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Shit, did I really spend the whole night in the bar? No one’s here apart from who I assume is the bartender. I hear her waffling on about me being so drunk and buying everyone in the bar drinks all night.
“Llámame un Uber2,” I choke, as I look at my phone and notice it’s dead. I probably used it to buy everyone a damn drink.
I asked her to call me an Uber.
“¿Baño?3”
She points in the direction of the bathroom and I head in there to wipe my face and try to make myself a little presentable. It’s nearly nine and the funeral is at eleven. I have at least an hour or so to get there from home. It’ll take twenty minutes from here, so I’ll be fine.
I splash water on my face, and then I look in the mirror, bloodshot eyes, a little stubble, and in dire need of a haircut. Notonly will I have to freshen up but I will need someone to groom me too. On a Saturday morning, I’ll be lucky, but maybe I’ll have time to do it.
I hurry out of the bathroom to see my taxi waiting. Nice. She didn’t get an Uber but the most expensive form of transport.
I flick a twenty on the counter and then head outside, to where she points to the taxi. I’m in no mood to argue and I need a cup of coffee. I have enough time to do everything. If I leave right now.
Luckily the taxi man was more than nice. He let me charge my phone, then he headed to Starbucks to get me a coffee, just the way I like it, and he even took me to a barber. He said that I would need a good one, because I look a lot rougher than I thought I did when I was in the bathroom at the bar. He even offered to go buy me a suit.
At first I was thinking he was a little OTT, until I told him where I was going, he offered to do it all for free as he’s even going to the funeral himself.
Between the haircut, my phone being charged, and arriving in a crisp new suit, I quickly text Lucas to tell him that I’ll just meet him at the funeral home.
There are messages from Lucas.
You were out all night. Abuela was worried about you. She woke up to see you didn’t sleep in your bed.
I can’t imagine Abuela waking up in the middle of the night and checking up on me. Then again, she did do that the first night she was in the house. I never think of her as being old and frail, but since she’s heard the news of her close friend she seems lost. Her reaction is natural, and I feel like a selfish prickfor not being with her. She said that she needed me and I let her down.
I’m on my way to the funeral home. Don’t wait for me. We will meet there.
I tell him about my plans, and he just gives me a thumbs-up to confirm that he has read it. I want to say a little more, but as I listen to the tales of the taxi driver, about Leticia’s abuela, I scroll through a couple more messages before I put down my phone.
There’s a message from Leticia, and my eyes light up at the idea of her finally replying to my message.
Diego, sorry I just found my phone. I lost it. I’ll see you at the funeral.
Shit, out of all the reasons she didn’t call me, nor reply to my texts. This was the one reason I never thought she would reply to me with. That she lost her phone.
If she lost her phone, then who the hell was reading her messages?
Por favor, portas bien. Hoy es un día importante para mi.4
Why the hell would Abuela ask me to behave at the funeral?She’s upset I didn’t come home last night, which must be the reason. The coffee did hit the spot I needed it to, because I don’t feel as tired as I did a few minutes ago.
I do a quick check on my account, I’m fucking a thousand euros down. I really paid for my sins by drinking at the bar and I will be down more than another thousand as soon as I pay the driver for all he has done today. I can’t take advantage of his generosity, it wouldn’t be right.
I smile, I can afford it.
Besides, money isn’t the problem, this funeral is because something about what Abuela said about me behaving myself doesn’t sit well with me at all.
As soon as the taxi parks the car, I pay his bill and add a couple of hundred on top.
“Man good.” He smiles, as he sees me adding another zero to the bill.
I’m not about to correct him on his English, he’s helped me and it wouldn’t be kind of me to do that.
He pats me on the knee. “Vamos.5”
The old me would rush to go and see Leticia, but I don’t want to see her until I feel as if I can be the man she needs. The one she deserves to be by her side. As much as I keep thinking she wants me to be there for her, there’s another part of me that keeps stopping.
