Chapter Six The Maya Angel
Maya
I stood by the doorway and heard some of what Henry told Alex.
I sort of knew that Alex had his doubts about all of this.
After all, I’d known this boy for three years now.
He had done one thing consistently since he was four and that thing was to protect the only real family he had in the world.
His sister, Hope. Even when I came along, he was skeptical of me for a few months until he realized I only wanted to help them cope.
Help them to survive those two violent harpies.
I remember wishing they could have a decent family.
I prayed for help to remove them from the life they did not ask for or deserve.
I only landed in their lives because my quest had led me there.
I simply took the job as sort of a cover.
My research and a few contacts had directed me to find those two particular women.
Pilar and Omara Sazar. I did this for my own reasons.
Even though I knew after a bit that their last name was false.
They were actually Pilar and Omara Castillo.
Of course, they did not use their real names.
They were hiding stolen children. And yes, they were paid a stipend to keep the twins hidden from everyone.
Hence, why the kids had never been off that street since they were two years old or so.
I knew a lot more about this situation than I ever wanted to.
The women were fairly wealthy from the pay that came from the Castillo Cartel and they lived meagerly.
Though, I saw clues of their wealth here and there.
New shoes, purses and clothing. They had their hair and nails done every month.
They used taxis to go out wherever they went to spend that ill-gotten money.
They also ate a lot. Which pissed me off beyond what I could stand because they nearly starved the twins.
While they dined at cafes and dinner houses, the kids ate rice and beans at home.
I would buy and stash food for them to have when the two bitches went out.
Healthy food. Enjoyable food. I had to be creative in what I bought and where I hid it.
Luckily, the two old women were more than just selfish and cruel, they were lazy as well.
So they never found the various hiding spots I chose as they never cleaned or did any meal prep themselves.
Now as I stood here and saw how kind he was to actually listen and talk to Alex about this issue.
He did not have to say a thing. His job was simply to guard the twins, not help them.
Rain and Carlos teased this man, calling him a knight…
But now I realized despite the jokes, Henry was someone honorable like a real knight.
I had never met a truly honorable man… I had to admit.
Except for maybe my father. Yes, I met some students at university then some male teachers later on but they just lacked depth.
Or was it magnetism? Whatever it was they were just plain in comparison to this man.
Then after only knowing Henry for a few days, I knew that they weren’t half as knowledgeable or as warm as him.
Too bad, I couldn’t stay and see if he and I could possibly be real friends at the very least.
Turning his head, he noticed me of course and more than likely he’d known I stood here from the very first second, I moved.
I know he was a professional bodyguard, but his senses were uncanny.
I paused. If that were true then he already knew I wasn’t what I appeared to be.
I now remembered the few times he gave me a puzzled look as if he couldn’t figure something out about me.
I needed to be more careful. But I knew I wouldn’t be around much longer for him to wonder about in any case.
I mentally scoffed at my own importance in this man’s world. Like he was even interested in me.
Alex noticed me now and came over to where I stood.
“Do you like your room?” I asked the expected question.
He nodded then shrugged. “I would be loco not to. Did you see the devices over there?” He thumbed the direction where the TV and video gaming systems were.
I knew he didn’t even know what they were or how to play.
The only reason he knew about them at all was from the magazines I snuck into that old clapboard house.
I wanted him and Hope to have some knowledge outside of Revolucion Street.
Not even the neighbors were allowed near the twins.
Before I came along, they’d only known three people.
A maid the women had hired for a while and the old ladies themselves.
They hadn’t even been allowed to talk to the grocery delivery man, who had been bringing groceries there for the last ten years.
“Maybe one of Gabriela’s stepsons can show you the games?” I suggested.
Alex seemed unconcerned as he again shrugged.
“Alex, I know all of this is new,” I told him. “I also know you. I realize you are being protective and I am proud that you are doing that.”
“But,” he said as he smiled at me.
“But I really believe all of this is sincere. Your stepfather…um…Mr. Mancini may have gone a bit far…” I paused to look around at all the amenities. “With the rooms. But I want you to be as I taught you and Hope. Gracious and polite. Say thank you and make an effort to…” I looked over at Henry.
He had been listening to our conversation.
“To get to know your mother,” I finished. “Give her a chance at least. She never wanted you to grow up without her.”
“Then why did we?” he asked.
“We will all talk about that after you get settled in,” Gabriela spoke from the doorway.
Alex gave her a polite nod of his head.
“So, is your room ok?” she asked him.
Alex smirked and replied, “I think it feels fine.”
Pausing, Gabriela tilted her head at him then she laughed.
“Booo,” Hope called out as she came in. “That was a very bad joke, Alex.”
He shrugged as he shoved his hands into his jeans. “I like the room a lot. I can’t wait to try the games.”
Hope ran over and looked at the wall pad then tapped a button.
The wall slid open and the closet was revealed.
“Come on, hermano!” Hope exclaimed excitedly. “Let’s see what new jeans they got you!”
The twins then went into the walk-in closet and were going through the clothes.
“Look, cowboy boots!” Hope cheered. “You always wanted a pair of those.”
Gabriela came into the room and walked over to me. She then reached over and took my hands into hers. “I…You saved my kids. Hope talks about you and the things you did for them.”
I slowly shook my head. “I was a paid nanny.”
“I call BS,” Henry spoke up.
We looked over at him.
