Thirteen Senses (10 page)

“Calm down, Luisa,” said Salvador, strapping his straight razor so he could start shaving. His face was lathered with soap and soft-feeling from having taken a hot bath. This would be a very good, close shave, so when he and Lupe kissed again, they could also rub cheek to cheek without his beard scratching her. “You're talking crazy, Luisa. I'm already married, and everything is going to be wonderful!”

“Oh, no!” she continued shouting. “I know what I'm talking about! This is the future being put in your face, and you know it, Salvador!” Luisa was eight years older than Salvador, and she was really upset. “I tell you, you should have married a real woman like the ones I've introduced you to! But no, not you, you got blinded by a pretty virginal girl, thinking it's so beautiful to train
una inocente
to your own ways,” she added sarcastically, “instead of getting a real woman who already knows the ways of the world, and would appreciate you for the real man you are!

“You fool, Salvador!” she said. “Don't go get her, I tell you! Listen to me, Lupe is only going to make you miserable for the rest of your life! And you'll never be appreciated for the man you really are! Mark my words, I'm a woman, and I know what I'm talking about!” she added, shouting with power. “Lupe isn't for you!”

Salvador said nothing. What could he say? He began to shave with long, upward strokes at the neck, and small, downward strokes at the cheek. The truth was that Luisa had never liked Lupe from the start, as Carlota had never liked him from the start, either. And besides, if he wasn't careful, he could cut his throat with his straight razor.

Just then, their mother, Doña Margarita, came in the back door. “What is all this shouting about?” asked the old lady. “I could hear you all the way to my own house, Luisa!”

“Oh,
mama!
'' yelled Luisa. “I'm telling Salvador that he shouldn't go to pick up Lupe! That she's only going to make him miserable all his life! Look, what she already did—she didn't even go on her own honeymoon!”

“Luisa, Luisa,” said their mother, closing her eyes in concentration, “do you not see what is really happening? Are you so blind with your jealousy that you can't see what you are really saying?”

“But I'm not jealous!” shouted Luisa louder than ever. Salvador almost cut himself. “I love Salvador! We've been through hell together, but we always supported one another! We never hid behind our mother's skirt, and didn't face reality!”

“Mi hijita
,” said the skinny, old woman, “and what is jealousy if not the other side of love, eh? Of course, you love your brother very much and want the best for him, but—and this is a very big ‘but'—love without reins is a love without brakes. And love without brakes is a love without trust, and a love without trust will consume any person's mind. Why do you think that even the Devil, himself, fears to travel the voyage of love, because he well knows that if he ever lets himself rise up in love, he'll then never have the brakes to stop until he has rejoined God!

“So put the reins of faith and trust in God, on this love that you have for your brother, or
mi hijita,
you will only end up getting near the Devil and speaking like a jealous, frightened sister, undermining your brother's home, instead of being the strong, good-hearted sister that I know you are.

“Now, no more! For remember, my own father, the great Don Pio, was also against my marriage to your father. And your grandfather warned me that if I married this red-headed man of pure Spanish blood, that my life with him would be pure misery, because every time he'd anger, he'd throw it up in my face that I was nothing but a lowlife, ignorant, backward Indian savage—and your grandfather was, indeed, correct,” added the old woman with her eyes suddenly filling with tears, “for such became the case.

“But still,
mi hijita,
I want you to know that there was never a day that I regretted my life with your father, Don Juan, even amid all the great pain and great suffering that came between us, for just look at you children who came from our union!”

“But,
mama
,” said Luisa, “you don't understand! There are a dozen wonderful women who'd marry Salvador in a second with all their heart and soul! The whole trouble with Salvador,
mama,
is that he picked a woman with his head, wanting to train her, instead of choosing her with what is between his legs!” she added in frustration.

“That's enough, Luisa!” said their mother. “You got the mouth of a witch!”

