will not speak to her ever again.”
“Juan, don’t say that,” replies Mama Rosa with tears in her ojos. “Jacki and Ricardo are married.”
“Yes, but not by our faith, the church!” thunders Papa Juan with anger sitting down on his sofa.
Jacki returns to her padres to say adios. She has tears in her eyes. “Adios Mama, Papa,” says Jacki walking to her mama to give her a hug.
“Dios te bendiga mi hija and a tu esposo Ricardo,” says her Mama Rosa, tears falling down her cara.
“Adios papa,” says Jacki walking towards him to give him a hug.
“No Jacqueline, you will not stay with Ricardo at night. If you don’t return to sleep in mi casa tonight, I will not talk to you,” states her Papa Juan with rage.
“I’m sorry padre,” replies Jacki walking away from her padre going to the door.
She picks up her luggage and walks out of la casa with tears running down her checks. Jacki can hear her Mama Rosa crying as she leaves.
Chapter Forty-Eight
As usual the entire familia is at the Sunday dinner. They are excited with the recent news. La familia is thrilled and the new couples are absorbed with their spouses. They’re in their own world and didn’t notice anything or anybody else.
“Baby you need to get Tony to go to la casa and rest. He’s not looking well,” replies Jacki looking at Tony’s pale complexion and red eyes. “Your padres will notice and get real worried with what is transpiring.”
“Si mi Reina, I will try,” says Ricky looking at his hermano.
Tony is sitting at the mesa attempting to eat his dinner and trying to ignore his headache. What in the fucking diablos was I thinking drinking all of that tequila? I feel like hell. I’m dying even now after hours of sleep, thinks Tony in misery.
Ricky is sitting next to him and his esposa on his other side. “Hermano are you buen?” asks Ricky looking at how pale and gray Tony looks. “Go para la casa and rest some more. I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to get Cynthia esta noche.”
“Que la chengada Ricardo, I’m going esta noche even if I die trying!” spits out Tony through clench teeth in a low growl. He’s trying not to give his plan away. I don’t want mis primos to try and stop me. It’s bad enough that Ricky is on my back, ponders Tony with anger.
“Tony estas loco and you need to rest, You need to be on it before you try to get Cynthia out of her casa with all of those guards,” replies Ricky trying to keep control of the situation.
Tony turns to look at his hermano. “No te metas (Don’t but in),” says Tony through clenched teeth taking a drink of his water trying to kill the thirst.
Ricky looks at Jose Enrique to have him come over with Christian. He then turns to look at Alex and Javier to get them to come over to help out. We need to stop Tony before Lopez kills him.
“Mi amor can you give me a minute? I need to talk to Tony,” asks Jose Enrique whispering in Jessy’s ear and giving her a beso.
“Si mi vida, I’ll just talk to Jacki,” agrees Jessy waving Jacki over to allow los primos some privacy.
“Christian I need a minute. Will that be okay, Mona?” asks Jose Enrique looking at her, waiting for her response
“Yes, of course,” replies Mona smiling, giving Christian a beso. She walks over to Vero and Claudia to get to know them better.
“Que pasa Ricky?” asks Jose Enrique sitting behind Tony and Christian sits on Tony’s other side blocking him in.
“What’s up?” asks Alex standing in front of Tony noticing that he’s not looking well.
“Primo you’re okay?” asks J
avier noticing how gray his complexion is and his eyes are bloodshot.
“Hermano you need to listen to reason. Eres un hombre and not a niño. You need to stop being stubborn,” says Ricky with anger and fear.
The next morning, Papa Jorge calls Ricky early in the morning. “Mi Hijo,” sobs Papa Jorge. His voice is closing up with the intense emotions that he’s feeling. Tears falling down his cara, he turns to Jose Enrique, and hands him the cell phone.
Jose Enrique takes the cell form his Tio Jorge. “Primo, Tony is unconscious and has a mild traumatic brain injury, M.T.B.I, a concussion,” says Jose Enrique with pain.
“How did this happen?” asks Ricky with fear and frustration. “Que la chengada esta pasando con Tony (What in hell is happening to Tony). I can’t move. How can I help my hermano?”
“Right now we need to pray that he wakes up. Calm down primo. We’ll take care of the other issues later,” replies Jose Enrique thinking of Lopez. “I’ll call Lopez and try to find out if he’s involved in this.”
