The Road to Somorrostro by Julia Slack

Author:Julia Slack [Slack, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-17T16:00:00+00:00

28

Carmen had reached a decision. It was time to face her mother. One afternoon after she finished work, she made her way to her once-happy childhood home. She’d brought along some chuletas de cordero, knowing how partial her mother was to Eduardo’s lamb chops.

A full minute after she’d rung the bell, her mother’s curt voice came down from above. ‘To what do I owe this pleasure, then?’

‘Mama, please. I haven’t come to argue. Look, I’ve brought you some chuletas de cordero, so throw the keys down before the neighbours start gawping.’

Her mother glanced surreptitiously to check if any neighbours were around and, satisfied no one was watching, dropped the keys into Carmen’s outstretched hands. Even from the street, she could hear her mother muttering about an attack of heartburn as she shuffled back inside.

Wheezing, Carmen reached the front door to the apartment and walked in to find her mother in the kitchen, warming up the coffee pot on the stovetop. She held out the bag of lamb chops like a sacrificial peace offering, and her mother took it without a word, her lips pursed.

Carmen dropped her handbag on the sofa and sank down next to it. The whole place was just as she remembered, not a cushion out of place and the silverware sparkling on the sideboard. She understood why Margarita preferred to come here rather than stay at their apartment in Calle Sant Pere. Even with the presence of her overbearing mother, it was comfortable, homely. She let out a sigh as she allowed her body to soften back onto the cushions. Her eyes flickered over the dozen or so photos on display of her as a child, alongside a few of Margarita, including some recent ones she’d never seen before. Her heart swelled with unaccustomed pride as she gazed at a photo of her daughter laughing with her head thrown back – there was no doubt she was Paco’s.

Her eyes were drawn back to the photos of herself as a teenager, and she felt a pinch of anguish once again at the loss of her beauty and vitality. How young she’d been when she had Margarita. How would she have coped had Margarita come home pregnant and unmarried at fifteen? A newfound respect for her mother stirred inside her.

Her mother came out of the kitchen with a sour expression on her face and placed the coffee pot on the table with a bang. ‘What do you want, Carmen? Money? What mess do you need me to get you out of this time?’

Carmen sighed. This was going to be more difficult than she’d anticipated. ‘I wanted to see you, Mama. Do I need a reason?’

‘You haven’t willingly popped round to see me in sixteen years, Carmen, so don’t play the innocent with me. Has something happened to Margarita?’ She lowered herself into her armchair with a grunt.

‘Margarita is fine. At least, I think she is. We’re like ships in the night,’ she said, immediately realising this had been the wrong thing to say.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.