One Saturday morning, I had the wonderful idea—note the sarcasm—of following Eva to the area where she spent her nights; I didn't know if she had a place, she could call home.
Because I wasn't familiar with Del Valle City, except for my neighborhood and some areas I'd visited with my parents, the only places that came to mind were uncrowded or abandoned plazas; that's why I was afraid at first.
Still, I didn't let fear stop me and I remained firm in my decision to follow Eva as soon as she finished her daily work, because I was sure that if I told her I wanted to see where she spent her nights, she wouldn't let me go with her.
On the other hand, to persuade Mom that I was late, since on weekends I was home before 2 p.m., I told her I would be with some friends playing video games.
She agreed without asking me much about it, and even asked me to bring some snacks.
"Snacks!" I thought excitedly.
So, I went to my room to look for an old suitcase in which I used to keep the toys I took to Uriel's house when I went to spend the night with him.
When I returned to the kitchen, where Mom was starting to prepare lunch, she seemed quite confused, so I told her, as an excuse, that I wanted to show off my suitcase.
The suitcase could be considered a boring and old-fashioned item, but it had remained in my family since my grandparents emigrated to the country, after escaping Europe because of World War II.
The suitcase, in other words, was a relic accompanied by great stories that my grandparents, now deceased, told me throughout much of my childhood and that I loved to share with someone I considered a true friend.
Anyway, the suitcase, which wasn't very big, was filled with packets of crackers, a small Nutella, some jams, and a six-pack of Coca-Cola.
"It's been a while since I saw you this excited," Mom commented.
"Well, my friends said we'd also go to a park or a pool", I replied.
"I understand. In that case, take good care of yourself, don't cause any trouble, and come back early," she asked me politely.
"Okay, thank you very much, Mom," I said excitedly.
So, I went back to my room to put on some comfortable clothes and sneakers, since I didn't know how far I had to walk to keep up with Eva.
When I returned to the living room, I was reunited with Mom.
She was sitting on one of the comfortable sofas she and Dad had bought a week ago while looking at a fashion magazine.
"Paul, son. Before you go, have a little more money," he said when he saw me.
Mom handed me five of the highest denomination bills, which amazed me.
"Huh? This is a lot, Mom… You don't need to give me money," I replied in amazement.
"Take them, son, it's compensation for how well you've behaved lately and how much your grades have improved," she claimed.
Since I had no arguments to reply, since I was certainly behaving better thanks to Eva's influence, I accepted the money.
Finally, I left the house after saying goodbye to Mom and headed to the cafe, where I met Eva in the same place as always, a few meters from the outdoor tables.
"Wow! It's strange to see you here so early. Good morning," Eva said when she saw me.
"Good morning. I came prepared to spend the day with you. Well, as long as you're here," I replied politely.
"You're a lost cause, Paul," he said, scratching his brow and glancing at my suitcase.
"Do you like it?" I asked proudly. "It's a suitcase I inherited from my grandfather; may he rest in peace."
Eva tilted her head, visibly confused, though she merely smiled at my childish behavior.
"Okay, give me a few minutes. I'll sing my first song while there's a crowd," Eva said, looking for the best place to begin her performance.
Some of the coffee shop regulars focused on Eva as they sipped their coffee, while I sat on a public bench, shaded by some trees that beautified the area.
As expected, Eva captivated everyone who took the time to listen to her, so I quickly stood up to help her collect the money they offered her.
Everything was flowing smoothly. It was a wonderful morning when I felt my energy was at its peak, but suddenly...
"Hey, kid. You don't seem to need to do this, do you?" a man suddenly asked from behind me, with noticeable distrust.
He had grabbed me by the shoulder, which is why I jumped in fright and became defensive.
I had seen this man many times before.
He was the one who gave Eva an extra lunch a day.
I usually saw him when I arrived at the bus stop after school, so I was surprised to see him around so early.
"Good morning, Mr. Francisco. You don't have to worry about him, he's my best friend," Eva intervened.
The aforementioned Mr. Francisco maintained his frown and continued looking at me with suspicion, although thanks to Eva, he let me go.
My heart kept beating fast. That man's gaze was terrifying enough to make me hide behind Eva.
"I see. That reassures me," the man replied. "I thought he was a boy taking advantage of your kindness to get your money."
"Not at all, sir. On the contrary, he always gives me a lot of money or brings me things from his house," Eva said.
"It still seems suspicious to me... I'll keep an eye on you, boy," the man told me sternly.
Mr. Francisco headed to the coffee shop, and we didn't hear from him again for the rest of the day, which relieved me considerably. However, I couldn't help but glance toward the establishment's entrance every now and then, waiting for him to leave so I could hide behind Eva.
The good thing was that Eva finished her shift before noon, so she invited me to a nearby square to chat for a while.
"Hey, isn't that guy following us?" I asked, clearly panicking.
Eva let out a short laugh, which made me angry for a moment.
"Don't worry, Mr. Francisco owns the coffee shop," Eva replied.
"Really?" I asked, amazed.
Eva just nodded.
"Wow, now I understand why he always gives you an extra lunchbox of food every day", I said.
"That's right, in a nutshell, Mr. Francisco takes care of my diet… Since I started singing in front of his cafe five years ago, he's taken care of me", she revealed.
