Gaby, Lost and Found

by Angela Cervantes

“But … we can’t throw her out …”

  “Oh yes we can, and I will.” He plucked Feather up by back of the neck. Feather cried as he headed toward the front door.

  Gaby went running after him. “Please no, no!”

  He swung the door open and was about to fling Feather outside when Gaby grabbed his arm. “She’s not a stray, Dad. She’s from the shelter.”

  He hesitated, then stepped back to glare at Gaby.

  “Shelter? What shelter?” Feather still hung from his hand like a bag of trash you take to the alley. “You adopted a cat from a shelter without my permission?”

  Gaby’s face was hot. Tears streamed down each cheek. “No, she’s from the shelter where we volunteer.” Gaby wiped tears from her eyes. “My school service project.” She sobbed. “I want to keep her.”

  He screwed up his face then, real tight, like he didn’t know whether to explode or walk away. Gaby wiped her nose with her sleeve. Finally her dad shook his head. “You’re not keeping a cat while I’m here in this house! It’s going back right now. Take it and let’s go.” He shoved Feather into Gaby’s arms, pulled the front door open, and stomped down the porch steps.

  Gaby held Feather close. “What are we going to do now?” she said weakly. Feather mewed softly. Gaby looked through the screen door at the truck. Her dad sat behind the wheel smoking a cigarette. He honked the horn.

  Gaby wiped her nose on her sleeve once more, and then went out to the truck. She had barely sat down in the front seat with Feather and shut the door when her dad sped off.

  Gaby’s father’s eyes narrowed and his knuckles tightened around the steering wheel. She was certain that this wasn’t the same father that had held her hand so many years ago when she was frightened by cockroaches. This father smelled like cigarettes and scowled at the road. Feather lay limp on Gaby’s lap.

  While petting her, Gaby sang soft and slow, “De colores, de colores, se visten los campos en la primavera …” Feather lifted her head and gazed up at Gaby, and she sang, “De colores, de colores, son los pajaritos que vienen de afuera —”

  “You guys go all this way for a volunteer project?”

  “It’s only fifteen minutes from our school. Take the next right, at the light,” Gaby instructed.

  He was quiet for a minute, and then looked over at the cat with disgust.

  “Please, Dad, we can’t take her back.”

  “Give me one good reason why not.”

  “I love her and I want to take care of her.”

  “You can’t love a cat,” he scoffed.

  “I do.” She kissed Feather’s head. In return, Feather sat up and rubbed her face against Gaby’s cheek. “Please.”

  He rolled his eyes. “She’ll be better off at the shelter. We can’t take care of her.”

  “Well, then, you should leave me at the shelter, too, because you don’t take care of me.”

  “What are you talking about?” He stomped on the brakes at a red light, and they lurched forward. “We’re talking about a cat.”

  “What about you?” Gaby blurted. “You don’t even come home, or pay the bills. If it wasn’t for Alma’s family, I’d probably starve.”

  “Don’t exaggerate.”

  “You don’t ask how I’m doing. You don’t ask about school or how I feel about Mom or if I need anything. You don’t care!”

  “That’s enough!”

  It was quiet. He rubbed his forehead and mumbled to himself. The light turned green. The shelter loomed ahead.

  “Dad,” she tried again, “if you’re mad at me then be mad at me, but, please, I have to save her.”

  He turned into the lot and parked. “There’s nothing I can do about it.”

  “That’s the same thing you say about Mom.” She got out of the truck with Feather, slammed the door, and marched up to the shelter.

  She didn’t recognize the woman behind the reception desk. Where was Daisy? She looked up at the clock on the wall. It was past one o’clock. Maybe Daisy was out for lunch?

  She stepped up to the desk, but before she could speak the woman smiled wide. “Feather! Dr. Villalobos is going to be so happy!” She got on the phone. “Dr. V., Feather is back.”

  Gaby wiped her eyes some more. She had no idea what she would say to Dr. V. Feather meowed. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay.” Through the front window, she saw her dad finish a cigarette and head toward the shelter.