“Si primo and let me know the status of mi hermano,” replies Ricky with a heavy heart.
“Si primo, no worries aqui estoy,” replies Jose Enrique knowing that he’ll need to stay here with Tony to make sure everything is going well.
“What’s going on?” asks Jacki looking at Ricky.
“Mi reina, Tony is at the ER and is hurt. I don’t have the details,” says Ricky with frustration and fear. “I’m frustrated that I can’t move to help mi hermano.”
“Baby, we have to have faith, dios will take care of Tony. If you weren’t hurt, you still couldn’t do anything for him, right?” asks Jacki attempting to get Ricky to calm down. “We’ll go over to the hospital to see him in a few, okay?”
Ricky realizes that Jacki is correct. I still couldn’t stop Tony even if I wasn’t hurt. He would still sneak out and do what he wanted. Si mi reina is right. I need to calm down and get ready to go check out Tony at the hospital. “Si mi reina, you’re right. Please help me get ready so we can visit Tony,” says Ricky with a weak smile.
Ricky and Jacki walk down the hall of the hospital after checking in with his padres in the waiting room. Tony is still hurt and the doctors are attending to him. Ricky and Jacki weren’t allowed to visit him.
Ricky is feeling tired and is hurting. “Mi reina, after we sign the papers for our casa, we need to return home. I’m hurting and I’m tired,” says Ricky clenching his jaw.
“Si Baby, I agree. Here’s your medication, please take it so the pain will subside,” says Jacki handing him the medication before exiting the hospital.
They arrive at the casa after signing the purchase papers. Ricky goes directly to his cuarto. Jacki assists him into bed caressing his brow tenderly. Ricky falls asleep. Jacki starts to read her romance novel.
The next day Ricky is feeling a little better. Jacki is finishing applying her makeup. Ricky is waiting for her to finish. “Mi reina I’m so glad that I woke up a lot better. Today is so exciting. I can go with you to monitor the delivery of our furniture,” says Ricky smiling with pleasure. “I’m so feliz that our casa is going to be ready for us next week.”
“Si Baby, I’m in heaven. We need to also purchase our bebe’s crib for the nursery. I want to also select the paint. That we can do a little later baby, because remember that you agreed that we will put the crib in our cuarto in the little sitting area,” says Jacki turning to observe Ricky’s reaction. “I want our bebe next to us until he’s a little older. Okay?”
Ricky smiles at Jacki with pleasure. Si mi reina is very nourishing and will be an awesome mama. I know that I’m going to be extremely feliz with mi Jacki, thinks Ricky nodding. “Claro mi reina, I agree. It’s best for our bebe to me with us until you feel he’s old enough to be in his cuarto. We can fix his nursery later and we can select the theme for his cuarto.”
“I heard mi mama talking about Angel Nicolas nursery a few days ago. You know that Nicolas has returned. La familia is feliz,” says Ricky standing from the chair.
“Si Baby, this is so exciting. Okay I’m ready,” says Jacki smiling at Ricky taking his arm to assist him to walk.
Ricky and Jacki spend all day at their casa getting it ready. Jacki arranges the kitchen appliances and Ricky watches television on the sofa. They order pizza and enjoy their day together.
The next few days Ricky and Jacki spend all day at their casa, getting it ready and arranging their personal items. Jacki orders and has the local store deliver some groceries. Jacki cooks Ricky several meals. Ricky loves it. They enjoy every minute. Nobody knows that the casa is ready. They want to keep it their secret, their haven.
“Mi amor, this has been great. I loved spending our days in our casa. I love you’re cooking. I can’t wait to be able to love you again. This has been hell,” says Ricky waiting for Jacki to lean in to give him a beso.
“Si Baby I agree, it has been heaven. I hope that you will be feeling better manana. Our boda is finally here. We will be going to our luna de miel in a two days. I want you, I need you. Te amo mucho Ricardo,” says Jacki giving him another hot hungry beso. “I have to go to mis padres’ casa. I’m going to miss you tonight. I love sleeping close to you.”
Ricky has his mano at the back of her neck. He pulls her close again for another hot hungry beso. “Mi reina you know that I want you and I need you,” moans Ricky with hungry pasión. “I love you, te amo.”
