<b>Chapter </b>6
Gabriel checked into the vige’s little motel and started hanging around outside my gate every day<b>, </b>but I never <b>let </b>
him in.
On the seventh morning, I took the baby to the health clinic for his shots. When I got back, I found a bunch of stuff piled up in <b>my </b>yard – imported form, a high–end stroller, and a pile of fancy baby supplies.
Aunt Martha was standing by my gate looking worried.
“Elena, honey, that man said he bought all this stuff for the baby. I didn’t let him in the yard – just left everything by the gate.”
Looking at all those expensive items, I felt nothing but bitter irony.
Where was he when I actually needed this stuff? When I was worried sick about paying for a few dors‘ worth of medicine, he was buying Vera gold bracelets.
“Aunt Martha, could you get some of the younger folks to help move all this to themunity center? See if any families there need it.” I headed into the house with my baby. “We don’t need any of it.”
That evening, Gabriel came back, and this time he brought Vera with him.
Vera was dressed in an expensive trench coat with full makeup,pletely out of ce in our simple mountain vige. She was holding onto Gabriel’s arm with this fake smile stered on her face.
“Elena, you’ve got Gabriel all wrong.” Vera’s voice sounded so sincere. “We’re just friends. My son needs a father figure, and Gabriel’s just helping us out of sympathy.”
I stood at my gate holding my baby, calmly watching her little performance.
“See, we came all this way just to clear up the misunderstanding.” Vera patted the little boy beside her. “Lucas, say hì to the nicedy.”
That four–year–old kid hid behind Vera, ring at me with pure hostility in his eyes.
“I’m <i>not </i>misunderstanding anything.” My voice was t. “Whatever your rtionship is, that’s none of my business. I just want to live peacefully. Please stop bothering me.”
Gabriel got flustered. “Elena<b>, </b>let me exin…<b>” </b>
“I don’t want to hear any exnations.” I cut him off “You should go back to your woman and kid instead of wasting time here<b>.</b><b>” </b>
Vera’s face changed instantly, but she quickly put the smile back on. “Elena, that’s going too far. Gabriel came here out of kindness to check on you and the baby. How can you treat him like this?<b>” </b>
51.09
Looking at her carefully made–up face, I remembered how she’d looked running into the hospital room with her clothes all messed up, and I couldn’t help butugh.
“Ms. Sinir, you’re quite the actress, but I’m not your audience.” My voice was quiet but every word was crystal clear. “You already got everything you wanted from him. What more do you need? My gratitude?”
Vera’s face darkenedpletely as she dropped the fake sweetness. “Who do you think you are? Some useless housewife who can’t do anything but drag people down?”
Gabriel tugged at her arm. “Vera, that’s enough.”
“Why should I stop?” Vera shook off his hand “She’s the one who can’t get her act together – whose fault is that? Gabriel, you’ve got a good thing going now. Why would you throw it all away for her?”
Old Pete heard the arguing and walked over, frowning at the group. “<b>If </b>you’re here to cause trouble, you can get the hell out! We don’t want your kind in our vige!”
Other vigers started gathering too. Seeing Vera’s fancy clothes and hearing what she’d just said, they all looked disgusted.
“Just go.” I said to Gabriel. “Take your woman with you before she embarrasses herself any more.”
<b>51.3</b><b>% </b>