Micaela sat up and sat up, looking around, the room was that big, a quick glance and he wasn’t there….
She sat on the bed, hand on her stomach, stupefied for a few seconds, thinking in trance, was everything yesterday a dream?
Carlos didn’t seem to be here?
No, there was still his fresh scent in the air, the feeling of him sleeping in her arms was so real, and she had talked to Nilson so much yesterday, and she herself had gotten up several times in the middle of the night, and he was by her side, so how could it be a dream?….
He even said yesterday that he would stick together!
So Carlos is out there?
Micaela hurriedly put on her shoes and went out, she yanked open the door and walked out, Carlos wasn’t in the hallway and she turned to see Nilson coming in from outside.
-Moya, good morning, why don’t you change?
Without caring about anything else, Micaela crossed over him towards the door with a little hurry in her step and looked around, there was no trace of Carlos in the courtyard, neither in the direction of the kitchen, nor the bathroom….
Besides, Nilson didn’t react as he saw Carlos, how could he be so calm if they fought….
So, Carlos is gone?
A strong feeling of loss arises in Micaela’s heart….
Big bad, he said he would stay, then he left silently….
-What’s up Moya, it’s getting cooler today, go get dressed.
Nilson’s voice sounded behind her, and Micaela emitted a choked murmur and turned around, ducking her head so he wouldn’t notice her red eyes….
She went back to her room and leaned her back against the door, smelling Carlos’s scent in the room and rubbing her hand on her stomach, wanting to cry more and more….
She had thought about it yesterday, convincing Carlos to go back to the office and take the opportunity to engage with Nilson, that with Nilson’s help it would be smoother to leave Salamonsa and that the six days would soon pass, but she was so sad to see him go, so sad that she had not even told him that she missed him….
Tears blurred her eyes, she missed him so much right now, she even regretted telling him if he could stay, if she hadn’t she would have come back to him by now….
She knew Carlos had done the right thing, how could he and Nilson get along when they were really three under that roof, but she still felt empty inside….
She shifted her feet to force herself to change and her eyes fell on the table and she saw the pen and paper sitting there….
Pen and paper?
Her heart raced for a moment, she blinked hard a few times, reached up to wipe her tears and took a quick step forward, picking up the paper.
Carlos’ powerful penmanship leaps off the page:
Girl, I’m going back to Echave City, I’ll be back in the afternoon, you and the baby be good.
Micaela looked at the words and let out a sigh of relief, tears fell on the paper before she pressed it to her chest again….
Say, how could she leave without a word….
This up and down, this fall from heaven to hell and back to heaven, it’s killing me….
It took him a while to calm down.
There’s no paper or pencil here, where did she get hers?
She froze for a moment before it occurred to her that Carlos must have arrived by car when he came yesterday, that the car was probably parked outside at some intersection, that he must have woken up at dawn, gone back to the car to get paper and pen and leave her a message before leaving.
So she didn’t meet up with Nilson….
Micaela’s heart rose with a feeling of anguish, the temperature has dropped today, when he came, he was only wearing a thin black shirt, how cold it must be when it’s still daytime, still pacing back and forth, just to leave her a message….
Clearly I could have woken her up….
But he knew it must be that time, she was sleeping soundly, he didn’t want to wake her up….
Carlos’ thoughtfulness and thoughtfulness filled her heart with sweetness, the loss she had just felt was gone and she couldn’t help but feel very encouraged at the thought that Carlos would come again in the evening.
Three people living together…
Micaela gasps as she remembers the other day, in Villa Echave, when Carlos and Nilson came face to face with that saber-rattling atmosphere….
It’s a bit of a horror movie if you’re in that kind of environment for the next few days….
At noon, she put the newspaper away, hid it under her pillow and changed her clothes, much, much more relieved in any case….
After getting ready, she picks up the tray she brought last night and takes it to the kitchen.
Nilson is frying eggs and unconsciously looks her way, but his eyes fall on the empty bowl and plate on the tray she is holding….
Micaela also looks at the discs in her hands and realizes that yesterday’s steamed dumplings were a rather large portion, and her mouth was quicker than her brain in explaining it to her:
-I was really hungry last night, so I ate the whole thing.
Nilson’s thin lips turned up a little in surprise, but he nodded.
-As if to wrap it up a little more tomorrow.
-Hmm.
Micaela put down the tray and turned to wash up.
Back inside, Nilson has brought out all the breakfast, white porridge, eggs and small plates, and already has a serving of porridge in front of him.
Micaela takes a seat in his place.
-Moya…
Nilson was about to sit down too and opened his mouth to call her when suddenly he stopped, his eyes fell on her neck and his heart skipped a beat….
Today he’s wearing a round neck bottom, the zipper of the jacket is not up, the location of the collarbone, the dotted red marks, hidden….
That’s it, a hickey, or a mosquito bite…..
Nilson suddenly remembered when she had just woken up, pacing anxiously toward the door, as if looking for someone, and the dishes they had taken out and eaten, and the unreal sound of the door opening that he had heard first thing in the morning….
Micaela did not hear him continue and unconsciously looked up, Nilson’s eyes popped out and he sat up, feeling his heart, which had just risen, sink, sink into the abyss, sink into the deep valley….
-Do you want me to ask me yesterday’s question?
Micaela volunteered to ask.
-I promise you whatever you want, so you also have to keep your promise, no hard feelings in the future, help us get out of Salamonsa, and as for reactivating the economy of Ciudad Echave, it’s best if you want to help, but if you don’t want to, it doesn’t matter.
She believes that Carlos has it in him…..
Nilson looked at her, his tone still calm even though his insides were churning with astonishment at the thought in his head.
-Oh, are you sure, he’s coming to pick you up and you’re not going with him?
Micaela froze for a second, nodded, picked up the spoon, gently scraped the porridge from the bowl and said slowly:
-Well. Nilson, I hope we are, if not friends, at least not enemies.
Nilson sighed.
-Moya, we grew up together, and maybe you think it’s ridiculous, but I really, really identified with you since you were that little….
Nilson paused, not knowing how to continue, he never wanted to be just friends with her, even if there was a gap of more than ten years in the middle and he didn’t find it, but he still firmly just wanted her, he knew that, in the end, he defined himself to the enemy’s position…
Micaela raised her eyes to look at him and saw a hint of helplessness in his gaze, her grip on the spoon tightened, thinking of last night, of his dejected tone, of his humble attitude, not knowing what to say, she had made it very clear to him last night that staying here as many days as she could would change nothing….
Half-heartedly, he lowered his head and ate his breakfast quietly.
After breakfast, Micaela walked around the yard, as she usually did, and counted the stock of chickens, ducks and fish, and even the various vegetables in the garden, and found that she feared she would not be able to finish the remaining 6 days….
However, Carlos together they might be able to finish it….
While Micaela was rambling, Nilson entered Micaela’s room.
Almost in the same instant he pushed open the door, he was more than sure of his suspicions; in the air, there was a scent belonging to a man who, having taken only one step inside on his first visit here, had never ventured back into the room….
Undeterred, he glanced around the spartan room, trying to find evidence and not thinking about it….
How could Charles have found this place so accurately on the fourth day, and if he did find it, how could he have left it alone….
Lifting the pillow off the bed, Nilson’s breath caught when he saw the paper…