  “Gaby?” Dr. Villalobos said. “Wow, I didn’t expect to see you.” He squatted down in front of her and petted Feather. He shook his head. “I don’t understand. How did you find her?”

  “I didn’t.” Gaby took a deep breath. “I took her from the shelter when no one was looking.”

  Her father walked in. Dr. Villalobos stood and put out his hand.

  “Hi, can I help you?”

  “I’m Gaby’s dad.” The men shook hands. Gaby’s dad was tall, but Dr. Villalobos still towered above him. “She brought this cat home and we’re bringing it back.”

  Gaby buried her face in Feather’s fur.

  “Don’t know how she got this cat,” her dad continued. “But I can’t afford it. Don’t care for cats, really.”

  Gaby glared at her father.

  “That’s my fault,” Dr. Villalobos said. “I asked her to take the cat home.”

  Gaby almost gasped in surprise. She’d kidnapped his cat and now he was coming to her rescue? It didn’t make sense. He pulled her to his side and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I wanted to see if the cat could handle being in a house with a family.”

  Her father rolled his eyes. “She said she had to save it.”

  Gaby’s heart stopped.

  Dr. Villalobos looked pained for a minute. “Well, yes, we send cats home so they can be saved. I’m sure that’s what she meant.”

  “Well, whatever. You should check with the parents before you send kids home with cats.” Gaby’s father turned and walked toward the door. “If you’ll take the cat back, I got to get going.” He pulled the car keys out of his front pocket.

  “But Dad —” Gaby whimpered.

  “If you’ll give us a few minutes,” Dr. Villalobos interrupted, “Gaby can help me get the cat settled.” He took Feather from Gaby. As they walked to the clinic, Dr. V. was quiet.

  Gaby took a good look around. She was certain that this would be the last time she’d be allowed into the shelter. Her days at Furry Friends Animal Shelter were over.

  Dr. Villalobos opened the clinic door. “Daisy thought she’d left a door open and that Feather had escaped. She went home in tears last night.” He put Feather on the examination table. “Why did you take her, Gaby?”

  “I’m sorry.” She hung her head. “You told me that Feather’s owners threatened to sue you. Feather deserves a better family.”

  “I see.” He pressed his hands along Feather’s ribs.

  “What happens now? Are you going to tell Mrs. Kohler?”

  He checked Feather’s ears. “I wish I didn’t have to, but I do.” Gaby met his eyes and then burst into fresh tears. Feather meowed.

  “If you tell Mrs. Kohler, I won’t be allowed back to the shelter.” Dr. V. handed her a tissue. “I’m really sorry. I couldn’t let Feather be with those people. They don’t care about her.” She blew her nose.

  “I know.” Dr. V. nodded. “But Mrs. Kohler trusts me and I have to tell her the truth.” He examined Feather’s eyes and mouth. “Look, I’m not happy about it either. I might lose my shelter scribe,” he said. “I’ll talk to her. Maybe she’ll still let you volunteer.”

  Gaby wiped her nose. “I’d do anything.”

  “The way I see it,” Dr. Villalobos said, “you thought you were saving Feather. If I thought a dog or cat was in danger, I’d do the same thing.”

  “Even lie?”

  “Well, it’s never right to lie,” he said. “One lie traps you into more lies.”

  “You lied. You covered for me with my dad.”

  “
You got me there, kiddo. Your dad looked upset. I didn’t think the truth under those circumstances was worth it. Your eyes were all puffy and red.”

  Gaby nodded. “He would have flipped out even more if he knew I took Feather.”

  “When I was about your age, my brothers and I hid a dog and her entire litter of pups in the garage. My dad was a real tough guy. Worked long hours at construction and always came home exhausted and sore. We thought that if he found out, he’d dump them for sure. It turned out he was a bigger dog lover than me. He played fetch with them every free moment he had.” Dr. Villalobos pointed to a tattoo on his arm. “My first tattoo, see?”

  On his forearm was a tattoo of a large dog surrounded by six small pups and the name “Princess Leia.”

  Gaby shook her head and smiled.

  “Well, what do you expect from three boys? We named them after Star Wars characters.” He shrugged. “Lucky for all of us, Feather looks good. Did she eat anything? Did you give her water?”

