The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante

Author:Alexandra Villasante
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2019-06-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

I could never have expected what is inside the short, rectangular building. Because inside is an alien world. Tables rise out of the earth-colored floor, surrounded by cave-like seating carved out of the walls, as if shaped by a giant hand from tierra. In some little spaces, no more than huecos, couples sit close around flickering candles. A few tables are set high up, as high as mango trees, and must be reached by steps set into the walls. Vines and shapes like snakes come out of the floor and ceiling.

No one looks our way as a woman in a red dress leads us to a table. “Watch your step,” she says. “The floor is a little uneven.”

“Can we have the one under the skylight?” Rey asks.

The woman nods and leads us further into a maze of rooms, all warm and curved and the color of crema.

When we get to our table, it’s in the center of a room directly under a glowing glass light that, if it wasn’t raining, I might think really did reflect the sun’s light. We climb up two steps to reach a little ledge where we can stand while moving ourselves into our seats. The woman in the red dress stretches to hand us menus.

“Your server will be right with you. Enjoy!” I cannot imagine how the waiters will even reach us with our drinks.

“It looks like the inside of an egg,” I say, sliding into the booth, which has the smooth rounded shape of an eggshell. Rey sits next to me, close in the small space. There are soft white pillows to sit on.

“Pixie says I like this place because it’s like going back to the womb. That’s just Pixie being gross,” Rey says.

“Who is Pixie?” I ask.

“She’s my friend. She works here.” Rey cranes her head to look around the restaurant. “She’ll appear eventually. In the meantime, you should tell me everything about yourself.”

I laugh. “Everything?”

“Well, I already know you have an awesome little sister. That you’re obsessed with Cedar Hollow and that you had to leave your home in El Salvador.”

“Yes. We had to leave.”

“Will you ever go back?”

I’m confused by the way she asks. As if I have a choice in staying or going. “I want to stay here. If they’ll let me.”

“What do you mean, if they let you?” Rey leans close to me, her expression intense.

“Indranie says she’ll be able to get green cards for us. And for my mamá. Just as soon as the experiment is over.”

“If anyone can do it, it’s Indranie,” Rey says firmly. “She’s got governmental superpowers, or at least that’s what Dad thinks.”

A pretty blond girl with very pale green eyes jumps up to our table.

“Speak of the devil and the devil appears,” Rey says lightly. But the blond girl’s face looks so angry that I don’t think she likes the joke.

She leaps at Rey, hugging her so hard she almost pulls her out of the booth. Then the pretty blond, who must be Pixie, bursts into tears.

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