Free Favorite Wife by Susan Ray Schmidt

wishes. But he’d better take me serious. I have other plans for Carmela.” He turned back to Jay, his eyes two dark slits. “If you’re looking for trouble, boy, you’re headed in the right direction. I won’t warn you again. Stay away from my daughter.”
    Jay’s face looked white as marble as Alma grabbed Carmela’s arm and pushed her down the sidewalk. She gaped back at Jay before she got in the pickup, her eyes two black circles in her dark face.
    I picked myself up from the grass. My knees felt rubbery as I stood next to Mom and Jay and watched the white pickup back out of the driveway.
    Mom was the first to speak. Her voice shook, “I don’t know how this all came about, but I would like to personally fill that man’s butt with bird shot for having the nerve to bring a gun over here, onto our property, and threaten my son with it. How dare he! I wish your father were here! He’d have something to say to that self-righteous . . .”
    â€œMom,” Jay interrupted quietly. “He did warn me. As wrong as he is, at least he warned me in advance. Oh, damn, I don’t know what to do. I can’t just stand by and watch her marry Hector! I can’t believe that’s God’s will. Alma’s wrong! I only wish Joel were here to tell me what to do.” He choked, turned away from us, and stumbled into the shadows. He leaned against the house and sobbed.
    Mom turned and glared at me. “And just what part did you play in this? Why in the name of heaven are you involved in this stupid fight with Alma?”
    â€œJay is my brother and Carmela is my friend!” I said fiercely. “That makes me involved. Jay wanted to talk to her and I invited her over, that’s all.”
    â€œI asked Susan to bring Carmela over here,” Jay’s voice sounded hollow. “None of this is her fault. I’m sorry, Sis. Did he hurt you?”
    I shook my head. “What are you going to do?”
    â€œLeave it alone for now, I guess. I’ll think of something. You two go on to bed. Mom, I’m really sorry about this,” Jay walked back and put his arms around us. We hugged for a moment, and as I felt the tears on his cheek, a horrible hatred filled my soul like I had never known before. I wanted to yank Alma’s thin hair out, tear his eyes out, and scratch his face.
    â€œIt’ll be okay, Jay,” I whispered in his ear. And then Mom and I walked across the street and left him alone in his and Carmela’s little dream house.

C HAPTER F IVE
    T he rest of the month swiftly passed, filled with school and church activities, piano lessons and play practices. The early spring leaves on the cottonwood trees had matured to jade colors. Roses and painted daisies were blooming, and summer heat and freedom were just around the corner. The three-room adobe building that served as a school for the colony’s elementary and middle school grades was stifling in the desert heat. Our government-paid Mexican teachers were as anxious as their gringo students were for the summer break.
    Jay went back to New Mexico with Dad to work. I knew it was because he couldn’t stand to be in the colony with things the way they were with Alma and Carmela. In school, Carmela was distant and withdrawn. I ached for her.
    As for my own life, I harbored the secret of my dream like a hidden treasure deep in my heart. I had finally confided in my mother about it, but other than her and me, no one knew but Grandma LeBaron.
    Francisca begged me to tell her what was going on with me. “I know you’re not telling me something important,” she complained. “I tell you everything. It’s not fair.” Francisca had fallen in love over the past month with Alma LeBaron’s oldest son Alma D. She was crazy about him. Alma D. had been gone for the past six or eight months, working in Las Vegas. He’d come home with fancy new clothes and a