  “Yes, I fed her Divine Feline, eggs a la tuna, and I gave her lots of water, but she vomited on my dad’s shoe.”

  “Yikes! Not a good first impression.” Dr. Villalobos smiled.

  “Will she be okay?”

  “Most likely she got sick from the change in diet. She’s not used to that sort of rich food. Also, the stress of being in a new place could cause her to regurgitate. Feather is a strong cat to have survived on her own for as long as she did, but she’s still fragile.”

  Gaby bit down on her lip. All this time, she thought she was saving Feather, but in reality she was no different than Feather’s former owners. She’d stressed Feather out and made her sick by feeding her eggs a la tuna and Divine Feline. Dr. V. picked Feather up and stroked her back.

  “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. And I’ll make sure Mrs. Kohler knows what good care you gave her.” Still holding Feather, Dr. V. pulled a chair out for Gaby. “Come sit for a minute. I need to tell you something.” He sat across from her.

  Gaby knew enough about adults to know that when they wanted to be at eye level and started talking softly, it meant they wanted to be serious. She had heard that tone of voice before. Softness hiding something hard. Mrs. Kohler used that voice when she announced exams. Three months ago, the lawyer used it when he told Gaby and Alma’s family that there was nothing else that could be done to keep her mom in the country.

  “Feather’s owners didn’t come to pick her up, but they called and said they’d come tomorrow. If they really want Feather back, there’s nothing I can do.” If Gaby had any tears left in her body they would have poured out, but she could only muster a gasp.

  “I’d hoped they’d lose interest, but they haven’t.”

  “Furry Friends has a waiting list policy, Dr. V. If there is another family on the list first, they’d have to wait, right?”

  “That’s right. The only thing is … Feather’s been in the clinic, so I don’t have anybody on her waiting list. I won’t be able to justify keeping her.”

  “Put my name on the waiting list! When my mom is back, we’ll adopt her,” Gaby said.

  “When will your mom be back?”

  “She promised she’d be home soon,” Gaby said.

  “Unless your mom can be back by tomorrow, I’m afraid I have no choice.”

  “But they can’t be trusted,” Gaby cried. “They left her at a rest stop.”

  “I will have a long talk with them.”

  Gaby felt a lump rise in her throat.

  Dr. V. stood up. “You should get back to your dad. I’ve kept you too long, and he seemed anxious to leave.”

  “Can I hold Feather one more time, just in case I don’t get to see her again?”

  Gaby took Feather and embraced her. It reminded her of that last day she saw her mom. In the airport, her mom kissed Gaby’s forehead and told her, “We’ll be together again.” Even though every bone in Gaby’s body ached and her heart crumbled like the Mexican cookies Alma’s mother made for Cinco de Mayo, her mom’s kiss and her words calmed her. She just had to be patient.

  Back in the reception area, Gaby’s father sat on a chair with his eyes closed. She tapped his shoulder. “Ready?”

  Once in the truck, her father started the engine and then stopped. “We need to talk, Gaby. There’s going to be some changes.”

  Gaby’s heart raced. All this catnapping hadn’t solved anything. It had only made things worse. She and Alma had gotten into a big fight, Feather’s owners were coming tomorrow, her volunteering days were over, and now her father wanted to talk to her about changes. What changes? He pulled the keys out of the ignition and twisted around to face her. “I got a new job today. It’s in Dodge City.” He exhaled. “This means we’re moving.”

  “What? Dodge City? That’s really far away … What about Mom?” Gaby clutched the door handle.

  “First of all, do you realize how impossible it is for your mom to come back home? It’s not going to happen. The faster you get that through your head, the better.”

  “What do you mean? She told me —”

  “Do you remember a few weeks ago, when you woke up and heard me on the phone?”

  Gaby remembered that night perfectly. He had been hunched over the table, whispering into the phone. Then, when she woke up, he’d hung up really fast.

  “I was talking to your mom. She was calling to ask me for money to pay a coyote. I told her I wouldn’t send her any because it wasn’t worth the risk.”

  Her father’s words stung. Why wouldn’t he help her mom? Was he saying she wasn’t worth it?

