“I like your faith. But the prom is just a few months away.”
“I may have to go to the prom with a lesser soul. In the meantime, I better find out where I can take music lessons. I must be ready for when my true soul mate comes into my life.” Destiny sighed with acceptance.
“Speaking of ready—looks like I’m gonna get good weather for this afternoon, and I only have eight hours to get ready!”
“Sorry I can’t stick around, but I promised Mom I’d let her take me shopping this afternoon after church.” Destiny gathered up her bags.
“You’re so kind to her.”
“Yeah, she needs me. What else would she do with her money if she didn’t have me? Call me after Julio leaves. I want to hear every single detail!”
“You got it!”
Destiny dressed quickly and ran to the kitchen. “You got any doughnuts?” she yelled up the stairs to Romi.
“Look on the second shelf of the refrigerator,” Romi called down.
“Got it. Thanks, Romi! See ya! Call me tonight!”
“You get the first report with all the juicy details! Promise!”
With that, Destiny breezed out the door to her car.
35.
Sunday Afternoon
Romi checked the mirror one last time, then checked again. Her hair was perfect, makeup understated, her clothes casual but enticing. She had changed six times that afternoon, but just as she predicted to Destiny, she ended up wearing Destiny’s green outfit. Destiny’s red hair seemed to fight with the green sweater and slacks. But Romi’s soft brown hair and golden brown skin complemented the green. She had brushed it back and held it with a hair comb. It looked casual and unplanned, even though she had worked for that look for hours. Satisfied finally, she went downstairs, checked to see that the dishes were put away, the counters were clear, and the living room neat and tidy. Max, the black Labrador retriever, had slipped in the back door. She chased him out and wiped up the floor where he’d left paw prints. She even ran the vacuum. Her mother watched in mild amusement. Romi had never shown this much interest in the cleanliness of the house.
“Everything looks fine, Romi,” she called. “Just relax, dear.”
“I don’t want him to think the wrong thing about us,” Romi told her mother. “I want everything to be just right,” she added as she fluffed a pillow on the sofa.
“This young man must be really something, Romi.”
Romi smiled broadly. “Oh, Mom, he is. I don’t know why or how, but he makes me feel like I can fly.”
“You met him at school?”
“Well, it’s a long story, but yes. He’s a transfer student from Texas,” Romi answered. She knew that trying to explain all the details of how they first met on-line would cause too many questions from her mother.
“New students from other places are always fresh, and so much more interesting than the kids you see every day, right?” her mother said. “And if the new student is a boy, then fireworks are likely to happen. Am I right again?” Mrs. Cappelle smiled.
“You’re pretty smart for an old lady, Mom,” Romi teased. She dodged as her mother tossed a sofa pillow at her.
“You’d better watch it, kid,” she warned. “This old lady is armed!”They chased each other for a moment, laughing and giggling. They landed together on the sofa just as the doorbell rang.
“He’s here!” Romi touched her hair again.
“So open the door,” her mom said, pushing her toward the door.
“You open it, Mom!” Romi insisted. “I don’t want to look like I’m too anxious.”
“OK, if you insist.” She made a face at Romi, opened the door, and smiled graciously at the nervous young man standing in front of her.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Cappelle. I’m Julio Montague.”
“Come on in, Julio. Romi is expecting you. Get down, Max,” she said to the big black dog who greeted Julio as if he were his best friend. “Max knows how to open the back door, and he keeps sneaking inside to get away from his kids, I guess. Max is our retriever daddy. He’s not much of a watchdog—much too friendly and lovable. Mandy, the mom, is out back with the puppies. She’s a golden retriever. Have you had a retriever before?”
“No, I had a German shepherd back in Texas, but we had to leave her when we moved.” Julio was glad the dog was there. He rubbed the dog’s fur, grateful to have something to do. Max, of course, was pleased to have so much attention.
“That must have been rough. What part of Texas are you from, Julio?” Mrs. Cappelle looked around for Romi, who had disappeared into the kitchen.
“I’m from Corpus Christi. All my relatives are from Mexico, but I was born in the U.S.”
