“What are you doing?” Ariala shouts as he starts loading. “Has he lost his mind too?” She looks to me for an explanation for his outburst of anger. Our father has always been quiet and reserved. He rarely raises his voice and never a hand to any of us.
I shake my head at her. “Papi, listen to me. I am an adult and free to make my own choices. I will do it with or without your blessing, but I would rather have it,” I plead.
He looks so angry with me I can’t bear it. I knew he would be, but I didn’t expect it to hurt so badly. I’ve never disappointed him. I’ve always been his perfect girl.
“Not if I kill him first,” he states menacingly.
My heart drops to my feet out of fear of never seeing Tristian again. I should be more concerned with my father’s wellbeing, but I’m stuck on the enemy.
“You need to calm down it isn’t good for you to be so upset. You can’t kill him, you won’t.”
“Won’t I,” he challenges.
“No, you won’t. Because I am asking you not to. Papi please, you know this isn’t the way Mama would want you to handle this. You told me you liked the Vandacamp family.”
“Isa,” he warns but I can see that he is already softening and coming to terms with my decision. “There are things you don’t know and could never understand. I don’t like you getting near him.”
“There is a good man somewhere inside him underneath his appearance,” I say defending a man I don’t even know, but I refuse to believe I am wrong about him. There is good in Tristian and I will find it. Ariala is silent and Papi is thinking hard. “Take care of him Ariala. I am going to see if Elsabeth can run me into town. The car is still low on gas, so only use it if you absolutely have t
o.” She nods with wide eyes and the urge to ask me so many questions but she won’t. We aren’t close in that way anymore. None of us are. Not since Mama, maybe even before when my grandmother died, I can’t remember those days though. I only remember the despair we all felt after Mama passed.
Papi falls into his favorite chair with his head in his hands. “This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be.”
I crouch in front of him taking his hands and lifting his face. “Please Papi, I am doing this because I love you and Mama would want me to do everything in my power to help our family. When she died I promised her I would look after all of you. Let me do this.”
“You are so stubborn Isa, just like your grandma, Iris. You won’t change your mind will you?” He knows I won’t back down.
“No Papi, I won’t.”
“Well, tell me about this job,” he concedes accepting my decision finally, even if he don’t agree, he understands why.
“This evening, I need to get into town.”
He nods and Ariala offers to fix him lunch.
I haven’t thought any further on my lie. I need to think of something good, before he sees through my web of deceit.
When I go over to Elsabeth’s she is getting ready to leave. I wave, signaling for her attention. “Can you drop me at the store?”
“Yeah, I am meeting Felix for lunch, and besides it’s on the way.”
“Thanks sis.”
She doesn’t even attempt to make conversation. She hasn’t even asked one question about our father’s health.
Her silence tugs at my heart. We used to talk about everything. She would gush about Felix to Ari and me when she would come home from their dates. And we would lay in the bed and giggle when she would tell us about each new step they would take in their relationship.
I decide I had better tell her that I am moving out for the time being so she can watch over Papi. I know I won’t be able to count on Ariala to do it. When I tell Elsa I made a deal with Tristian, feeding her the same bull I told Papi she freaks out on me.
“Are you on drugs? Why else would you agree to something so stupid? He will take advantage of you. Isa he is dangerous. Felix warned Papa against the loan. He wouldn’t listen. Said the Vandacamps were a family friend. But Mama hadn’t spoken to them in years…since after…”
I cut her off before she can finish. “You think I don’t know that. He won’t hurt me Elsa, you don’t know him.”
“Oh and suddenly you do?” She shakes her head as she pulls up to the back of the store. “You are so clueless Isa.”
“You know Papi can’t pay him. Do you and Felix have the money to pay?”
She looks away from me, knowing I have to do this.