Meet.

That feeling again.

It was becoming more frequent and less avoidable. She disliked being like this. Coral didn't feel this way because she didn't know what this stranger would do or how she would act. No, thinking about it, she was a little scared. Was she aggressive? Would she do something to them? Would she die and would they mourn her? No, what terrified her even more was looking back and seeing their contemptuous faces, incriminating her, blaming her for being useless.

The news would spread by word of mouth, behind her back, and she would be left alone, well, with her brother, he was always there, for some reason her parents had had one after the other. They always kept each other company during their parents' absences.

Her body responded, she stepped forward. It was what she had to do, what was expected of her, the bare minimum. She spoke.

“Who are you?”

“That's what I should ask. This is my cave, my house. And you say hello first, little girl.”

She had long, grey and white hair that was very unruly (much more than Teresa's) but she held it back with a hair clip. She was not taller than five feet, but with her bad temper, she seemed to be able to take them all on.

“You were the one who joined the conversation first, we were talking quietly.”

Imobach replied, getting on his sister's level and not taking his eyes off the old lady. But Coral pulled his arm back, making him lose contact.

"Shut up, don't piss her off," he muttered under his breath. He wondered if not having a date for so long had left a hole in his brother's head. "True, excuse me."

“I like this one.” The lady ignored Coral's excuse. “You seem less of a jerk.”

“Yes, everything is very nice. Besides, madam,” Teresa's influence on Adassa had made him avoid the word "granny" or "mummy" “we have money to get.”

“Have all the wankers gathered today? This is my house, little girl. You're not coming in!” She roared angrily until his voice broke.

She certainly didn't seem to be lying. As far as the eye could see, the dusty walls were adorned with long cloths that made them look more welcoming, a somewhat rustic seat, a mattress on the ground, several bernegales, cauldrons around a stove and, beyond, breaking the darkness, several candles adorning the image of a virgin. Later, thanks to Adassa's recording, Teresa would know that she was Our Virgin of Coromoto.

"It's her we're looking for," Yuusuke said uneasily. "The noises were her. It's a cave, damp and cold, her voice is usually hoarse. It's her."

“What nonsense were you two brats up to? The snob is right. I'm alone here.”

“But it can't be…”

Coral's hands moved on their own initiative, encouraging the others to come closer, they formed a circle.

“Here, she is alone, she is an elderly, weak lady. She will need help…”

“You'll need that, you rude girl. I'm fine on my own.” The words made the brunette blush.

“It makes sense Coco, otherwise why all this?” he pointed to the small home with his open hand.

She looked away, it was incredible to her, how could someone live like that. She found herself face to face with Yuusuke, who nodded confidently, nothing else he had seen indicated another answer.

"And the rabbit back there?" the lady indicated with the tip of her chin.

With her hands clasped to her chest, as if trying to protect herself, Teresa emerged from behind her friends. She smiled out of obligation and fear.

"Is she mute or stupid?" The old-woman whisper to the girl in the orange jumpsuit who was still nearby.

"Silly," she replied without remorse.

“No, s-sorry. I didn't mean to... bother you.”

The words choked Teresa more than usual, she had trouble getting them straight, and cold sweat began to flood her dress. She tried to focus on something else while she answered him, but her eyes kept going back to the same place. Those three necklaces with very thin chains, almost invisible in their golden color, hung from them the Star of David, the Turkish eye and a little angel.

“I'm a healer, girl. Take that scared look off your face. I'm not going to put the evil eye on you.”

The blonde nodded.

“Sorry.” she was scared, but at the same time she was tired of it. She took a breath and tried to speak in the clearest voice possible. “The symbols you wear, are yo a santera?”

When she got home, no matter what time it was, she would ask her grandmother, her great-grandmother and her great-great-grandmother to make the sign of the cross for her and all her friends.

“You are cautious at least. Is your family too? Young people don't usually know about our profession.”

“Yes... Grandma Soledad is a healer too.” she swallowed, she still didn't trust them completely, and even worse was the effort of being so direct, they said she would feel good but she felt uncomfortable.

“Forgive my indiscretion,” there was Yuusuke's charmingly feigned character, “but she works in the neighboring villages, if I'm not mistaken” he really didn't care. He just wanted to confirm if she was the one who was competing with the round-eyed girl's family, the others seemed not to have put their heads together yet. “Could you help me with my stomach someday?”

“Of course, right now you have money. How much do you have on you? It's nerves or pain, with a few oil…”

“I have nothing right now,” he stressed the words by patting his pockets loudly, “but thank you. I will contact you.”

“La chama,” she gave him a name to ask for “asks when I am there.”

“Since we are here,” Adassa sat down, “a coffee, we are invited.”

“Shameless.”

“Nop, Adassa. It's not polite.” Coral stammered. “Lady…” she waited for him to tell her her name, but nothing. “Chama will have things to do.”

“I wish I could. This island has only given me trouble” the woman adjusted her black shawl, it was the only hint of weakness she gave them. “I should never have come” she let out a long sigh.

Coral felt sorry, she hated seeing people alone.

“Well, if you want, we can come sometime to keep you company.

“I've already said that it's not necessary.”

“Will the battery-operated television work here?” Imobach tried to solve, but Adassa denied him. “To watch a gossip-show, that is.”

“I like that better. But go away now, you're starting to bother me. Get out” she said in a less sharp tone.