  “No matter how good of a coyote they may have, people don’t just waltz over the border. Do you understand that? It’s dangerous. You need to stop pleading with her to come home. It’s not safe.”

  She couldn’t believe it. Why was he saying this? There was no way she was moving anywhere with him. She gazed back at the shelter, wishing her father would just plop her in a box and leave her at the door.

  Gaby stomped straight to her room.

  “I’m not going anywhere without my mom!” She slammed the door behind her, snatched her mom’s photo off the dresser, and collapsed on her bed. “Especially not to Dodge-whatever with you!”

  Her father paced outside her door before he finally knocked. “Gaby, come out so we can talk.”

  “If you want to leave, leave already! It’s never stopped you before!” she cried.

  “Okay, this has gone on too long. Let’s call your mom.”

  Gaby sat up and rushed out of her bedroom to find him already dialing.

  “It’s ringing. Do you want to talk to her?”

  Gaby crossed her arms and glared so hard her face hurt. “Of course I want to talk to her.”

  “Paloma, it’s me. I have Gaby here and — you need to talk to her —”

  “Mom?” Gaby grabbed for the phone, but her father stepped away. She couldn’t wait to tell her mom about her dad’s plan to take her to Dodge City. There’s no way her mom would go for that. No way.

  “Paloma, she thinks you can just stroll across the border.” Gaby could barely make out her mother’s voice. She sounded upset. Her father held the phone out to her. “Talk to her.”

  Gaby grabbed the phone. Her entire body shook. “Mom?” Gaby said. “Dad said you’re not coming back and he wants me to move to Dodge City with him.”

  “I’m sorry, princesa.”

  Gaby’s legs wobbled and her chest tightened. Somehow, she found a chair and sat down. “What?” She shook her head. This was not the reaction she was expecting from her mom. “No, you have to tell him he’s wrong. You’re coming back.” Gaby heard deep breathy sobs on the other end of the line. “Mom?”

  “Princesa, I want to return, but …” Her mom stopped, blew her nose. Gaby felt tears slip from her eyes. “Listen to me, Gaby. I’ve been working and saving as much as I can, but I just can’t make enough to come home right now. I’ve been working so hard, and I’ve had to use most of what I earn for my aunt’
s medical treatments. She’s very sick.”

  “What?” Gaby cried. “What about me?”

  “I’m so sorry.” Her mom’s voice trembled. Gaby covered her face with her hands. Was this it? Was she never going to see her mom again? How could this happen? Her heart felt like it would burst into a million pieces.

  “Are you saying you’re not even going to try?” Gaby pressed.

  “Gaby, mi princesa, you have to be patient —”

  “No, Mom! I’ve been patient. I’ve been patient for three months! And stop calling me your princesa. If I were your princesa, you’d be here. You said before that I was worth the journey. I’m your daughter and I want you to come back! You promised!”

  “Gaby!” Her father pounded the table with his fist, but she ignored him.

  She slammed the phone down.

  The silence that followed sent a sharp pain through Gaby’s whole body. How could she hang up on her mom? She ran out the front door. Her father yelled after her, but she wasn’t stopping.

  Gaby ran until she got to Marcos’s house. His bike leaned against the front porch. She went around back and threw pebbles at his window until he finally looked out. She gestured for him to meet her in the garage.

  His mother’s red Charger was parked inside the garage. Even though cars didn’t interest Gaby, she knew that this was a classic old car. So when she entered the car on the driver’s side she tried not to touch anything. She stared at the rosary that dangled from the rearview mirror. Gaby had prayed the rosary a hundred times when her mom was detained. She had prayed for a miracle. She’d showed up every day during visiting hours, clutching a rosary so that the officers would see that her mom had a daughter who wanted her home.

  Marcos jumped in on the passenger side.

  “Are we going for a ride?” he quipped. Gaby wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “I need you to read my palm.” She shoved her right hand at him. He had predicted that the girls would volunteer at Furry Friends Animal Shelter. He had told her he could see a person’s path in life through the lines of the palm. Where did her path lead? And was her mom with her on that same path?