The sun played peek-a-boo through the open windows panes, as the flowery curtains surrendered to the wind’s capricious whim. Occasionally, they had the audacity to flirt by shamelessly lifting the hem of their skirts.
The wind surreptitiously carried a bit of dust to sprinkle over the tiles of this colorful and cheap eatery, situated on their route to Monterrey.
Under the glare of the noon sun, Rene observed Leticia as if under a microscope. He did this with the intent of a prospective investor, gauging the properties of a potential investment and all of its pitfalls.
In turn, Leticia was slowly becoming ensnared in Rene’s charm. As she followed the fluid conversation, her mind was conjuring a myriad of plans. What if... she allowed love into her life again? What did she have to lose? Leticia thought, as her anticipation rose. She blushed a bit when she thought of what it would ultimately involve.
She seemed a nice woman to Rene, with a sweet disposition, and a shelter to rest for a bit. Yet, her nose! The aquiline shape distorted the harmony of her face, and marred what could be a pretty face if enhanced with cosmetics, sexier clothes, and a softer nose. The latter was an insult to that face, and a conspicuous offense to anyone else.
Rene itched to ask her is she would consider rhinoplasty, and breast enhancement. Perhaps later on….Rene’s thoughts abruptly changed course when he focused on the vision which stood behind Leticia.
The open doorway gave complete freedom to the balmy breeze to tousle and play with Maribel’s loosened hair. The long raven tresses fluttered vigorously in the wind, as a pirate’s black flag does at the helm of a ship.
The cold which suddenly permeated the room, generated goose bumps on Rene's skin. The naked apparition of Maribel was a gruesome yet still a beautiful sight to behold.
Her skin now had a grey tinge to it, and the haunted beauty of her face, deeply contrasted with the gruesome gash dividing her midriff in half, from the sternum to her pubic bone. The protruding broken ribs which Rene had haplessly pried open with grip pliers, exposed a hollow cavity from which blood still overflowed in Ruby rivulets down her legs, to leave a bloody trail as she ambled ever closer towards them.
The revolting stench of death accompanied her. She approached a few more steps, to stand next to him holding her hands together, as if in a prayer. Her reddened hands bathed in her own blood, held something in the bloody cocoon of her enclosed palms.
-“Rene, why did you kill us? I was good to you, and we did not deserve to die so brutally.” Opening her hands she showed a knob of flesh, no different than a red kidney bean. –“This is your son Rene; you also killed your son!” Maribel announced with inconsolable anguish reflected in her eyes.
-“NO! You’re dead! That’s not true!” Rene slammed his enclosed fists on the wooden table which toppled his beer bottle over. The effervescent river traveled directly to the floor to amalgamate with the blood and light dirt carpeting the tiled floor. The fusion created fizzling red bubbles as the dead blood thirstily sipped the fermented brew.
-“Rene what is the matter? You look shocked, Rene please, look at me!” Leticia stood up to lightly shake Rene’s shoulder.
Suddenly Maribel’s apparition vanished. Rene waited for the shock to abate before he spoke again. –“I’m alright; I think I just lost my appetite. Please order me another beer, and let’s get out of here.” Rene said as his heart beat stabilized a little bit.
In the months ensued, Rene had established a successful campaign to worm his way into Leticia’s home, and into her local community.
They lived in comfort and relative complacency, lacking a genuine passion for each other. This was alright for a while, until Rene became obsessed with transforming Leticia into her ideal woman.
-“It is not very expensive you know, and you can charge it all. I’ll even help you with the cost. Come on, will you at least consider it? Please?” Rene droned on about the subject once more.
-“I am afraid to die on the operating table. This is how God made me, and I am okay with myself. You should accept me as I am, as I accept you as well.” Leticia tried to reason with Rene.
A scalding wave of fury washed over Rene; he trembled with the intensity as his eyes distilled concentrated fury. The lust for blood rose again, and in his mind’s eye he saw how easy it could be to fall off the wagon again. She was being an unreasonable, stupid bitch, just like the others’ had been.
Leticia took a step back, for a moment truly alarmed by the murderous glare painted on Rene’s countenance.
To be continued…
"The City of Drawers" 1956 by Salvador Dali
