A group of happy children with four grownups are walking along the deserted road in the blazing June sun. Pedro is leading, Sister María and the children are following him close, while Uncle Larry is walking slowly five yards farther. He has been dropping behind with his friend in tow.
The
lonely road is glowing red, the noisy children are getting on its nerves, they are all talking and laughing aloud, apart from Tina. She is mute and so remote. Mino asks her, " What's the matter? Don't you like Hamburger? I'd rather pizza, but Hamburger is tasty, too."
Tina smiles, " Yes, it is. Plus, we are on the breadline." Mino's eyes widen in surprise, for the first time in her life Tina completely realizes their difficult situation! Mino admits her saying, " Yes, we are very lucky that Uncle Pedro has plenty of money, unless we would die of the hunger, he saved us."
Parmis objects to her, " No, if we wait till four o'clock, we can eat rice with bean at El Comedor."
Mino narrows her eyes at her, " Be fair! Don't you see that I am pale?"
Parmis purses her lips, " Sorry!"
Armis's eyes fall to Tina's rosy face and asks, " How can you live on a tortilla and egg?"
Tina, " I always eat a little."
A faint smile comes to Armis's lips, " I wish I could, how lucky you are!"
Tina sighs deeply, " Do you think that we will be home on holidays? I'll take a photo beside the Christmas tree with my parents again?"
Parmis laughs, " Why not? Uncle Sergey will be here before long, then we'll fly to Canada."
Armis, " I hope so, I miss my family, Mammana, Mommy, Daddy and my lovely sisters."
Mino clenches her fists in anger, " I'll show Mahta, It's all her fault that we are here, if she hadn't hanged up on me, we," suddenly the four of them burst into laughter, Parmis says, " I bet she is very worried about you." Mino nods, " I know, she loves me."
Tina looks as if she is going to cry, " Poor Mommy, Poor Daddy, Poor my lovely iPhone! Whenever I remember it, my eyes fill with tears. Uncle Pedro confessed to me that he dropped it in the desert when he broke out of the border patrols."
Mino, " Don't be silly! Soon you will get a brand-new iPhone from Uncle Cook."
Parmis laughs, " Yeah, September is drawing near, so a beautiful
iPhone 6s will be sent to you. "
Armis, "Have you decided what color iPhone you want to get?"
Tina's cheeks turns rosier, " Yes, Rose Gold, it will be TD Touch, have you ever heard of it?" she sighs and resumes, " I liked my lovely iPhone, however."
Parmis, " Maybe someone finds you it."
Smirking, Tina says, " In the desert? you must be joking! Plus, Finders Keepers!"
Parmis takes the letters, then says, "I'm not worried about my tablet at all, it was insured. We all insured our tablets for $20." Armis and Mino nod, " That's right." Parmis continues, " Since my Nexus fell in the ocean, I've insured all my belongings even my pencils, because I always lose my pencils in the classroom. I don't know whether Uncle Sergey had insured the hot-air balloon or not?" she sighs, " I'm much concerned about my mom, where is she now? I wish I knew! Has she eaten lunch? Sometimes she forgets to have lunch."
Armis laughs, " And sometimes she eats lunch twice a day."
Mino's forehead wrinkles in a frown, " There were some chocolates in my suitcase. I hope Mahta hasn't found them until now."
Armis shakes her head sadly, " Oh, I'm disappointed with you Mino. Enemies made at least five attacks on my fort, and you are worried about a few chocolates?"
Tina asks, " What is your level?"
Armis, " 20."
Mino says with a big grin, " Mine is 50."
Parmis swallows hard, " I hope my mom doesn't cry a lot!"
Their eyes fill with tears, none of them talk anymore. They keep going in silence, while they are carrying the letters in turn.
Now, Uncle Larry is about seven yards away, he and his friend are also walking silently. The scorching sun is hanging overhead, the ground is hot beneath their feet, and clack-clack of the crutches on the ground fill the silence. All the way, Texas has kept silent, he looks down at his feet and thinks of Zaviera, his mother and farm. Uncle Larry sighs deeply, "
If only I had called Sergey.", then wonders when Texas will break the long silence and tell the rest of his story?
Uncle Pedro and the children approach a busy street, the aroma of hamburger is swirling around them. Mino stops and looks around, then tells her friends, " Let's wait for Uncle Larry, I fear they lose the way." the four children agree and stop. Uncle Pedro gets into the street before the others, the rest of children follow him, they scream with excitement and race to the fast-food restaurant.