“The money you earned,” Sandy corrected.
“—and I don’t know how I’m ever going to pay you back for that.”
Sandy shook her head just the way he would have, and he went on.
“But, the truth is, m’ija, I am getting older. You probably can’t tell, but my memory isn’t what it used to be. I’ve been forgetting little things here and there, and it’s starting to make me nervous.”
Sandy didn’t confirm or deny. She just let him talk.
“And, as much as I like visiting with you and my neighbors around here, I have to admit that it’s been pretty lonely since your Aunt Linda died.”
Sandy reached over and put her hand on the old man’s shoulder. It was the first time she’d heard him speak directly about his relationship with her great-aunt, and she knew it must have been difficult for him.
“The thing is,” he continued, “it’d probably be nice to go stay with my sister for a while. I’d get to see my nephews and nieces more, and a couple of my cousins. I’m gonna miss this old place. And you. But…”
“I understand,” Sandy said. “I’ll miss you, too.” They sat in silence for a while. “When are you going?” she finally asked.
“In a couple of weeks. Richard’s flying down to help me settle things, and then we’ll take my truck and drive all the way back. Cano doesn’t want to fly.” He smiled down at the old dog, who lifted his head as if he got the joke.
“What’ll happen to the ranch? Your goats?”
“They’ll still be here. I’m going to rent the house to someone who’s willing to babysit the goats and keep them safe from the real chupacabras. In fact, Richard’s been talking to your aunt Ruby, and she’s going to rent out Linda’s house, too.”
Sandy tried to imagine the two houses inhabited by strangers. There’d be no more long drives to the country for her, then. No more place to go when she wanted to get away from everything. The thought made her sadder than she would have expected. But she didn’t want to make Tío Jaime’s decision any more difficult for him, so she smiled and said, “Well, everything’s settled, then. I’m glad you’re going to be with the rest of your family. Maybe I can visit you sometime. Sometimes they send me to LA, you know.”
“Or maybe you could get a job in LA,” he replied. “Don’t they have Web sites in California, too?”
Sandy smiled. It was as if he’d read her mind before she could even formulate the thought. But all she said was, “Maybe. We’ll see what happens.”
“So.” Tío Jaime sat back and regarded Sandy through narrowed eyes. “What’s this I hear about you and my nephew going on a date?”
Sandy laughed aloud. “Is that what he called it?”
“He said you had dinner together. But that’s all he said, and I had to drag that much out of him.”
“Well, then I’m not going to say any more than that, either. I don’t kiss and tell,” Sandy said, savoring the tingly feeling of keeping something secret. “Anymore.”
77
A few days after that, Sandy stood in her boss’s office waiting for Angelica to remove a pile of photographs from the nearest visitor’s chair and set them on her desk. Sandy took the purple seat. Angelica closed the office door and took her own chair.
With a throat-clearing cough and no other excuse to put it off, Sandy began. “Angelica, I don’t know how to say this. But… um…”
“You’re quitting,” the older woman said, completing Sandy’s declaration with her signature professional smile in place.
“I’m quitting, yes. How’d you know?”
“Sandy, please. I’ve known since you did that swan-song interview with your Chupacabra friend. Actually, I knew when I hired you that you wouldn’t last the year here. You’re just not the type. You’re too full of integrity and idealism. Talent. All those other things.” Seeing Sandy’s surprised face, she added, “That said, you’ve done very well. Better than I expected.”
“Thank you.” Sandy didn’t know what to say now. It’d been said for her. “Well, I should tell you that I’m glad I met you. You taught me a lot, Angelica, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Smile firmly in place, Angelica shook her head. “Oh, stop. You don’t need to do that. So tell me, where are you going?”
“To the LA Chronicle.”
“With Jim Mayer?”
“Yes.”
“That’s great. You’re going to love Jim. He’s wonderful. I need to call him and tell him he owes me dinner for stealing one of my writers away.”
Sandy was surprised at how well Angelica was taking the news. It almost hurt her feelings, a little, that her boss wasn’t more upset. “I’ll stick around for at least two weeks,” she offered. “As long as you need me, in order to train my replacement.”
“Actually, Sandy, you don’t have to stay more than a week if you don’t want to. And you can work from home if you like. I haven’t had a chance to make the announcement yet, but we’re already hiring two new writers, and they should be enough to take your place for the moment. We might be able to hire one more now, in fact.”
“Wow,” Sandy said. “I guess you weren’t kidding about knowing I was going to quit.”
“Well…” At this Angelica’s mask fell, and she leaned forward. “I’ll tell you this in confidence, knowing that Lori or one of the others will probably tell you anyway. Jacob Levy is moving us to a new salary structure again. One that pays a little less than the current model. So, if anything, you quitting now saves me from having to advise you to get another day job.” She smiled wanly.
Sandy felt relieved to see the real Angelica again, one last time. “Thanks for telling me the bad news and making me feel better.”