“That’s really interesting. So I guess you—oh, here’s Romi—your friend from school who wants the puppy is here, Romi.” Romi completely ignored her mother. She didn’t notice that Max had gotten into the house. She saw only Julio. She smiled.
“Hola, Julio,” Romi said, trying not to act as nervous as she felt.
“Hola, Romi. I like that outfit. You look like a beautiful flower—¡una flor hermosa!”
“Thanks, Julio. You always say things so … so fancy! It’s really cool.” Romi blushed, pleased that he noticed, and pleased that he thought she looked good.
“When I see you, I see poetry,” he whispered low enough so her mother wouldn’t hear.
Romi grinned. “Wow, you’re too much! I’m gonna have to keep you around! Mama, we’ll be in back.” Romi headed with Julio toward the back door. Her mom was collecting her keys and purse.
“That’s fine, dear. I’m on my way to the shop. I just have to do a little paperwork, so I should be back by six. We’ll have dinner then, OK?” She picked up her briefcase and paused at the front door. “Lock the door if you leave the house—call me if you need to. You two behave yourselves, you hear me?”
“We’re just looking at puppies, Mom,” Romi declared innocently.
“You say puppies. I hear poetry. I wasn’t born yesterday, you know.” Her mother gave her a smile.
“OK, Mom. I know what you’re saying.” Romi was glad her mother was so perceptive. It was easier than having to tell her everything. Lots of times she just depended on her mother’s intuition to figure things out. Then they’d talk about it.
“Give me a hug, Romi. If you keep grinning like that, your face is gonna pop! Call me at the shop, OK?” Mrs. Cappelle seemed pleased that her daughter was so happy. Julio watched the two of them closely.
“OK, Mama.” Romi couldn’t hold in the smile, even though she tried.
“See you later. I’ve got to get to the shop now. Bye.” She left, and they could hear her car pulling out of the driveway. Julio and Romi were alone in the kitchen, with Max wagging his tail cheerfully between them. Romi smiled as they headed out the back door to the pen where the puppies were kept.
The four puppies started yipping and jumping as soon as they saw Julio and Romi head their way. Julio grinned as soon as he saw them. “Oh, they’re awesome—two black ones and two gold. It’s hard to decide. I know I want one of the gold ones. Oh, this one is so small.” He picked up the smallest puppy and cuddled it in his arm.
Romi nodded. “I knew you’d pick that one.” She reached for one of the black puppies. “Come here, puppy. Oh, you’re so soft. I can’t bear to part with them, Julio. I want to keep them all, but six dogs is too much even for me, the dog lover. And my mom is about at her limit. I was the one who convinced her to let Mandy have one litter before we got her spayed. So what shall we call your little one there?”
“How about Taco!” suggested Julio as he let the little dog run.
“Perfect! She’s the same color as a little taco shell!”
Both were quiet for a moment, watching the puppies romp and roll in the grass. Finally Julio spoke. “Your mom seems really nice. I can tell the two of you are really close. Do you think your mom approves of me?”
“She liked you—I can tell,” Romi assured him.
“And she smiled that ‘I know what’s going on’ smile at me. She knows me pretty well.”
“Does she approve?” Julio wanted to know.
Romi thought for a moment. “She doesn’t disapprove. She trusts me.”
Julio frowned, remembering the words that had passed between him and his father. “I had a big argument with my father last night.” His father’s words and stiff refusal to change still made Julio angry.
“About what?” Romi asked gently.
Julio sighed. “You. Me. Life. Fear. Stuff like that.”
“Why about me? He doesn’t even know me.”
“I know. That’s what I told him. But he’s set in his ways, and he is afraid. We left Texas because of fear.”
“I’m not afraid of fear, Julio,” Romi said clearly. “Your father will learn to understand.”
“I hope so.” Julio sighed. “We don’t talk very well together.” They closed the gate to the dog pen and carried the puppy into the house. It seemed content to rest in Romi’s arms, and never looked back at the family it was leaving. Julio looked around at Romi’s house. “You have an awesome house,” he remarked. “I didn’t think it would be this—”
“Big? Yeah, it’s pretty big,” Romi admitted. “We moved here about five years ago. I don’t think about it—it’s just home.”
