Nightmare from the past

Sandra was sixteen years old when she met Rodrigo. At the time, he was eighteen. She was in her second year of high school and preferred going to the movies, wandering around, and pretending she was old enough to go to clubs. Thanks to a neighbour who was flirting her at the time, Sandra had managed to find a place that didn't ask for ID.

She spent her days on the street and only occasionally went to school. Did Nina know? Yes. But she was alone as a mother; her parents had died in a car accident. Without any friendships due to her solitude, Nina tried to raise her daughter as best she could, without success. Rodrigo appeared one September when Sandra was leaving school. Was it easy to establish that friendship? Yes.

The girl, nearly seventeen, was desperate for a masculine figure in her life. At home, her life was always under judgment—about her clothes, her behavior, her habit for drinking at such a young age... there was always something to judge, something to criticize, and it frustrated Sandra.

Rodrigo listened, understood, and pondered the situation. He heard Sandra's group talking about universities and the future. When she was left alone, Rodrigo approached Sandra with a promise: a stable future.

He didn't talk about family, children, or a conventional job. She would be a model, the face of a brand, of a product. He never gave exact details, but she began to earn her own money while working as a promotional model.

This filled her with pride, and she dropped out of school permanently. Although Nina had a period of peace, she began to grow suspicious when her daughter could only say she was a model. Sandra couldn't clearly explain what she was selling or who she worked for. But she was receiving sums of money that only ever came in cash.

Weeks passed, months accumulated, and Nina noticed her daughter arrived home every day more tired and trembling. She evaded questions, and if Nina pressed her, she would always shout, always telling her to stay away. Although there were no visible bruises or wounds, Sandra avoided being touched.

Rodrigo became increasingly insistent, visiting the women’s house more often, and Nina began to suspect that objects were disappearing. Her earrings, her pendants, even her savings began to vanish.

"That's strange..." Nina would whisper while counting her money, her paycheck. "I thought I had more. Sandra, you've taken from the savings!"

"Mom, I earn my own money," Sandra explained, angry at the audacity of Nina's claim. "Maybe you're starting to get dementia because of your age."

Nina started keeping a small notebook to record her accounts, her expenses, and income. It didn't take long for her to realize that, yes, someone was taking that money. Since her daughter insisted it wasn't her, the only culprit was Rodrigo.

"I don't want Rodrigo in this house anymore," Nina declared one evening after dinner. Both women were alone, and Sandra had barely touched her food.

"He has nowhere to live, Mom," Sandra whispered. Her gaze was vacant, her hands were shaking, and her voice was breaking. "He told me it would only be for a few days. It's fine."

"It’s been two months, Sandra," Nina said loudly, ignoring what was happening to her daughter. "He’s been stealing from me. He has money. I don't want him stepping foot in my house again, is that clear?"

Sandra didn't answer. Her gaze was elsewhere, avoiding her mother’s defiant stare. When she tried to stand up, Sandra collapsed to the floor. Nina’s maternal instinct finally kicked in, and she rushed to help her daughter. She felt her cold skin, her trembling hands, and her insistence that she not be touched.

Her first thought was to take her to her room to rest. To her, taking her to the hospital or the Red Cross would be a nuisance. Nervous, she left her daughter's room and ran into Rodrigo entering her house.

"What are you doing here?" Nina asked, annoyed. Rodrigo approached in a way she didn't like; she felt intimidated.

Rodrigo was strong back then. Although lean in build, he followed exercise routines that strengthened his arms. At forty-three, she was no match for him.

"I live here, mom," he replied calmly, with a smile that terrified her. "Or are you going to deny it?"

"You have to leave," Nina ordered, offended about hearing how Rodrigo says to her Mom. Nina tried to stand defiant, with authority to that man. "Or I’ll call the police."

Rodrigo mocked her. He challenged her to do it and to state the reason why she wanted him gone. Nina grabbed the phone and dialed. Not the police, but a neighbor. He stood there for a while watching the interaction, listening to what she said.

"Yes, ma'am?" Rodrigo took the phone to interrupt Nina’s conversation. "Everything is fine. Mrs. Nina is just sick, that’s all;  The vever is causing some hallucinations."

Nina backed away as the man continued talking, telling lies to her neighbour. She tripped over the rug. She heard the phone being hung up, ending the call. Rodrigo approached her, close enough to impose himself, to ensure Nina wouldn't cause trouble again.

He kicked out; Nina screamed, trying to protect her face. Rodrigo's foot landed right beside her. Laughter. She trembled, and he knelt down.

"I haven't done anything wrong for you to kick me out of my house," Rodrigo whispered into Nina’s ear. Chills; she felt like she was going to vomit. "I’m staying, whether you like it or not."

With the arrival of summer, Nina and Sandra continued to endure Rodrigo's presence. He helped with household expenses: paying the electricity one day, buying the week's groceries... Sometimes he took Sandra to the movies. Sometimes he took both of them to La Marquesa or Chapultepec for a stroll. But he was always present, exerting an invisible pressure.

The psychological violence was unbearable. Sandra kept working, refusing to say what she did. First it was her nails—Nina noticed they were bitten down—then it was her hair. Nina noticed her daughter putting her hair in her mouth and would shout at her to stop.

"I can't do it anymore," Sandra whispered. "It's always the same: going to certain middle schools, offering them a perfect future, and then..."

"Child, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"Those girls fulfill everyone's dream," Sandra said in whispers. "But... everything has its price."

With the arrival of December of that year, Sandra began to show the first symptoms. Nina couldn't ignore the situation. While it was likely the child was Rodrigo's, for the woman it was more humiliating to know her seventeen-year-old daughter was pregnant. The mere idea of terminating the pregnancy was horrifying.