Angelica chuckled. “Then I’ll tell you the rest of the bad news, too. Before you go, you need to do a conference call with Legal so they can go over the terms of your contract that still bind you for a year after its termination. There are a couple of things we’ll ask you not to write about, basically, under threat of lawsuit. But nothing too binding. It shouldn’t affect your job with Jim. Much.”
Sandy narrowed her eyes. “Note to self: Hire a lawyer to look at the next contract.”
“That sounds like good advice.” Angelica stood and walked around to the other side of her desk. Sandy stood to receive her boss’s hard little hug. “I want you to call me if there’s anything I can do for you, okay?”
Sandy nodded. “I will.”
“And, if you wanted to do something for me, as a parting gift…” Her boss smiled suggestively.
Sandy had no idea what Angelica could need from her, but she said, “Sure. Name it.”
“In your last few posts, if you could drop a couple of hints that you’re leaving because of some kind of personal drama—maybe something like a fight with George, or a new man in your life—that would really help us with the page views. I’d forward you a bonus check.”
Sandy laughed. But she knew Angelica wasn’t kidding. “I don’t think so. I’ve retired from spilling my guts online. But I’m sure if you ask George he’ll be more than happy to make something up.”
“Ooh.” The distant, scheming look instantly filled Angelica’s eyes. “That’s a really good idea.”
And, with that, Sandy left Angelica Villanueva O’Sullivan’s office for the last time.
78
Post on Nacho Papi’s Web Site, Friday, July 21
Nacho Papi’s News about Nacho Papi News
by Lori
Hola, everybody! Bad news first: Sandy S. and La Sirena are leaving us. P Sandy has taken a job with a real live newspaper, the Los Angeles Chronicle, and is moving to California. Sandy, don’t forget us when you’re gone, girl! Volver, volver, volver!
And La Sirena is leaving us for the East Coast to be the new hostess of Hyper Hydraulic. La Sirena, it was good knowing you! I tell you—keep watching Nacho Papi for the stars of tomorrow, peeps!
And now, the good news: Nacho Papi is holding auditions for four new
staff members! Send your clips and your tapes to Angelica Villanueva O’Sullivan at the address below.
The other good news: None of this bad news is changing our plans to put on Nacho Papi’s First Annual Singles’ Mixer, right here in Austin, Texas, with me as your hostess with the mostest! So stay tuned for more deets on that and the other Nacho Papi Singles’ events coming to cities near you.
READER COMMENTS ON NACHO PAPI’S NEWS
So La Sirena goes on a site-sponsored date with a competing producer, and then he steals her away? Smooth move, Big A. Not!
Gen Ex
Sandy’s leaving? Sucks!
Luisa
I bet Sandy ran off with the guy she went on the date with, too.
Darth Waiter
Darth: Gross. That was her cousin. He’s Chupacabra’s nephew, and the Chupacabra is Sandy’s dad.
Manny
Manny: No, Sandy is Chupacabra’s niece, and that guy is his lawyer. He scored them a package deal in LA. My mom’s a nurse at the hospital where Chupacabra had his operation.
Big Wheel
You’re all full of it. Sandy and George have been dating all along. They did all this stuff for publicity, and now Sandy’s going to LA to write a book about it.
Payasa
79
Time: Monday, July 24, 11:39 AM
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Hey woman!!
I’m glad we made up and that you aren’t mad at me anymore about all that stuff that happened……
because I can’t wait to stay at your place in Los Angeles!!!
And yeah, I know it’s really in Santa Ana and not right there in LA. But still!! California hook-up in the house!!!
Love,
V
Time: Wednesday, July 26, 1:03 PM
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: hey sexy
Just wanted to write and say that you’re lucky you left when you did. Angelica just gave us new contracts. Not only are we getting paid less, but?
We’re going to start hosting singles events in multiple cities throughout the year. Attendance mandatory.
Can you imagine anything so completely horrid?
Love,
Philippe
Time: Friday, July 28, 10:22 PM
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: hey Sandy
It’s me George. How’s it going? Have you gone to LA yet?
Listen. I have to tell you that it sucks not having you and Sirena here. Lori and the new chick are cool, but I miss having someone to argue with like Angelica used to make us do. Remember?
I was thinking. Do you want to give me an interview about your ex-boyfriend? Sort of a revenge piece, in response to the one he did about you? I’d give you a cut of my page-view bonus.
Let me know okay?
George
aka Papi Chulo
Time: Monday, August 7, 8:24 AM
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Hi, from your dad
Dear Sandy,
Thanks for your note. Sorry I didn’t get to see you before you left town. But I’ll be in LA on business in a couple of weeks. Maybe we can have lunch?
I know I haven’t said it lately, but I’m proud of you and all the things you’re doing. Especially the way you pulled through after all the crap that happened to you earlier this year. Even though I’ve been busy in my own little world, I hope you know that I’m always here if you need me. I love you.
Love,
Dad
80
My Modern TragiComedy
Tuesday, August 8
Here’s a little story, a pattern in my life.