“It reminds me of my grandfather’s house—big and airy and full of love.”
“The grandfather with the seven wives?” teased Romi.
“Only one at a time!” retorted Julio. “Will you walk me halfway home, Romi?” he asked. “This has really been live, and I don’t want it to end yet.”
“Sure,” she replied, “let me get my jacket. Look, Taco fits in the pocket! Have you got food and stuff?”
“Yeah, I bought puppy chow and we found an old blanket. Little Miss Taco here is even gonna sleep with me!”
“I’m not gonna even touch that line!” Romi laughed. “Let’s go.”
Julio stopped by the door. He looked directly into Romi’s face. She met his gaze with a smile. “I like your smile,” he said quietly. “And you’re very pretty when you laugh.”
Romi tried not to blush. She didn’t want him to know how much like Jell-O her insides felt. “I have got to keep you around,” she quipped. “You make me feel good!” She tried to change the subject. “It’s a cool day, but you can tell spring is coming. You’ll like it here in the spring. Everything is pale green and yellow, and even the air smells good.”
That made Julio think of home. “You ought to see Corpus Christi in the spring,” he countered. “Things grow there that Cincinnati hasn’t even discovered yet! You’d love it—full of color and brightness, just like you!”
They headed out the door and into the cool sunlight. It was March, which meant it could snow, or it could be seventy-five degrees. But the day was brisk, and their jackets felt good. A hint of green dusted the ends of the branches. They walked quietly, in front of a long bank of trees that led to thick woods behind. They took turns holding the puppy, laughing as she chased leaves when they put her down.
“I like to walk this way,” mused Romi. “This area is called London Woods. It’s what’s left of what was probably acres of forest back when the world was young. It’s all the developers left when they built these houses. I like to come down here in the summer and listen to the trees.”
“Do the trees talk to you, Romi?” asked Julio seriously.
She didn’t seem surprised by his question. “Yeah, you know, they do! You know what I mean. I like the breezes and the silence.”
“I can feel the magic in the air and the breezes too,” Julio admitted. “But that’s just not something you tell the kid who sits behind you in history class. It’s the kind of thought I usually keep to myself.”
“I knew you’d understand,” said Romi. “There’s so little left of natural stuff in the world.” They looked at the trees together and listened as the branches whispered. “Destiny says you are magical and passionate. She’s into star signs. You believe in that stuff?”
“It’s hard not to believe when Destiny’s around!”
“She’s a trip, for sure,” said Romi, “but she keeps the ride interesting.”
“She’s a lot like Ben,” Julio replied. Both of them are kinda free-spirited in their own way. It’s hard to fit either of them into an ordinary box.”
“You got that right.” Romi smiled. “It’s nice having company for my walk.”
“Do you often walk down here by yourself? Are you sure it’s safe?”
“It’s only a couple of blocks from home, and I usually have Max with me.”
“Max the wonder dog? The watchdog that hugs the robbers first and barks later?”
“I see you’ve got Max’s number,” Romi laughed. “But at least he’s good company for a walk in the woods.”
“Better than me?”
“No, you’re better, because you don’t stop and pee on every tree.”
“I could, if you like.”
Romi giggled. “No, but thanks for offering.” They laughed and had almost reached the halfway point—where Romi would leave Julio and go back home.
Julio glanced behind them. “Hey, Romi, do you see that car? It’s driving awfully slow.”
She turned to look. “I’m not sure. Wasn’t it behind us on the last block?”
“I think you’re right. Let’s hurry up. My house is still a couple of blocks away. We’ll go there. I’m not letting you walk home alone.”
“Julio, they’re following us. I can’t see in the windows—they’re blacked out.”
“It doesn’t look good, Romi,” said Julio, but then he tried to ease her fears and said,“but it’s broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon. We should be OK.”
“But there’s nobody out, Julio. Nobody walks anymore. And that car is still there!”
