Case Closed
A few days later, the manager sent Kilian and Gregorio to collect some heavy pieces from Julia’s parents’ store. Lorenzo Garuz had learned from Antón that the relationship between the men was at best tense, and he hoped that a good long spell away from the plantation would do them some good. Garuz had known Gregorio for many years. He did not consider him dangerous, maybe a little violent, but he knew how to get people to obey him. Besides, he was the perfect filter to screen employees who had what it took. After a period in his hands, the young ones either left the colony or became magnificent workers, something Garuz expected would happen in Kilian’s case.
Kilian did not open his mouth once on their way to the city. Not only because he had nothing to say, but also because Gregorio had made him drive. All of Kilian’s attention was focused on carrying out a perfect performance at the wheel of the big round-cabined truck with its wooden trailer. He had no intention of giving Gregorio any reason to pick on him again. The robust Studebaker 49 advanced first along the path and then down the road as smoothly as the young driver could manage.
When they entered the store, they were greeted by a radiant Julia. Kilian did not know why, but the young woman had been happy for the last few days. The dinner had gone better than expected. It was not easy to get Jacobo to pay attention for more than five minutes in the shop. She made trips around the most popular places in Santa Isabel, went to twelve o’clock mass on Sundays in the cathedral, and had an aperitif in the Chiringuito in the Plaza de Espa?a, hoping, on the seafront, to casually bump into him, but it never happened. So the two straight hours that she had been able to enjoy Jacobo while his brother entertained her parents had felt like heaven. Seeing Kilian with another man in the entrance to the store made her heart skip a beat until she recognized Gregorio and pleasantly greeted both.
Kilian was happy to see Julia again, although deep down he was a little ashamed of the manner in which they had said good-bye to her and her family on Saturday.
“The order is out back,” said Julia. “It would make more sense to move the truck there. My father is checking to make sure everything is there.”
“Well, Kilian,” said Gregorio, “you are the driver today.”
Julia saw Kilian make a face at Gregorio’s tone. She hardly knew the man, and their dealings were just on a commercial basis: Gregorio would hand her samples of screws, and she would diligently search for them in the corresponding boxes.
“Was the conflict on Saturday night sorted out in the end?” Julia asked casually.
Gregorio furrowed his brow. “Saturday night?”
“Yes. They told me there was a big fight in Sampaka, with many injured . . .”
“And who told you this?”
“A boy came looking for Jacobo and Kilian.”
Gregorio shook his head and laughed. “Nothing happened on the plantation on Saturday night.”
Julia blinked, perplexed.
“But . . .”
“I saw Jacobo and Kilian in Anita Guau around eleven . . .” When Julia blushed, he continued, “All the young lads from Sampaka were there. And very well accompanied.”
Julia gritted her teeth, and her chin began to tremble in fury. Jacobo had tricked her. And her parents!
She had gone over their conversation a thousand times, and she was convinced that she had passed his test. They shared a common childhood in Pasolobino and an adolescence in Africa. It was absolutely impossible that their compatibility was not as clear to him as it was to her; otherwise, he would have looked for any excuse to have joined in the others’ conversation. And he had not done it! He had enjoyed himself and laughed with her. Even more, long and sweet moments had passed before he took his marvelous green eyes from hers. And their hands had brushed against each other’s at least three times!
She felt completely deflated.
Gregorio cunningly returned to the attack. He pretended to look with interest at the objects that were on the counter and spoke in a soft voice. “I don’t know about Kilian, but Jacobo has become a complete mininguero . . . I suppose he won’t take too long in coaching his brother on native girlfriends.” He clicked his tongue. “The young don’t listen. Too much alcohol and too many women takes its toll. Well”—he looked up and smiled; Julia was ready to burst into tears—“that’s what happens. They are not the first, nor will they be the last.”
Julia used Kilian’s entrance, followed by Emilio, to turn around and bite her bottom lip.
“Gregorio!” greeted Emilio, holding out his hand. “It’s been a good while since I last saw you! How are things? Don’t you ever leave the jungle?”
“Not often, Emilio, not often.” He shook the man’s hand warmly. “There is always something to do. I only leave the plantation on Saturdays, you know . . .”
Julia brusquely turned around. She did not want her father to find out about the brothers’ bad manners.
“Dad,” she intervened in a calm voice, “I can’t find bolts this size.” She handed him one. “Could you look in the store, please?”
“Yes, of course.”
Kilian noticed the change in Julia. She would not even look at him, and her hands were trembling. He looked at Gregorio, puzzled.
“I hope I haven’t upset you,” Gregorio whispered, frowning.
“Me?” she interrupted. “How could you upset me? You think white women don’t know how you waste your time?” She shot Kilian a hard stare. “We’re not fools!”
“Hey! What’s going on here?” Kilian asked. “Julia?”
“I seem to have put my foot in it,” confessed Gregorio, twisting his lips in false consternation. “I told her where we were last Saturday night . . . all of us. You don’t know how sorry I am.”
Kilian clenched his fists. If it had not been for Emilio coming back at that moment, he would gladly have hit Gregorio. He looked at Julia, feeling like a worm under her hurt gaze. She turned her head and went back into the shelves.
The men chatted for a few minutes and said their good-byes, Gregorio with a triumphant little smile on his face. Emilio went looking for Julia and asked her, “Are you all right? You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine, Dad.”
Julia tried to smile, even though she was raging inside. She did not know how, but Jacobo would pay for his lie. The moment had arrived to change tack with him. She sighed resolutely and promised herself to be patient.
Outside, Kilian let his anger loose.
“Did you enjoy that, Gregorio?” he whispered sharply. “What do you gain from this?”
“Don’t you lecture me!” He irritably clicked his tongue repeatedly. “Don’t you know you will catch a liar quicker than a cripple?”
“You deserve a good thrashing!”
Gregorio squared up in front of him with his hands on his hips. Kilian was half a head taller than he, but Gregorio had more physical strength.
“Go ahead, come on.” He rolled up his shirtsleeves. “Let’s see if you have the guts.”