GRINGA (55 page)

             
Diago shifts around as all eyes focus on him. For a split second he loses his frown then resumes it with a vengeance. 

    
             
‘No, that’s not true,’ I say. ‘Diago’s not going to kill anyone.’

    
             
‘Yes, I am,! Diago snarls. ‘I gon kiiill him. I cut his throat.’ He whips out his knife and points it at me.

    
             
Elaine’s eyes are round like saucers, while
Paris
nods several times.

    
             
‘Let’s get out of here, honey,’ Elaine whispers. ‘This place gives me the creeps.’

   
             
‘No! I’m staying right here,’
Paris
says. ‘I know
Austin
. He’ll come looking for her and I’ll be here to ... to watch him die!’

   
             
Oh God, please don’t let
Austin
come here.

    
             
Elaine’s look is one of disgust. ‘See what you’ve done now?’ 

    
             
‘Elaine, I did nothing.
He
kissed me. I didn’t do a thing.’

    
             
From the time I was a little girl, she always blamed me when things went wrong. Even if Paris and I did something wrong
together
, like broke a vase, or stole from the cookie jar, she would say, “Look what you made
Paris
do, Payton”.

             
I would have to say, ‘Sorry mom’.

             
My father would stand there like a willow tree decorated in beige gabardine and say nothing.

   
             
‘How dare you speak to me like that?’ Elaine shrieks. ‘I am not one of your ... your Mexican ... 
friends
.’ Elaine spins around and glares at my father. ‘You let her speak to me like
that
?’

    
             
My father looks at me, looks at Diago and purses his lips. 

             
Elaine’s glare intensifies and my fathes simply cowers.

             
‘
Paris
, you need to go home,’ I say. ‘You have a baby. He needs to be at home. If
Austin
comes here, I’ll send him home to you. But I doubt he’ll have the nerve to show up here,’ I say, jerking my head towards the smoking tiger wearing out the courtyard paving with his pacing. 

     
             
‘Listen, you
all
need to go home - dad, Elaine, all of you.’

    
             
Paris
gets up, dusts herself and strides into my old room. ‘I’m going nowhere,’ she says.

    
             
‘
Paris
, you will go home!’ Elaine yells after her.

    
             
‘The fuck I am!’
Paris
flings over her shoulder and opens my room door.

    
             
‘
Paris
don’t you curse like that!’ Elaine warns, her face turning crimson. ‘We are not that kind of people. I brought you up better than …’

     
             
‘Leave me the fuck alone!’
Paris
yells and disappears inside my room.       

    
             
I look at them – my nutty, dysfunctional family and place both hands on my head. What the hell am I supposed to do with them?

    
             
I look at my father rocking Liam in his arms. ‘You should take charge,
Father.
’ I’m unable to hide the scorn in my voice.

    
             
He looks blankly at me and says nothing. Elaine shoots him a look of contempt and trots after
Paris
. Shortly thereafter we hear loud voices emanating from my room. 

    
             
After a few minutes, my father drags himself to my room and shuts the door. 

     
             
I walked up to Diago and stand in front of him.

    
             
‘Your family – they loco!’ he says, twirling his index finger near his temple.

    
             
I chuckle. ‘You’re right, they’re loco.’ I wrap my arms around his waist and plant kisses on his broad chest. ‘Sorry ’bout all the drama.’

    
             
He jerks my chin to look at me. ‘You don’t tell me he kiss you, Payton. Why?’

     
             
I groan loudly. ‘Come with me and I’ll tell you everything.’ 

     
             
He doesn’t move, so I take his hand and lead him to our bedroom, the place I have more control over him.   

    
             
We lie in each other’s arms as I try to explain. ‘Look Diago, me … Austin, we like, had a thing, okay? A big one. I went on holiday and came back and … I found out that he had hooked up with my sister.’

   
             
‘And ...?’

   
             
‘“And” nothing. But I swear, I’m over him now. So over him.’

   
             
‘Why?’

    
             
‘Why? Because I lo …’ I catch myself on time. ‘Because I’m with you now Diago and I’m like, very happy.’

   
             
‘But he kiss you, eh?’

   
             
‘Well  ... ’

   
             
He shrugs me off him. ‘He kiss Diago’s woman? I kill him, Payton. I cut off his farkin

cojones
!’

    
             
‘Diago relax, okay? It was nothing, I told you that. So stop stressing me out. As you can see, I have my hands full and I need you to support me, okay?’

    
             
He lies back and stares sulkily.

    
             
I nudge him. He doesn’t respond. I poke him in the ribs. Still no response. I climb over him and straddled him. Then I smother him with kisses. It works - he smiles and shakes his head.

   
             
‘Wanna fuck? I whisper, grinding against him.

   
             
‘You naughty,’ he says and smacks my butt.

Much to my chagrin, Elaine and Paris stay the night but my father leaves Tana-Mera..

             
‘Idiot!’ Elaine says. ‘Leaving me with the
children
. What the hell has gotten into him? He’s never done that before. He can’t sleep without me, the old fool.’

             
‘Maybe he’s reaching puberty,’ I say.

             
She glares at me.  

             
As for
Paris
- she simply refuses to leave and Elaine refuses to leave
her
behind, so both of them stay.  

    
             
After a while, I give up trying to evict them and focus on Diago.

             
The next morning at the breakfast table, everybody teases me about my crazy family. I don’t mind – I’m just happy to see Diago laughing at them.

    
             
Suddenly, Elaine barges into the dining room. ‘I can’t find
Paris
!’ she shrieks. ‘I’ve looked everywhere.’

             
‘Maybe a Dingo took her,’ I say before I can stop myself.

             
Everyone screams with laughter. But not Elaine – the look she gives me could halt a German army. ‘Are you going to help me or what?’

             
I throw down my napkin and stand up. Elaine’s right – Paris could have sleep-walked her way out of the ranch. I look at Diago. ‘Diago?’
 

             
Diago continues eating, his eyes focused on his food.

             
‘Mfff.’ I follow Elaine out of the villa but not before flinging Diago a dirty look for not wanting to help find
Paris
. What if something happened to her?

    
             
‘
Troy
, can you help me find her?’

             
Good old
Troy
- he immediately joins our search party.

             
‘
Paris
!’ I yell. ‘
Paris
!’

    
             
As we call out for her, Diago steps outside and casually lights up a cigarette.

   
             
‘You’re very calm,’ I snap.’

             
He does not answer. But I see his eyes flicker towards one of the villas on the top floor.

             
My eyes follow his. ‘But that’s ...’ I look at
Troy
, then at Elaine, ‘Tongue’s room!’ The three of us race upstairs towards Tongue’s villa.

             
I don’t bother to knock, I just barge.
Paris
is probably bound and gagged or tied to a chair with a rifle pointed at her, threatening to blow her brains off if she moves an inch. When I enter I gasp at what I see.