Ignacio and Luis told Carlos that after he had disappeared from that hospital, they had decided to leave the mafia life for good… as soon as the kids were safe. They followed Alvaro and Miguel to Catemaco. They’d suspected that those two knew where Santiago had hidden the twins. They said they did not wish to kill Alvaro or Luis, but in the end…that was how it had to be.
They escorted us to the hotel and gave Carlos their cell numbers. Ignacio told him that he had been in constant contact with Gabriela.
Carlos had asked him not to tell her about him yet. He briefly explained that he had to face the Mancinis himself in order to make things right.
I felt real fear for the first time in years when he told them this. I couldn’t say anything in front of the kids but I would have a full discussion with Carlos before he just waltzed into a possible death trap. The last visit he made there, the Mancini Estate had been set on fire by Santiago’s men. The Mancini guards shot at Carlos, then he hit that tree with his car.
Oh yes, we needed to have a talk about his plans to deliver the kids himself.
We drove back to the hotel parking center and changed vehicles. Rain called the grocery guy and told him to keep the van. He left the keys with the hotel clerk.
We got into the SUV and made it out of ‘Sorcery City’ without meeting one witch. It did feel like a letdown, but maybe someday…
Speaking of witches. The twins told us that the two old women who raised them, took off after they saw Luis and Ignacio. They had packed a bag each and snuck out the back way a few days ago. At least, we believe that was who they were scared of, according to the kids it was those two men that the old women saw. It hadn’t been Alvaro and Miguel, as the old women had invited them into the house after they arrived and they had a conversation. The kids said they had seen Alvaro many times over the years. The women did seem fearful of him and they said the two men had orders to kill anyone who tried to take the kids.
Luckily for the two teens, the women had hired a nanny three years back, the young woman who had been reading to them in the backyard. Maya. She had kept them fed and safe after the women had run off. She spoke flawless English. She also seemed very attached to the kids.
Carlos asked me what I had said to them to convince them all to come with me in that backyard. I told them I was their Aunt Selena, that I was Alex's sister. Esperanza, the girl twin, had whispered back in awe,‘That is my brother’s name.’
Carlos and I wondered what it had been like for the two kids being raised by Santiago's cousins. Hopefully they were just two old ladies that weren’t cruel. The pair of them seemed fine. Only time would tell. They were well behaved and they didn’t look afraid. They both did act excited and astonished at the sights along the way though.
Maya told us that they had never been anywhere. They stayed right on that street, in that house, for their entire lives. They hadn’t even gone to school. So as soon as Maya moved in, she started their schooling. She also taught them English.
When we got to Mexico City, the twins were astonished at everything they saw. Stores, the traffic, fast food restaurants.
Carlos told them that top of the list would be McDonald's for dinner. He asked them if they had one in Catemaco. The two didn’t know what he was talking about.
Me, Rain and Henry shook our heads as we knew what would transpire next.
Carlos had grabbed his chest in dramatic shock and exclaimed, “You mean to tell me that you are fourteen-years old and you have never had a ...Big Mac?”
They shook their heads.
Looking aghast, he said it should be a crime to have been deprived of Mickey D’s!
We all laughed as the twins looked confused.
So after Rain checked us all into the hotel, the first thing we did was go to McDonalds and sit inside to have the works. Carlos even insisted on apple turnovers for dessert. He claimed that even the little milks in the carton there were better than any on earth.
I enjoyed watching him as he talked to the twins. He told them about many things that they would be seeing. He also tried to describe where they were going. They did know of countries, thanks to Maya. They were aware that they had lived in Mexico and were now going to America. But wow, there was an entire world for them to discover. I almost felt glad that they would be under constant care inside an estate.
Henry acted nervous the entire time we all dined and enjoyed our food as he still didn’t trust our surroundings. He sat with Rain in the booth by the window across from us. They both smiled now and again but otherwise, they did their jobs.
I had to admit that I wouldn’t feel like they were safe either until we drove through the gates at the Mancini Estate. Then the other worry would set in. Alberto Mancini and his sons. Theywould want to hurt Carlos and there was no way I would allow that.
I had tried again to talk Carlos out of his plan, but he told me that he wanted to see it through. His reasoning was that if he intended to leave that life forever, he needed to ask for forgiveness for the wrongs he’d committed to the Mancini family. To see his sister reunited with her kids with his own eyes. He added that the Castilian Roses needed to finally be delivered.
My heart had constricted in my chest with his sentiments.
The man felt honor bound, he felt as if he could reach for the light. He had quietly admitted that Alex had told him he should try with all his might to reach the light.
I wanted to do the same, if I could.
After dinner, we all went back to the hotel. The twins were stunned by the elevator ride and the long hallways lined with plush carpeting. Then the spacious, luxurious room was like heaven, Espernza had said. Wide eyed and amazed, they took it all in.
I helped Maya to get them ready for bed. She had managed to pack a few things for them back at the Stucco house. However, they would be getting brand new wardrobes soon. A brand new life too. The excitement wouldn’t end when we returned them to their mother.
The next day, we all got onto a plane. That had been when the twins really got excited. Of course, they did. They were actually flying through the sky. They asked us a few times if that was really true. We all smiled at their looks of absolute wonder and told them it was true.