“Just keep looking straight ahead.” They walked faster and tried not to show their fear. “Should we try to find a pay phone?”
“There’s one about two blocks down, but there’s nothing here but trees and woods.”
Just then the car stopped. The four doors of the black Cadillac opened at the same time. As if on cue, four purple-hooded youths eased out of each door simultaneously. They slammed the doors shut in unison as well. It was well rehearsed, and as intimidating as they meant it to be. They walked slowly toward Romiette and Julio. They all wore dark shades, and none of them smiled. They did not speak—they just stared. Only the puppy seemed unconcerned by the scene unfolding. She was asleep in Julio’s pocket.
Romi was frightened, but refused to let it show. She whispered, “What should we do, Julio?”
“Relax,” he whispered back. “Don’t act scared.”
“I’m not that good an actress!”
Finally the tallest boy spoke. It was the same one who had threatened Julio in the bathroom that day. “What’s up, man?” he said to Julio, looking at him as if he were gutter trash.
“Nothing much,” Julio replied, his voice steady. He was more angry than frightened at this point.
“You in trouble, Romiette?” the purple-hooded boy said to her. “Yo’ mama know you out with this foreigner?”
“Mind your own business, Terrell!” Romi retorted.
Julio could barely control his anger. “You’re the one who’s gonna be in trouble! Me and Romi ain’t got nothin’ to do with you!”
“Shut up, Tex-Mex,” Terrell replied.
“Leave us alone, Terrell,” yelled Romi. “Who I walk with is none of your business!”
“I was just checkin’ on your safety, Romiette,” Terrell replied slowly. “I just want to tell you that it might be safer to walk alone, you know what I’m sayin’, instead of walking with whatever trash is blowin’ on the street, you know what I’m sayin’?”
“Don’t you threaten her!” Julio was ready to fight.
“And what you gonna do about it, Tex-Mex? You can’t beat us. And we checked with our boys in Texas and
found out you ain’t in no gang. You ain’t got no protection at all now, man.” Terrell knew he had the upper hand.
“I ain’t afraid of you!” Julio yelled. “Just watch me wipe you all over this street!” Julio knew he would get destroyed, trying to fight four boys at once, but his anger had taken over his reason, and he hated feeling weak and helpless. He wanted to protect Romi and he wanted to hurt those purple-wearing thugs. He lunged toward Terrell.
Julio was met by the barrel of a gun in his stomach. He inhaled and stood very still.
Terrell grinned with victory, but no laughter was in his face. “Hey, look at Tex-Mex! Tryin’ to fight me! Back off, Tex. Fists ain’t no match for the steel of this gun here.”
Julio backed slowly away from the gun. His reason had returned suddenly. His anger remained, but he was no fool. “You can’t do this!” Julio declared. “I’ll fight all of you!”
Romi, trembling and quiet, hoped Julio wouldn’t try.
Terrell waved the gun at both of them. “Don’t even try it, Tex. We packin’. All of us. So just stand there in the dirt and listen. This wasn’t planned to be no killin’, but it could be. Don’t make this be more than it’s s’posed to be. You know what I’m sayin’? Stay away from Romiette, or we’ll hurt you. That’s a promise. And Romi, if you continue to hang with Tex-Mex here, we can’t promise to protect you anymore.”
“I don’t want your protection!” she shouted. “Just leave us alone and crawl back in the hole you came out of!” Terrell laughed his humorless laugh and breathed his hot breath directly in Romi’s face. She didn’t flinch as he stared. She just looked at him with eyes of anger and frustration. Then, with one swift lunge of his arm, he pushed her down into the dirt.
“Oops, there goes the neighborhood!” mocked Terrell. “Looks like Romi tripped and fell! Better be more careful, Romiette. This is a warning. We don’t play.”
Julio could take no more. “Don’t you touch her!” he shouted. He tried again to lunge at Terrell, but the other three Devildogs stepped in and held Julio back.
Terrell put the gun in Julio’s face. “Don’t make me use this,” he warned. “We outta here. We done said what we had to say.”
Romiette and Julio Page 12