The Butterfly Box Read Free Page B

said, trying to boost her voice with a bit of enthusiasm but her tone was dead and Hal sensed it and cried again. Ramon put his daughter down and walked over to where his son was weeping in his mother’s arms.
    ‘Halcito, it’s Papa,’ he said, smiling into the child’s frightened face with his large, generous mouth. Hal buried his head in Helena’s neck and wriggled closer against her.
    ‘I’m sorry, Ramon,’ she said flatly, sensing his disappointment but secretly taking pleasure from the child’s rejection. She wanted to tell him that he couldn’t expect his children to love him when he took no part in their lives, but she saw Federica’s love set her cheeks aflame and the admiration shine in her pale, trusting eyes and knew that it wasn’t entirely true. Nevertheless, he didn’t deserve his daughter’s love.
    ‘I’ve got a present for you, Hal,’ he said, walking back to his bag and unzipping it. ‘And I’ve got one for you too, Fede,’ he added as his daughter placed an affectionate hand on his back as he rummaged around for his gifts. ‘Ah, this is for you, Hal,’ he said, walking over to the little boy whose eyes opened wide at the brightly painted wooden train that his father waved in front of him. He forgot his fear and held his hands out. ‘There, I thought you’d like that.’
    ‘I broke his engine today,’ said Helena, making an effort for the sake of the
    children. That couldn’t have come at a better time, could it, Hal?’
    ‘Good,’ Ramon replied, retreating to his case.
    ‘Now where’s yours, Fede? I’ve got you a very special present,’ he said, looking up at her expectant face. He felt her hand on his back again. It was so typical of Federica who always had to have some sort of physical contact to feel close. His hands burrowed deep into the bag that was filled not with clothes but with notepads, camera equipment and souvenirs from faraway countries. Finally his fingers felt the rough surface of tissue paper. He pulled it out, taking care not to knock it against the hard metal of his equipment. ‘Here,’ he said, pressing it into her trembling hands.
    ‘Thank you, Papa,’ she breathed, unwrapping it carefully. Hal had run off into the nursery to play with his new train. Helena lit a cigarette and smoked it nervously, leaning back against the banisters.
    ‘So how are you?’ he asked without approaching her.
    ‘Fine, you know, nothing’s changed,’ she replied coldly.
    ‘Good,’ he said.
    Helena sighed wearily. ‘We have to talk, Ramon.’
    ‘Not now.’
    ‘Of course.’
     
    ‘Later.’
     
    Federica unwrapped the paper to discover a roughly carved wooden box. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t even charming. She felt the tears prick the backs of her eyes and her throat constrict with disappointment. Not because she wanted a nicer present, she wasn’t materialistic or spoilt, but because Hal’s present had been so much more beautiful than hers. She understood his presents as a reflection of his love. He couldn’t love her very much if he hadn’t even bothered to find her a pretty gift.
    ‘Thank you, Papa,’ she choked, swallowing back her tears in shame. ‘It’s very nice.’ But she didn’t have the strength to rebel against her emotions. The excitement had been too much, now the disappointment threw her into a sudden low and the tears welled and spilled out over her hot cheeks.
    ‘Fede, mi amor, 1 he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her wet face. ‘It’s nice,’ she said, trying to sound grateful and not wishing to offend him. ‘Open it,’ he whispered into her ear. She hesitated. ‘Go on, amorcita, open it.’ She opened it with a shaking hand. The little box might have been plain on
    the outside, ugly even, but inside it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and what’s more it played the strangest, most alluring tune she had ever heard.

Chapter 2
    Federica stared into the box in awe. The entire interior was covered with