GRINGA (37 page)

             
I struggle to think and then I remember my date
. T
hey want details about my date with Diablo. I spent most of the night awake and analysing the evening so I barely got any sleep.
The wine didn’t help either.

             
I sigh and prop myself on my elbows. ‘
Okay
, well t
hanks for the coffee
, I guess.’ I yawn loudly
.
‘
I’ll come to the kitchen in a few minutes, okay?’

             
‘Sure,’ Maria says. ‘
Rosa
let us go now. We don’t want to … to … let us give Senorita her privacy.’

             
Yeah right.

             
A short while later, I
stumble
into the kitchen and sink into a chair. ‘
S
uppose you want details of my date with Diablo
?
’ 

    
             
Maria
descends on me
, places both her hands on my shoulders and looks into my eyes.

             
‘Senorita,’ she says in a voice usually heard in church,
‘it is not our business to know such ... such personal matters and we
, Senorita, we
should
never
be talking about such things with you. We are your serrrrvants. We must know our place, Senorita.’ She removes her hands from my shoulders, stands back and looks at me with
a feigned
air of pi
ety
.

             
Rosa
gawks at
her
. ‘Maria! Why you
say that?
’

             
I sigh and look at
Rosa
. ‘
You w
anna hear?’

             
‘
Si
gringa, tell us everything.’

             
That’s what I like about
Rosa
– way to nosey to
even try and fake nonchalance.

             
She moves
quickly
towards
a
nearby
chair
.

             
But Maria is faster
– she
swipes the chair and plonks herself on it.

             
‘Maria!’
Rosa
screeches. They glare at each other. Here we go again.

             
But
Rosa
’s curiosity appears to be getting the better of her. S
he grabs another chair and sits down. ‘Tell us
, Senorita, tell us, tell us
.’

             
‘Well, we went to a ...’

             
The ladies
shift
to the edge of their seats.

             
‘You sure you want to hear ...?

             
‘
Si
, Senorita Payton,’ Maria says.
‘
What happened
e
h? What did he do?’

     
             
Rosa
drags her chair closer to me. ‘Did you kiss, Senorita? Tell, tell.’

             
‘Okay, we go
to
this
like,
restaurant …’

    
             
‘A restaurant!’ Maria slam
s
back on her chair. ‘Diablo, he
never
go to a restaurant before, I think.’

    
             
‘
Si
,’ Rosa says,
her voice mounting with excitement,
‘Diablo
, he
never go to restaurant.’

     
             
I nod. ‘He asked me to order the food
and
the wine.’

    
             
‘Aaah!’ Maria’s head is bobbing
. ‘Diablo, he don’
t
know how to read too good.
That’s why …
’

    
             
‘
Si
, Diablo no read too good,’
Rosa
echoes.

             
‘I asked him his name and he told me it was, Diago.’

     
             
‘That’s his name!’ Maria cries. ‘That’s his birth name!’

     
             
‘
S,i
si
,
si
, ’
Rosa
says, on the edge of her seat again, ‘that’s his birth name. ‘Did you kiss?’

    
             
‘Well, we didn’t
, but
the food was so good.
We talked, laughed …
’

    
             
They look at each other, take turns arching and knitting their eyebrows then prompt me to continue.

    
             
‘We held hands ... ’

    
             
They clasp their hands to their breasts
. ‘Ooooh Senorita …’

    
             
‘Did you kiss?’
Rosa
persists.

    
             
‘
Eh, y …y
es. ’ No need to mention it was on my forehead.

    
             
The room erupts with cheers and for a few minutes I sit and smile as they discuss the kiss
between themselves.

             
‘Didn’t you guys see us kiss last …?’

             
‘Na, ha.’

             
‘Oh. Hey, d
id you know Senor Vito ...? ’

             
‘
Si
,’ Rosa says, ‘he come everyday
. T
each Diablo to
be a good husband, good man so
gringa will ...’

             
‘Yeah? But you guys never told me ... ’

    
             
‘And
then
Senorita …
’
Maria interrupts.

             
Okay, I guess she’s waiting for the
grand finale
or maybe she
wants to know
why
Diablo
was
not in my room this morning
.

             
I shake my head from side-to-side
and purse my lips
. ‘He
eh, he
spent the night with
…
Santana
.
’ 

    
             
For a few moments, you can hear the refrigerator running. Their shoulders sag, their jaws slacken and I feel I have let them down.

             
‘Well, I think …I think …w
ell, I saw her ...
’

   
             
‘But ... but ... How could you let that happen, Senorita?’
Rosa
snaps
.

   
             
Maria
glares
, her eyes reproachful eyes, her lips
now a thin line.

   
             
‘I did not
let
... ’

   
             
Luckily, Christa appears. ‘Wha
t
are you doing talking
to the gringa
?
’ she yells. ‘
Why you not cleaning?’ 

             
‘It’s the Gringa,’ Maria says. ‘She make us sit and …’

             
‘
Si
,’ Rosa says standing behind Maria. ‘The Gringa – is all her fault.’

             
Both
women scurry away
. Sellouts!

    
             
Christa turns her head slowly to look at me, her eyes cold and hard. ‘So ... you are taming beastia eh?’ Her voice is low and dangerous. ‘Very clever Gringa. Very clever. You and Senor Vito, very clever peopoool. ’

    
             
I get up, grab an apple and walk out of the kitchen
. Damned if I’m discussing my date with her.
I just hope she doesn’t attack Senor Vito.
He’s doing such a good job on Dia
go
.

             
As I walk I find myself craning my neck
to look around. It’s not like I’m looking for
Diablo
or something – I’m just looking. But where the hell is he today?