Lost in the City: Tree of Desire and Serafin Read Free Page B

startled and didn’t know where to look. Stumbling, Cristina got up, dragging Joaquín along.The man reading the paper grunted as he watched them climb over him. The bus was full, and it was hard to move forward. Fortunately, there was still a block to go. Cristina asked a young man to pull the stop cord and, in a commanding tone, told Joaquín not to let go of her. Joaquín answered yes to everything, staggering, his eyes frightened. With one hand he held Lucas tightly, and with the other he clutched his sister’s dress as she pulled him along or pushed him back brusquely. At a sudden jolt they almost fell, and Lucas meowed because Joaquín was smothering him. The door produced a blast of air as it opened. A huge, protecting hand reached over to support them and then help them get off, holding the child (and the cat) while Cristina jumped to the sidewalk. Cristina called out “Thanks,” but couldn’t see the face.

5
    It was very early; Alicia would be in school until one o’clock, and they had to pass some time. There was a park on the other side of the street, and Cristina waited for the red light before crossing. She sat on a bench while the boy played with Lucas on the grass, rolling over, laughing, and meowing together as if they were two boys or two cats. Christina told him, Don’t do that, be careful not to get dirty, but it was useless, and she didn’t insist. She sat with her hands in her lap, looking up and thinking. If she could get some money, they would go far away, as far away as possible. She had to see how much Alicia had. She had offered it to her: when you need it, I’ve kept my allowance for a year. Alicia was her best friend. Once they had sworn friendship until death. Or beyond death. They had written their pact on a piece of paper and signed it with a mixture of their blood, the way they had seen it done in a film they’d watched together.
    Joaquín’s cry roused her. Cristina ran to him and took Lucas down from the tree an instant before he would have been dead.
    â€œJoaquín!”
    â€œI couldn’t get him down.” He wept and covered the cat with kisses and saliva.
    â€œWhere did you get this cord!”
    â€œIt was here.”
    â€œBut why did you hang him?”
    â€œHe wanted me to.”
    â€œWhat a child, I’m fed up with you.” And she pulled him over to a bench. A little later Joaquín was asleep on her lap, hugging Lucas. Cristina shielded his eyes from the sun and looked at him for a long time, her eyes smiling.
    She was there for more than an hour, almost motionless, stroking the child’s back, watching the people go by, thinking over what to do. She asked what time it was and awakened Joaquín. They crossed Insurgentes again, carefully but running, her heart leaping up in her throat. He wanted some water, and they stopped at a stand to get some pop.
    â€œI want some candy, too,” he said.
    Cristina asked for a few pieces of gum and took the money out of her purse. They went up a narrow, endless street. The child got tired every few moments, and Cristina tried to carry him, but he was too heavy, so she decided to stop and sit briefly on the sidewalk. Joaquín took advantage of the time to open another piece of gum and share it with Lucas. Finally, after walking for more than half an hour, they saw the two-story house with a huge door, a bronze knocker, and a number at the side. With the tip of her fingers, Cristina reached the knocker and let it fall. A girl with a white apron opened the door.
    â€œPlease tell Alicia I’m here. She knows why.”
    The girl lifted a permanently crimped lock of hair and looked at her with expressionless eyes.
    â€œAnd your Mamá?”
    â€œWe came alone. But . . . we’re going soon.”
    Still without expression, the girl disappeared down the hall and a moment later Alicia came running, still wearing her blue school uniform.
    â€œWe