Still refusing to be stopped, Luisa burst out laughing. “I, the mouth of a witch!” she said. “Why,
mama,
all our life it's been you who has told us that this is exactly what men say of any woman that they can't handle—that she's a witch!” And she continued laughing and laughing, truly loving it. Then she wiped her eyes and said, “Oh, Salvador,
mama
is right, I love you so much, and I know you got big balls, so I'm just afraid this
inocente
is never going to be able to give you what you really need. What do you think keeps a marriage alive, eh? Why do you think Epitacio returned to me after being lost for all those years? It's all here in the center of a woman,” she said, gesturing vulgarly between her legs, “where life itself begins, that a man's
tanates
finally find refuge, inside a woman's warm juicy nest of honey!”

“
Ayyyiii!
” said their mother, laughing, too. “I think you've been around me too long! But your sister is right, Salvador, love comes and goes, but what keeps a marriage alive and well over the years is respect of the bed, which takes the sting out of our everyday disappointments.”

“Okay,” said Salvador, “out, out, out! Both of you! It's a miracle that I haven't cut my throat with all the talk that's going on.”

Putting his mother and sister out of the bathroom, Salvador quickly dressed and was out the door. He was feeling ten feet tall! He had won his territories back in a lightning-quick attack, and now he was on his way to pick up his bride, the love of his life!

SALVADOR WAS DRIVING
down the tree-lined street of Lupe's house in Santa Ana when he saw Archie's big Hudson parked in front. Immediately, Salvador smelled trouble, and his heart took flight, pounding inside his chest like a great drum.

He took a few deep breaths, calming himself down. He parked his Moon automobile behind Archie's big, black car and went up the steps to Lupe's parents' home. He was good now, he was good, but also he was unarmed. He breathed, keeping himself alert and ready, come what may.

Carlota answered the door. She was all smiles and big happy eyes. Now, Salvador just knew for sure that he was in for some big
problemas.

“Hello, Sal,” said Archie, sitting in the front room sipping tea from a little white cup with Lupe, Carlota, and their father and mother. “I thought you'd be coming along just about now, so I came by to invite you two new-lyweds to go out to dinner with me and Carlota to that new amusement park over in Long Beach.”

Salvador glanced at Lupe. My God, she was beautiful! And he saw that she had her bags packed and was ready for them to go on their honeymoon. “Well, I don't know,” said Salvador. “You see, I'd like to drive Lupe down to Carlsbad before dark to our new house, so, well, she can see the flowers that I planted in the front yard and the—”

“You got your whole lives to do that,” said Archie, cutting Salvador off, as he got to his feet. It was always very impressive when Archie stood up. He wasn't really a giant, but the way he took up ground when he stood up and the size of his huge California Indian face, well, he just dwarfed men who were six-feet tall. “So,” he was saying, “why don't you just come along with Carlota and me for dinner. I think it's important, Salvador,” he added with that special grin of his.

Having added the word “important,” Archie now knew that he'd made his point, for Salvador's whole face shifted.

Archie laughed and laughed, finishing off his tea. The tiny teacup looked so ridiculous in his huge, thick-fingered hand. Archie sucked down the last of his tea with a big, long, air-sucking sound.

Salvador breathed, realizing that he'd been had. “All right, Archie,” he said, “if it's all right with Lupe, then, well, we'll be happy to join you and Carlota.”

Just then, as Salvador turned to his bride, Lupe made a little face that would endear her to his heart for years to come. For she made this cute, little face, puckering her lips together like she was really disappointed, but then she smiled this grand smile like a gracious lady, and said, “Yes, of course, Salvador, for we really do have the rest of our lives together,
querido.
”

The word “
querido,
” meaning “sweetheart,” sent Salvador shooting through the Heavens! And that little, quick face of puckered-up lips told Salvador that, yes, indeed, she truly did want to be with him, and not go out with these people for dinner. But that she'd do it anyway, for he was her
querido,
her sweet love.

It became a whole experience for the four of them to say good-bye to Lupe's two old parents, Don Victor and Doña Guadalupe, and go out the door. Because now that his bride was ready to go off with him alone, her every look, her every touch, or just the brush of her hand sent him flying!

ARCHIE AND CARLOTA
got in the front of Archie's big, black Hudson and Lupe and Salvador climbed in the back. A new amusement park had opened up out in Long Beach, and this was where Archie was taking them.