"Wow! That's incredible," I replied. "Although it still scares me."
"You don't have to worry. When you get to know him better, you'll like him. Oh, by the way, we're here," she said.
We stopped at a busy square, where Eva took advantage of a small stage to sing a few songs, catching the attention of a group of people.
Seeing her on that small stage impressed me in a different way, as Eva looked like a professional artist.
I even idealized her, singing in front of thousands of people chanting her name; my heart beat faster at the thought.
Eva sang three songs and received applause from the few people who admired her, to which she responded with a bow.
"Wow! You're amazing, Eva," I said when I met her again.
"Thank you. This is one of my favorite places to sing," he replied.
"I'd like to know what the other places are," I said excitedly.
"I'll take you someday," he replied kindly. "Well, it's time to go. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Of course, you can count on that", I said.
So, I pretended to say goodbye to Eva and then waited for her to move a considerable distance away.
It wasn't much of an effort, which worried me because of the weight of the suitcase.
Eva stopped at a nearby bus stop and took a bus whose route she didn't know.
Since I didn't want to miss her, I opted to take a taxi and ask the driver to follow the bus, which stopped near the Del Valle Bridge.
The Del Valle Bridge served as both an entrance and exit to the city, so crossing it connected directly to the national highway.
Then, I noticed Eva getting off at that point to cross the bridge, so I asked the driver to stop; he seemed confused.
In fact, when I paid him, with a hint of concern he advised me not to cross the bridge alone, because on the other side of the river, beneath it, lived thieves and vagrants who were dangerous for someone of my age.
"Don't worry, my best friend lives around here," I replied.
The driver's confusion persisted, and he even frowned.
"I don't think someone like you has a friend around here, but hey, I did my part by warning you," he said, then put his car in gear.
Once I was alone, in the distance, almost on the other side of the bridge, I noticed Eva turn to her left, into an area full of weeds that I thought was impossible to navigate.
For my part, I started my walk to cross the bridge and get to know the area a little.
Del Valle City was surrounded by mountains and, to the west, it was surrounded by a huge river called Iberia.
In the distance, you could see the enormous dam that kept the river at a low level in that part of the city, although I once heard from Dad that, when the floodgates were opened, the water was distributed into three channels to prevent flooding in some surrounding neighborhoods.
Anyway, as I reached the part where Eva entered, I understood the driver's concern, because from the bridge, I could see a kind of small neighborhood full of shacks and the remains of old boats on the banks of the river.
So, I stopped in front of that overgrown area where Eva had turned off, where, to my amazement, there was a path that I assumed led to that small, deplorable neighborhood.
Despite how worried I was and the growing fear that gripped my legs, I kept going just to see where Eva lived.
However, and unfortunately for me, as soon as I finished my walk along the path and reached what I assumed was the entrance to that neighborhood, I felt someone hold me by the neck while placing a knife against my chest, at the level of my heart.
"I knew you'd come, little mouse," said another man, who came out of the bushes to stand in front of me; this one wasn't armed.
Escape wasn't an option, especially with my excess weight, which prevented me from running at high speed if they let me go, so I froze and opted for logic.
"A-all my money is-is in my pocket and there are groceries in the su-suitcase. There's no more, I s-swear," I said with a trembling voice, on the verge of tears.
"Don't cry, my boy, we won't hurt you, will we?" the man who was subduing me asked the other man in a mocking voice.
It was clear they had bad intentions and wouldn't settle for what I was willing to give them as long as they let me go, so I burst into tears and screamed for help.
Never in my life had I screamed so loudly as I did that day, and since no one came to my aid, I resigned myself to accepting the consequences of my irresponsibility, although fortunately I was heard by an unexpected savior.
"Give him back what you took," ordered a voice I immediately recognized.
"Are you crazy?" one of the men replied.
"Carlos, give him back what you took from him!" she exclaimed.
The aforementioned Carlos frowned and grumbled a few rude things, as did the guy who was subduing me, although they gave me back my suitcase and money.
For her part, Eva, my savior, looked at me with concern and came over to comfort me; it was comforting to have her by my side.
"You're an idiot!" she complained worriedly, her tone of voice strangely familiar.
"I'm s-sorry, I j-just wanted to know where you lived so I c-could visit you and bring you food from home," I said, my voice shaking; I had trouble speaking.
Since I couldn't say any more, I grabbed my suitcase and took out the supplies Mom had packed.
Eva was amazed by the contents and made a gesture I'd never seen before; it was as if she felt guilty and happy at the same time.
In fact, he tried to hug me, but he held back.
Still, he thanked me and helped me up, although he asked me to return home as soon as possible.
As for supplies, he took a plastic bag out of his guitar case and put everything in there while continuing to thank me.
Her words, rather than honesty and gratitude, conveyed concern and fear. So, shame welled up inside me, and I forced myself to promise her that I wouldn't worry her like that again, and that I would go to her house when she took me.
Only then did he feel better and he smiled with relief, which comforted and calmed me along with his caresses on my hair.
In the end, Eva walked me across the bridge and waited for me to take a taxi. Meanwhile, I continued to feel guilty and forced myself not to worry her like that again.