by Earl Sewell
“After the war ended and he came home, he had horrible nightmares. A demon came to visit him and told him that his family would be cursed for generations, and that there would never be harmony and happiness. Your grandfather took this as a sign. He interpreted it to mean that his family would always go through some type of hell. When Raven and Salena were born, he gave them all the love he had. He wanted his family to love each other and be strong for each other. Sadly, this was not the case. Raven and Salena fought all the time. They never got along well. I believe that the evil spirit that followed your grandfather home is responsible for all of the animosity between Raven and Salena. Now that same evil spirit has pitted you and Maya against each other.”
“I don’t feel like there is a demon following me,” I said, swiveling my head in disbelief.
“That’s because the demon has clouded your vision. I have to help you both see. It is the only way you will be able to break this horrible curse and end your feuding. You’re fighting with each other, and it has gotten nasty. I know this to be true because Anna has told me about it. Viviana, you’re mad at Maya because she told the police about your father. Because of what Maya said, your father went to jail and was murdered. Instead of accepting the fact that your father was a bad man, it is easier for you to fill your heart with hatred and evil toward Maya. That’s how the demon works. He plays tricks on your mind.
“Viviana, your father was a bad man. He hurt people, people feared him and he took a life. That is the truth. It is also true that your father, when he was a boy, was very gifted. I believe that your father gave the best of who he was to you. You are gifted just like he was, but he made bad choices in life and wasted the gift. If you truly want to honor your father’s memory, then use the gift he passed on to you. Don’t let the demon trick you into filling your heart with evil toward Maya because she did the right thing.” Grandmother Esmeralda paused for a moment to allow her words to sink in. I noticed that Viviana smeared away tears. I suddenly felt my heart fill up with sympathy, and I could not understand why.
“And, Maya, you need to have more compassion. Viviana has suffered a great loss. When a little girl loses her father, it leaves a big empty hole in her heart. You have no right to make her feel as if she is beneath you. You have no right to attack her self-esteem or the unfortunate events in her life. You could learn a lot from her. She’s very strong and smarter than you think she is.”
“I believe you. I believe everything you’ve just said.” Viviana’s voice trembled. “This may sound strange, but right before the police found me, a voice told me to call home. I had never heard the voice before, but I recognized it. Then the policeman who found me had eyes like Granpa.”
“Yes. I noticed that, too, about Officer Fernando. Now that you’ve shared that with me, I can tell you that your grandfather was with you. He was probably with you when you decided to try and walk through hell. He helped you find your way out. That’s love, Viviana. He was guiding you away from danger. He did not want the demon to take your soul to hell.”
“Why did you call my cell phone number and not the house line or Grandmother Esmeralda?” I asked. Viviana looked deeply into my eyes.
“A voice in my head told me to call you and I did,” she answered.
“That was your grandfather. He wants you two to stop fighting and love each other,” Grandmother Esmeralda said.
I don’t know what came over me in that moment, but I had to exhale to keep my emotions from overwhelming me.
“I’m sorry,” I said, looking down at my lap and then at Viviana. “I’m sorry for making you feel unwelcome. I am actually very happy that you’re here, and I was only being mean because you were being mean to me.”
Viviana did something I didn’t expect. She said nothing. Instead she stood up, walked over to me, leaned into me, hugged me and cried.
twenty-six
VIVIANA
“Are you okay?” Maya asked me.
“Yes. I have not felt this good in a very long time,” I said to her as we walked toward Tinley Park High School. We had just arrived for another competition.
“Are you ready?” Keysha asked as she walked alongside me. She held the door open for me, and I walked through. Misalo and Red were behind us, talking to Mr. Morgan. So much had changed in my life since Grandmother Esmeralda helped Maya and I work through our differences. Grandmother Esmeralda was right. I resented and even hated Maya for snitching on my father, but in my heart, I knew that she only did what was right. Grandmother Esmeralda told me and Maya that doing the right thing sometimes hurts and that doing the right thing sometimes is not the best thing.
“Following military orders was the right thing for your grandfather to do, but it wasn’t the best thing for his soul. Maya did the right thing by telling the truth about your father, Viviana, but it wasn’t the best thing for your mother and father because he ended up in jail. Your mother leaving you with Raven and Maya was the right thing to do because she couldn’t provide you with a stable home, but it wasn’t the best thing for you emotionally. Life is not easy, but as long as you have love and family, it’s well worth living,” she had said after Maya and I had stopped crying long enough to apologize to each other.
* * *
My father was very smart, academically, when he was younger, but he made a choice and got involved with and eventually became the leader of a well-known street gang. As a little girl, I was in denial, and in my mind I had created a version of him that was likable and less threatening. Perhaps in some unexplainable way he did pass along the best of who he was to me, and I thank him for that.
“Is your friend, LaShaunda, coming?” asked Misalo as he walked past.
“I don’t think so,” I said. Misalo smiled at me and gave me a fist bump. He was still hard to resist and handsome. I had promised Maya that I would no longer tempt him and told her that, if she ever messed up with him, I would beat her down. I did hear back from LaShaunda. She called me from the detention center where she was being held until her court date. She was unapologetic when I asked her why she had set me up. She didn’t even want to talk about it. She only wanted to discuss her court date and how much fun she and T.J. were going to have when she got out. She said that they would find a new place to hang out and live day by day. It was then that the friendship blinders I had been wearing had come completely off. LaShaunda didn’t want to take ownership of her actions, and she believed the lifestyle T.J. offered her was a reasonable one.
“What’s up, Team Captain?” Red walked up and hugged me.
“A murder charge if you ever put your hands on me again.” I quickly removed his hands. Red had been trying to create romance where none existed. He liked me more than I liked him.
“It’s good to have you back on the team, Viviana,” Mr. Morgan said as we entered the auditorium. “Making a solid commitment to the team was the right thing to do.”
“Thanks for letting me come back,” I said. I proudly walked onto the stage with my team. The entire team had spent several days studying with each other for this competition. Tinley Park High was ranked number one, and due to my absence, we had slipped down to number three. I was ready to change all of that when I stepped behind the podium. As I waited for the round to begin, I glanced out in the audience and noticed that Uncle Herman, Aunt Raven, Anna, Paul, Grandmother Esmeralda and my mother were all there to support us. My heart got full when I saw all of them smiling. Maya was standing next to me. I leaned over and gave her a hug.
“What was that for?” Maya asked.
“Let’s just say that being homeless for two days taught me a valuable lesson,” I said.
“And what lesson would that be?” Maya asked.
“To appreciate those who mean the most to me,” I said and noticed that Maya’s eyes filled with emotion. I knew that she was happy that our feud had been completely squashed.
The moderator asked if we were ready. We all said yes. I placed my trigger thumb on top of the buzzer and waited for the question.
“What year did African and Islamic Moors take over Spain?”
I pressed the buzzer first. “Seven hundred thirty-one and they ruled until the year 1492 when Queen Isabella reached an agreement with them. Once Spain was free, Queen Isabella was able to send Christopher Columbus on his voyage to the Americas.”
“That is a correct and very thorough answer,” the moderator said.
“I’m on fire today. Next question,” I said, smiling confidently.
* * * * *
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ISBN: 9781460316580
Copyright © 2013 by Earl Sewell
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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