How Tía Lola Saved the Summer (13 page)

Mami’s Mistake Monster

It’s been another packed evening: dinner with Colonel Charlebois, a campfire with songs and s’mores. The kids and Tía Lola have all gone up to bed.

Mami and Víctor linger, sitting on the deck, the lights from the second-floor bedrooms shining down on them. It’s their last opportunity to talk privately before more guests arrive tomorrow.

Papi and Carmen and Abuelito and Abuelita will all be staying in the house—Mami caved in to keep everyone happy. Papi will sleep on the pullout couch in the den, and the girls all together in Juanita’s room, freeing up the guest room for Abuelito and Abuelita. Carmen is delighted to share a room with Tía Lola. It will be a hectic couple of
days, what with the big game, meals, visiting, before the guests all leave on Sunday.

Maybe that’s why Victoria has been drawn to her window, already feeling so wistful about their departure. She has wished on a star and kissed the blade of her sword several times for good luck. What else can she do? She really hopes Papa will decide to relocate to Vermont. But each time the Swords have brought it up, Papa has replied, “It’s not just up to me, you know.”

On the deck, below Victoria’s window, an interesting conversation is unfolding. Victoria wouldn’t dream of snooping, but then she hears the magic words “move to

Vermont.” She hushes Cari and Juanita and Essie, who are jabbering away in the room behind her. They hurry to the window, curious to see what has caught the eldest Sword’s attention.

“I just think we need to put the move to Vermont on hold,” Linda is saying. She and Víctor met only three months ago. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of phone calls, a previous visit by Víctor, and now this visit with his girls. “I just worry that everything is moving too fast for the kids. A divorce. Then their father getting engaged. And your girls, too. It’s a big change from New York City to Vermont. They’ve been through so much in the last few years.” Mami sighs as if she herself is out of breath with how many things have been happening. “I think we all need to slow down a little.”

“But I don’t want to slow down.” Papa’s voice sounds so sad, as if Linda has just given him a death sentence. “I
don’t get it. I think the kids are doing great. Are you sure it’s not you who are having doubts?”

“Not at all!” Linda says so vehemently that Victoria can’t help feeling relieved.

Her father must be relieved, too. He reaches for Linda’s hand. “What’s this?” he asks, lifting her hand to the light. Linda is clutching the sword Tía Lola gave her as if for dear life.

“I needed some help talking to you,” Linda admits, trying to laugh it off.

“Please don’t worry,” Papa says. “I wouldn’t move up here if I didn’t think it was the best thing for everybody concerned. And I promise not to put any pressure on you. I’ll wait for as long as it takes you. Only one
favorcito.
” A little favor.

“What is it?” Mami sounds afraid to ask.

“I want you to use your magic sword to slay the monster.”

Essie and Juanita can’t help giggling. Victoria silences them with a look. But she has to admit that it is kind of funny to hear her rational lawyer papa talking about slaying monsters. It’s also funny to hear him telling someone else not to worry. Papa, the big worrier! Maybe there’s something in Vermont’s water that has brought about this marvelous change in her father.

“So what monster is it you want me to kill?” Linda is asking.

“The monster of making mistakes. After something doesn’t go well, we sometimes get scared of trying again.”
Papa can be so wise sometimes. “You’re probably a little afraid to fall in love again. But you have to get past that monster. And the children will all follow your lead, I’m sure. In fact, they might even help you slay the monster if you ask for their help.”

Essie’s shoulders are almost up to her ears as she struggles to control her giggles. She nudges the giggling Juanita, who nudges Cari. But Cari doesn’t think any of this is funny. She has been getting increasingly scared by all this talk of monsters. “I don’t get it,” she whispers in Victoria’s ear.

“I’ll explain later,” Victoria whispers back.

“Is it a real monster?”

Victoria shakes her head. But her sister is still looking petrified, so Victoria sends her and the two gigglers on an errand before they ruin everything. “Go upstairs and get Tía Lola and Miguel. We need to have a summit meeting,
pronto!
”

“
Ay
, Linda, I’m sorry,” Papa is apologizing. “I shouldn’t be hurrying you, much as I’d like to. Every heart has its very own clock. I’ll tell you what, think about it in the next couple of days. If you still feel the same way on Sunday, I will respect your decision. We’ll slow down, put the move to Vermont on hold for now. A year, two, as long as it takes. But”—Víctor grabs her hand with the sword in it—“I want you to give us a fighting chance.”

Papa has taken the sword from her hand and is whipping it in the air.

“What are you doing?”

“Warming it up to slay that mistake monster,” he jokes.

“You think this plastic sword will do the job, eh?” Mami sounds playful but also doubtful.

“If not, I know where I can borrow a genuine samurai warrior sword.”

They both burst out laughing. “Shhh,” Mami hushes them both. “The children are sleeping. Shhhhhhhh!”

