Excerpt by Beatriz Salcedo-Strumpf

“Mila:

What is “profundo” what is “whath”, or is that the “h” is aspirated profoundly  and then one believes that it sounds better at the end?

Oh, life. La vida. Lah vidah.

I’m glad  you can find amusement in all the jokes that I always send you in all seriousness. And seriously life is more than a joke, with a smile, of course, with a “sonrisa”. “Sonrisa” which should be written in Spanish as “sun risa”, a sun rise when the sun shines and when one smiles and the sun is made of rice and “sun rice.” I leave hurriedly, my heart is quickened, so I go, I go.

I return to Sol who loves the idea of going to the States for a while. There she is thankful and content. She will follow your instructions exactly, she will be pendant of your every notion, she will be entirely in your hands, delightful (you and she as well).

Yes, you are right. Quebec is a beautiful city. It was formidable I enjoyed being in the company of my daughter. We spent a formidable week together having a wonderful time. Oh, my dear friend: life is worthwhile and I say so also on behalf of those who go their own way (I’m always with you, know that), because they all- and your who left us- they chose a road that we all will take some day, probably when least we expect to do so: we all will go the same way and I am sure that God has provided happy spaces for them as well as for us in the next world because He cannot be unjust.

And you are right about my article, but woman, it is blasphemous that you make yourself up in only three minutes.

Say hello to your beloved friend Angelica.

Antonio.”

I have no doubt now that the two of them got together in Quebec. The only person who knew about my cousin’s suicide  was Angelica. I had confided her the day she has asked me to take care of her puppy.

I must admit that his messages are very deep and he seems to be much more sincere. The irony of it all!

Angelica and I have decided to meet at the university after my class. Her note to me was odd and mysterious; she’ s hiding something. She ordered me to wait for her upstairs because she was trying to make reservations and, without any hesitation, I did. When she came up, she asked to go with her to the shopping mall  since we had some time to spare. There she purchased some summer clothes, something that astonished me  as it was still cold here, and after we said good bye. I invited her at my new address to inspect the house and she pledged gleefully to come by the next day.

I waited and waited but she never came. Concerned, I called her at the language department and, to my cosnternation, her ex answered the phone.

“She went to Costa Rica and should return next week”, he stated matter-of-factly.

“Thaks”. I was stunned and puzzled.

What was going around me? Why hadn’t she mentioned anything about the trip to me? And what a coincidence that her plans coincided  so neatly with Antonio’s. Supposedly, he is in Puerto Vallarta right this minute and most likely she’s there, too.

Or did she return to her country of origin to commit suicide? And why did her ex-husband pick up the phone in her office? Everything was beginning to take the shape of a suspenseful melodrama. It was like a huge riddle, one I couldn’t piece together. Why is Angelica secreting so many things from me? I felt like I was going crazy, me crazy, and I’m normally in control. And I face so many chores to prepare for the Cinco de Mayo party!