It was a sunny March afternoon, my first day as a staff writer for Nacho Papi’s Web Site. I was nervous, and unaware that my life was about to completely change….
81
Sandy leaned back on the living room sofa and looked out the window at the sun emerging through the Santa Ana haze. She’d gotten into the habit of waking up early and working in the living room while Megan, who was her landlady and roommate and her friend Jane’s cousin, slept late. But right now Megan was out of town. In the kitchen behind her Sandy’s sole housewarming gift, an espresso machine from her mother, gurgled and hissed.
She read her father’s e-mail a second time, then closed it. She’d write back and agree to have lunch with him, but not yet. Right now she had a lot of work to do. There was her daily quota for the LA Chronicle, of course. She had a deadline for a Buzz News article, as well. Then, of course, there was the never-ending technical writing that made it possible to afford her portion of the rent.
Then there was her own Web site to update, with links to her latest articles. She’d written only one blog entry since moving out here, and her readers were clamoring to hear more of the story.
She decided to work until one and then drop by her aunt Ruby’s for lunch and a little photo-album viewing. After that, she had plans to join Tío Jaime and Nephew Richard at the zoo. After that, she was dropping by UCLA’s creative writing department. Just to take a look.
But first, to work.
Sandy opened her word-processing program and shuffled through her files. There were so many now that she would have to come up with a new system for organizing them. In a folder called LatinoNow she found an old article she wanted to use as a reference for something new. Just seeing her old byline, Dominga Saavedra, made her smile, a little sadly. She had been so young back then. It was only a year ago, but she’d had so much to learn.
In the same folder she found another document that brought back bittersweet memories: a draft of the novel she’d been pretending to write, way back when she was dating Daniel and fantasizing about being a poet’s muse. She barely remembered, now, what it had been about. She opened it to find out.
Chapter One
Dominique Salazar closed her laptop on the latest article she’d been writing as her mother’s voice rang in her ears like an unanswered phone echoing in an empty room. “When are you going to get married, Dominique? When?”
Dominique didn’t have time to get married. She was busy working on the news series that was destined to win the Pulitzer Prize. At least that’s what she was hoping.
“Hey, babe. Do you want to go get a beer with my friends?”
Dominique sighed. That was her boyfriend, David. David was tall, dark, and very handsome. The only problem was, he didn’t understand her need to write serious news.
Sandy had to laugh, at her own words and at the girl she used to be.
And then she had an idea.
She closed that file and opened a brand-new one. After staring at the empty page for a few minutes, Sandy began to type. As fast as her fingers could spell it out an outline for a new book appeared.
She was going to write a book about her great-aunt, Linda, from her upbringing in the Rio Grande Valley to her struggle to become an independent woman, to her realization of the love of a lifetime.
After all, it was a fascinating story, and she had all the resources she needed to write it.
The sun rose higher and shone brighter as Sandy typed away. She was too busy to notice, but, somewhere in the distance, a chupacabra howled with joy.
ABOUT THE CHUPACABRA
Chupacabra means, literally, “goat sucker” in Spanish. It’s a mythical animal that attacks livestock, particularly goats, and drains them of blood. They’re supposed to be four-legged mammals the size of large dogs or small bears, with spines on their backs.
I say it’s mythical, but there are people who swear on the Bible they’ve seen them, in Texas and in Puerto Rico, and as recently as the other day.
I don’t want to call anyone a liar, but I’ve never seen one. I have seen, right in the middle of Houston, a goat hanging in the doorway of my cousin’s
suegro’s garage, skinned and drained in preparation for the making of menudo. But I guess that’s not exactly the same thing.
My family was more into La Llorona, the ghost-woman who cries for her children in the night. My cousin’s friend’s cousin actually saw her, outside the cemetery late one night.
My brother swears he saw a Lechuza—an owl of the demonic persuasion—inside the same cemetery, on a completely different occasion, with minimal liquor involved.
I never see any of that stuff. But I listen to the stories, and I avoid cemeteries at night.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Jenny Bent for her perseverance, and to Selina McLemore for her patience and continued mental telepathy. Thanks to Linda Duggins for being an untiring warrior at my side. Thanks to Karen Thompson for making me look smarter.
Thanks to my bosses and co-workers at VALIC for providing a good place to work, and for not only being tolerant of my other career but supporting it.
Thanks to all my peeps on Twitter for not unfollowing me when I babbled like a maniac late at night while trying to finish this book.
Thanks to all my readers for reading my stuff and making the work worth it.
Thanks to Ashley for listening.
Thanks to Dat, who was my fiancé when I started this book and will probably be my husband by the time you read it, for feeding me while I wrote.
Thanks to Jacob, Austin, and Luke for all their hard work in our band, Led Zepeda, the video-game performances of which kept me joyous and balanced this past year.
READING GROUP GUIDE
1. Sandy gives various reasons—to her friends, to her fans, to herself—for keeping a blog online. What do you think her real reasons are?
Lone Star Legend Page 25