“Baby I love you,” says Jacki gazing deeply into his hermoso green ojos. “I will see you manana at the church. I can’t wait for our boda to take place. I hope that you can make love tomorrow night.”
“Si mi reina, I will, I will make damn sure that I can,” says Ricky grinning. “My ribs didn’t hurt that much today and I know that we can be creative.”
“Si Baby, I pray that you will be better manana,” says Jacki grinning with pleasure. She gives him another beso before leaving.
Jackie returns to her padre’s casa on Friday the day before her church boda. I really want to stay with mi Baby, but I know that mi padre is already furious that I haven’t stayed en casa all of these days. I don’t know what he expected me to do. I’m married and Ricky is my esposa and he was hurt. I couldn’t leave him alone when he needed me more than ever. I hope that mi padre at least acknowledges the sacrifice that I’m doing to please him a little, thinks Jacki unhappily.
She walks into the casa and went to la familia room seeking her padres. I know that mis padres are watching the Spanish novela’s, thinks Jacki.
“Padres I’m back en casa and staying tonight to leave from la casa for mi boda manana,” says Jacki smiling at her padres. “Ricky is feeling a lot better now. We also signed for our casa this week. We have been real busy getting it ready for when we return from our luna de miel,” says Jacki.
Jacki mama is real feliz to hear that Ricky is feeling better and that they have signed for their casa. Her mama understands the situation. “Mi hija, that’s wonderful, gracias a dios that Ricky is okay. He recovered just in time for the boda manana,” says Mama Rosa standing to give Jacki a warm motherly hug. “Your casa is ready for when you return from your luna de miel. This is so exciting and I am muy feliz with your esposo. He is a great hombre.”
“Gracias mama,” replies Jacki looking at her padre waiting for some type of response.
Her Papa Juan does not appear to want to even say hi. Her Papa Juan continues to look out of the window thinking. I cannot look at mi hija right now. Estoy muy enojado con Jacqueline (I’m furious with Jacqueline). What does she think? Does Jacqueline not respect my decisions, my word? Is my word, my desires not the law in mi casa? I expect mi familia to obey mis orders, contemplates Papa Juan angrily. I told her she had to stay at night en mis casa hasta que pase la boda (until the ceremony takes place). I don’t care that she is married by the law of the United States. She is not married by the law of dios. He starts to get redder and more furious as he thinks about Jacqueline’s actions.
“Papa estas bien?”
asks Jacki as she observes her papa start to get redder and he clenches his jaw in anger. “Papa, por favor, calmate. We are getting married tomorrow,” says Jacki going to him to give him a hug. “Papa yo lo amo and estaba muy malo (I love him and he was real hurt.).”
Jacki tears slip down her hermosa cara. How is mi padre going to hold this against me? Ricky is mi esposo and he needed me to take care of him. It is my duty, obligacion, and desire to care for mi esposo. I know that I did right. I am a mujer, una adulta, contemplates Jacki with sorrow.
“Jacqueline you know how I feel about this and you still went against my deseos. You were not allowed to live with Ricardo until after the church ceremony takes place, until dios blessed your union. That is when you’re truly su esposa and not a minute before!” roars her padre in a low angry tone.
He pushes Jacki away from him so he can stand. “No estoy bien (I’m not well),” states Papa Juan and walks away. He strides to his cuarto closing the door with a slam, echoing throughout the casa.
Jacki starts to cry sitting down on the sofa. “Mama what am I going to do? Mi Ricky was hurt and not well. No soy una niña and si estamos casados pro la ley (I’m not a little girl and we are married by the law.),” she puts her head on her arm crying out her grief.
Does this mean that mi padre will not walk mi down the aisle? What am I going to do? Should I have someone else walk me down the aisle at the boda? This is unreal, ponders Jacki.
Jacki’s Mama Rosa looks at her hija crying and looks in the direction of her cuarto where her esposo is very furious and out of control. She didn’t know who to go to talk to first. They are both right in their own ways, thinks Mama Rosa with helplessness and frustration.
Mi hija is not doing anything wrong. I know what mi esposo thinks, but in today’s world, Jacki is Ricardo’s esposa. “Mi hija, don’t cry. Everything will work out. I will talk some sense into tu padre. Calmate Jacqueline. Relax que manana es tu boda,” smiles her Mama Rosa rubbing Jacki’s back.