Oh yeah? The children are now all assembled in Juanita’s room for an emergency meeting. Victoria briefs Tía Lola and Miguel on the situation and adds the information about the Sunday deadline.

“That’s so unfair!” Essie is beside herself. “First we don’t get to go to Disney World. Now we don’t get to move to Vermont.” Her gloomy side is back. The glass is not half full, it’s almost empty. The roller-coaster ride will never, ever go back up again.

Her older sister won’t give up so easy. “Come on, Essie. We have until Sunday.”

But Sunday is only two days away! “So what do you propose?” Essie says, hoping against hope that someone will come up with a solution.

“I have an idea, I have an idea!” Juanita pipes up. She explains that earlier today at Stargazer’s shop, she bought something called a mood ring. She already showed it off to Cari and Essie and Tía Lola. “You put it on and the stone changes colors to show your deepest, most secret feelings. See, like right now, it’s kind of red?” Juanita unfolds the little piece of paper that came with the ring. Oh no! Red
means she is anxious and stressed. But actually, that makes perfect sense, given that Juanita is worrying about Mami. If the stone were to turn violet, it would mean romance, passion, marriage. “So, what if we get Mami to wear it tomorrow? Then we check at dinner and see if she’s really in love. What do you think?”

Miguel thinks it’s the craziest thing he’s ever heard of. Wouldn’t Mami already know if she loved or didn’t love someone?

“But maybe your
mami
isn’t sure she really loves Papa as much as he loves her, you think?” Victoria ventures. She would not want her father to get hurt for anything in the world. “I’d hate for your mother to get hurt, too,” she adds. Sweet Victoria. Not wanting anyone to be unhappy. Growing up is not going to change her.

“But how are you guys going to get Mami to wear the ring?” Miguel asks. They are so rah-rah with the idea, they’re forgetting this minor logistical detail.

After a moment of consideration, the girls turn to Tía Lola. “Please,
por favor
, Tía Lola,” they plead. “You are our last, our only hope.” They clutch their hands like damsels in distress. Tía Lola keeps shaking her head and repeating, “Everything will be fine, trust me.” But finally she can’t resist the pleading damsels. “Okay, I’ll get her to wear it.” She takes the ring and slips it on. In a second, the stone gleams pure gold!

“What in the world does that mean?” Juanita checks the instructions. But gold is not listed among the colors.

“Tía Lola, you are off the charts,” Victoria declares.

For some reason, this strikes everyone’s funny bone. They roar with laughter.

“All that glitters is not gold, sometimes it’s Tía Lola!” Essie jokes, recalling the rhyme from the treasure hunt their first night in Vermont.

More loud laughter.

“What’s going on up there?” Mami calls up from the deck, which makes them laugh all the more.

By the time they show up for breakfast next morning, Mami is wearing the ring. They try not to stare, but each time they look at each other, they can’t help themselves. There are several giggle attacks during the waffle breakfast.

“How did you do it?” the girls ask Tía Lola once they’ve regrouped in their adjoining rooms. They are packing up their bathing suits and towels for today’s camp outing: a morning trip to Lake Champlain, a picnic, then back in time for afternoon practice and the arrival of their guests from the city.

“I told her it was a mood ring that would help her sort out her feelings.”

That’s all it took? Mami didn’t require any further explanation? But of course, Tía Lola has persuasive powers, even in the way she smiles!

Mami has agreed to wear the ring, so maybe if the stone turns violet or even blue (happy) or green (calm), she will
realize she is really in love. Mami’s monster will be slain, the Espadas can move to Vermont, and they can all get on with the rest of the summer, and whatever wonderful adventures Tía Lola has in store for them.

They drive out to Lake Champlain, the van packed with eight people, their swords, two large picnic baskets, and after some discussion, one dog. Mami says she can’t bear the thought of leaving Valentino behind.

“So, what are you going to do when we leave Sunday?” That Essie is fearless! Miguel can’t believe it: this girl has an even bigger mouth than Juanita. But he has to admit, he is going to miss Valentino—and baseball practice with Víctor—when the Espadas depart on Sunday.

“I supposed I’ll die of heartbreak,” Mami plays along.

“Well, we don’t want to be responsible for murder,” Essie goes on. “So either you move to Queens, or we have to move to Vermont.” There it is, laid out, the choice Mami has to make. “And I don’t think you’d like Queens. There’s a lot of crime and drugs there.” Essie is not sure of this fact, but she does know those are the first things parents worry about in a neighborhood. Crime and drugs.

Víctor looks in the rearview mirror and winks at his plucky daughter.

“What is this, a plot?” Mami asks, narrowing her eyes at Víctor suspiciously, but she is laughing.

“I love Vermont,” Cari pipes up. “It’s not scary like Queens.”

“I love Vermont. I love Vermont.” Her sisters take up the chant.

From way in back, Valentino agrees with a series of his own I-love-Vermont barks.