Salvador and Lupe held hands and didn't talk much the whole way out. They were both too nervous. But Archie and Carlota, on the other hand, weren't nervous at all, and they talked the whole way, telling jokes and laughing happily.

Long Beach was warm and beautiful. Catalina Island looked to be just a couple of miles out to sea. They walked along the boardwalk and looked out at the sea, four well-dressed young people.

Then Archie and Carlota went on the roller coaster. Salvador and Lupe laughed with
gusto
every time they caught sight of their terrified faces. Once, laughing so hard, Lupe lost her balance and started to fall, but Salvador caught her in his arms. Their eyes met. They held, not moving, just holding there looking at each other, and then Salvador drew Lupe close, kissing her ever so lightly. To his surprise, Lupe now grabbed him, kissing him in return with such open, wild passion that he jerked back—eyes wide-open!

She saw his startled look and laughed. “We are married, you know,” she said, eyes full of mischief.

“Well, yes, but I thought that you were—”

“What? Afraid?” she said, laughing all the more.

“But the whole drive out you hardly came near me,” he said.

“Well, you acted like you were mad at me,” she said.

He grinned. “Me mad at you, oh, no!” he said.

“Well, then, let's kiss some more,” she said. “That was delicious!”

He licked his lips, glancing around. He'd never expected this. But Lupe, she never once took her eyes off of him, as they now drew close together once more, kissing again and again, then again! They were both beginning to tremble and feel very light-headed, when Carlota and Archie came walking up.

“Didn't I tell you,” said Archie, slipping his arm around Carlota, “leave them alone a minute and they'll be at it like real lovebirds, eh? Come on,” he added, “let's all go throw some baseballs at those clowns, then eat. I'm starved! You know, I could've made it to the Yankees if they'd allowed half-breeds to play.”

They all threw some baseballs at the clowns. Salvador and Lupe couldn't stop glancing at each other. Archie was really good and he won a big stuffed bear. Then they went down the boardwalk to find a place to eat. They came to a Chinese restaurant with a big red dragon painted at the entrance. Carlota and Lupe had never been to a Chinese restaurant before. Archie immediately decided that they'd all eat Chinese.

“But I don't talk Chinese, except sew-sew cho-cho, which means ‘where's your hot sister?' “ laughed Archie, towering above everyone as they went inside. “So how are we going to order?”

“I talk a little Chinese,” said Salvador.

“You do?” said Lupe.

“Sure,” said Salvador.

Sitting down Salvador asked to speak to the owner and when the owner came, he spoke to him in Chinese, ordering things that weren't on the menu. Lupe and Carlota weren't the only ones who were impressed.

“Where in the hell did you learn Chinese?” asked Archie.

“In
Mexicali,
” said Salvador.

“Then,” said Archie, “you must be that son-of-a-bitch that no one's been able to catch who's been smuggling in all those slant-eyed bastards!” And saying this, Archie started laughing, then grinning ear to ear.

But Salvador gave Archie nothing. “I don't know what you're talking about,” said Salvador. “I just have a few good friends over in
Mexicali,
that's all.”

“What do you do, smuggle 'em from
Mexicali
over to Chinatown in Hanford in the central valley of Fresno, or all the way to San Francisco?” said Archie. “A bunch of hot, slanted-eyed girls, eh?” And he would have continued talking and laughing if he hadn't seen the sudden look of death that flashed across Lupe's face. “Hey, man, I'm only kidding, Lupe,” he added quickly. “No harm meant. Shit, man, Salvador's probably a virgin as far as I'm concerned!”

Saying this, Archie started laughing again. He just couldn't help himself because—in his estimation—he'd just found out how Salvador got all his money. The son-of-a-bitch was a Chinaman importer! A much bigger crime than bootlegging!

Salvador still said nothing. He now knew why Archie would always be a deputy, and never the sheriff himself. He was a stupid big-mouth. He and Carlota truly deserved each other. Neither one of them knew when to keep their mouths shut. Hell, if Archie had been smart, he should never have tipped his hand and just let him, Salvador, keep on talking like a fool, and he could've then maybe found out how truly big this whole Chinese smuggling business really was. And it was huge!