He stepped over and paused to look toward the closet to see that the kids were preoccupied. Then he looked at us. “I think you are not telling the whole truth here.”
I sucked a breath in, wondering why he said this. Did he know who I was? I didn’t think he did.
He went on, “In the last few days, the kids had a few stories to tell us. Like how you bought them meals and hid them. Then you would feed them when those bitches were out. That they never had cake or any kind of treat before you came along. You had to teach them what a cupcake was and what cookies really were. How you bought them clothes and shoes because they went barefoot and they wore rags. They didn’t even know how to read or write at ten years old.
You bought books and school supplies for them.
You taught them all that they know currently and you actually caught them up to high school level.
No Maya, you were more than just a nanny.
And knowing those two ole hags they paid you very little to be a nanny. ”
I shook my head and looked away as hearing this all in one description made me sad about the years the twins missed out on life.
“Any decent person would have done those things. They saved me too. I lost…” I paused and let out a sigh.
“…my family and they became that for me. I mean have you watched them Sir Henry? They are joy itself. They are a blessing.” I looked over at Gabriela.
“You will get upset, maybe a lot as the days go by. Just from their stories. But I think the hard things they dealt with made them better human beings.” I chuckled.
“And maybe I just love them too much and I am biased as they say, but they are special. Just be patient with them and one day it will be like they were never gone.”
Gabriela had tears running down her cheeks as she tugged me into a hug.
I hugged her back.
She held me tightly and spoke into my ear, “If you ever need anything. And I mean anything…Please tell me. I can never repay your kindness and the things you did for my children. But I want you to know that you are always welcome here. You can live here for as long as you wish.”
When we heard the twins coming closer, we pulled apart.
The pair of them halted and stared at us.
“You’re crying?” Hope asked us in a muted voice.
I nodded and swiped at my tears. “Your mother was um…”
“I was thanking her,” Gabriela simply told them the truth. “She has done so much for you two. I am grateful to her.”
“The Maya angel,” both kids said at the same time.
We all turned to look at them.
Henry nodded his head at them. “Yes, I can agree on the angel part.”
“No, you don’t get it, Sir Henry,” Alex replied.
“We never had a Christmas until she came,” Hope explained.
“We always wondered about the colored lights on the houses every year when it got cold. Then Maya bought us a small tree and decorations. She told us about Santa. About the baby Christ. We had to hide all the Christmas stuff and we only got to look at it on the back porch when the tías were gone. But then the tías got the flu and stayed home, so Maya couldn’t go out to get the angel. ”
Nodding at us, Alex took up the story, “So we had some colored paper and crayons. We drew Maya with wings then cut it out and put it on the tree. Our Maya angel, we said when we surprised her with it. And do you know what Maya did?”
Gabriela clasped her hands together to seemingly control the visual trembling that this story caused. She nodded and said, “She cried.”
“Yes!” they both exclaimed.
“We thought we made her upset,” Alex said.
“You just made me cry happy tears,” I told the twins. “That was your first Christmas.”
“Si, it was and the next was even better. We got really good at hiding stuff.” Alex looked proud.
“Well, Christmas here is probably going to shock you a lot,” Gabriela said. “The tree always sits in the foyer and it will nearly touch the ceiling.”
The kids stared at her with rounded eyes.
“You mean that room by the front doors?” Alex asked as he looked stunned.
Nodding, Gabriela laughed. “Yes, the tree will be that tall.”
“That’s impossible!” Alex argued. “It would be like as tall as the hotel we stayed in.”
I chuckled. “No, Alex, that was the Hyatt and it was seven stories.”
Henry smiled at me. “I had the best time there. These two really loved that glass elevator.”
“Oh, si! We did,” Hope exclaimed happily. “It was like magic!”
I turned to tell Gabriela and explained it, “The kids had never been on an elevator and the hotel in Mexico City had a large set of like four of them. We rode them up and down one evening after dinner.”
Gabriela smiled. “There is a whole world you two will see. But first, I wish to allow you some time to settle into the house and your rooms. Then we will talk about taking some trips maybe?”
“To where?” Alex asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” she replied. “We can get some travel magazines or look online.”
Alex nodded. “We like magazines.”
I didn’t wish to tell Gabriela what all they missed out on. PCs, cell phones, most fast food, Walmart of all things and many other things. Especially since they were now in America.
Henry’s phone buzzed.
We all looked over at him.
He smiled at us and took it from his pocket, raising it up to look at the screen. “Ok, Rain says that dinner is ready.”
“Ohh, good,” Alex cheered. “I’m hungry.”
“You are always hungry,” Hope chided him.
“Am not,” he retorted.
“Are too!” Hope argued.
They both then snapped their gazes to me. As though they might be in trouble for openly arguing.
I smiled at them. “Holy madre…You two know what all I taught you. So you know how to behave.”
Alex beamed at me. “This is not a church or a public gathering. So we can argue a little, right?”
Hope agreed, “This is like a private special.”
We all looked over at her.
She bit at her lip and corrected her mistake, “A private space?”
Alex laughed. “Si my sister, I wondered like what a private special was?”
They both laughed as they headed toward the hall door.
Smiling, I nodded at Gabriela. “They will make you laugh a lot.”
Her eyes sparkled as she agreed, “I can see that they will. They both remind me of Alex. He lives on in them and I feel blessed to have them back.”
We all left the room and met the kids at the elevator.