Obediently, like the flock of goats that the shepherd dogs drove around every Monday morning at ten, they left the place without hurrying. The first impression had not been good for either side and prolonging their time there was not going to improve it.

When she woke up, her lower leg was throbbing, her ankle was stiff, red and seemed to want to take a break, but Coral ignored it, put on the anklet and started her day, there was a lot to do.

Today would be the last day of class, meaning food, music and lots of dedications, although there were still plans for the rest of the summer, they had already made plans to go to the beach and to village festivals.

At the official end of the course, upon returning home, they would decide, once again, whether or not to publish the case. There had been a slight debate on the day of the discovery, everyone had their own ideas and no one gave in. In fact, the brothers only spoke to each other again at breakfast time, and because they were face to face.

At four in the afternoon of that same day, Coral decided to put on some relaxing music, although they would turn it off shortly so they could talk. She also made some tea, she had heard it was relaxing, but it actually incinerated Yuusuke's tongue, even though it didn't even release smoke. The boy, who was otherwise smart, seemed unable to learn not to trust his rescuer's culinary skills.

“I hope the person you marry one day becomes a doctor,” he said with a smirk.

“To have recognition and a comfortable life?” her eyes lit up as he remembered the story he had recently begun about an apothecary.

“No. To protect you against daily gastric ulcers.”

“Ahem! We need to convince some people to publish it, shall we focus?” Adassa demanded.

“It's not about convincing, it's about reaching an agreement.” Imobach corrected him.

“Ah, that's it, whatever you say.”

“It's strange that you didn't do what you wanted, and it's already published” that would have saved Teresa a lot of trouble, but no, for once she asked for it, begged for it and prayed for it, she didn't act.

“Yeah well… I didn’t want future complications.”

"Come on, if we refuse to investigate out of anger, your whole business will be over, right?" Imobach hesitated sarcastically.

“Let's see, we have to decide, we owe it to the public” Coral began.

“Yes, so much… food, a roof, peace… you have given us so much” Yûusuke mocked again.

“How funny, did you have breakfast today a clown, and I didn't notice?” She made a gesture, lifting his upper lip in mocking contempt. “What I mean is... our objective was to report the incident, now that we have it, why are we holding back?”

“That's what I say, the newspaper is going to give us a juicy amount…” Adassa, always thinking in money.

“Maybe because if we do, they will throw that woman out of her house,” Imobach replied, leaving the jokes behind.

“What?” Coral shook her head in disbelief. “No! They will give her a house, the government is not going to throw her out just like that.”

“You look pretty for having turned seventeen in March…” her brother complained. Teresa offered him the cup, a few centimeters from his mouth, cutting off his speech, in case he said something he would regret.

“He's right about that. They're not going to give him anything, “Adassa added in a more serious tone.

"But it's not our problem either," Yuusuke admitted. He had regained some sensitivity in his tongue. "She makes money, in fact the Melián family has taken away his clientele. He can afford something better."

Teresa almost spilled the water in her cup, just the subject she wanted to avoid touching on…

“Or not,” Imobach spat after rinsing himself with very cold water from the tap, “What do you think, Tere?”

“I… I’m not sure.”

She looked around, at another time he would have expected someone to follow the thread of the conversation, but now everyone was attentive, it was time to make a decision, so after a soft groan, he continued.

“It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep quiet, she'll still have a place to live, and even if it's out of the ordinary, it's her residence, she might like it, she might have money to leave and she doesn't want to, but she's taking my grandmother's business away from her. If we say it, everything will go back to how it was before, we'll be happy, there will be prosperity, and we won't have to restrict ourselves so much when shopping... but they'll throw her out.” her eyes danced from one point to another, from her upper right corner to her left, down, up again and back to the right, she was like that for a while. “Really, and being selfish, I want to say it…”

“It's okay, it's normal, we all are.” Imobach supported him.

“Ahh, so she does and I don't, that's fine.” Coral objected, offended. “But no, there are social housing. Look,” she showed them the screen of her mobile. “It says it clearly here.”

“Lies.” It was rare to see Adassa without his lively and defiant tone for so long. “It's been seven months since they squatted my house, no news, no justice or anything. Not even apartments.”

She had never mentioned anything about the subject out loud. The rest made assumptions behind her back, or in her mind, to herself, without whispering, in Teresa's case, they were terse comments, a reluctance to talk about her house and some other strange gestures, in fact, Yuusuke had been right with his speculation, but this was the first time she said it out loud and without mincing words.

Adassa didn't feel sad or angry, everything she had lost was replaceable, she didn't think much about her parents' feelings either, the company was going well. What bothered her was that from one moment to the next, everything as she knew it, hallways she could walk through with the lights off, dirty rags that had been her favorite clothes years ago, outdoor plants that nobody watered but were curiously still alive, knickknacks that were put away and every so often came back to being useful briefly, photographs she didn't remember having been taken of her... She would never see them again.

Almost everyone looked at her with pity, in fact she thought she saw Teresa's eyes get moist, Yuusuke avoided any comment that would start the eternal fight of barbs that seemed to have no end.

“I didn't say this to sympathize. Just to inform you," Adassa said.

The awkward silence was broken by Coral, if Adassa didn't want to be the center of attention at that moment she would grant him that favor, her mind was agile.

“That’s it!” Coral’s fist collided with his other hand. She was feeling optimistic.