Doctor Engel [A Spanish bestseller now in English!]

CHAPTER 22

After the whole afternoon on the tracks preparing things for next Sunday, it is getting late and we decide to go back home. My mother calls to say that she made dinner for everyone and to bring Cesar. When we get there we complain about the amount of food that she has prepared. We couldn't eat even half of it, therefore there is a lot left for the next day. I'm sure it's an excuse to make Cesar come back...

'You'll have to find a way to eat all this tomorrow,' says my mother. 'It would be a shame to throw it away,' she looks at Cesar.

'I knew it,' I say accusingly. We all laugh, we know her too well.

I help my mother clear the table. I chastise Cesar because he wants to wash the dishes again, and I refuse because of his stitches. Is good enough that I consent to let him remove the bandages during the meal. I'm finishing the dishes when an idea comes to mind. I'll surprise him tonight. I go to my room and pick up a couple of things that I'm going to need.

'Everything has been great, Mrs. Pilar. You are a great cook,' Cesar tells my mom while they bid their goodbyes.

My mother thanks him for his words and gives him a wide smile. She is delighted with him. We get in the car and get going. Instead of following the road that leads to the hotel I take the opposite way.

'I don't know much about this area, but I think that this is not the way,' says Cesar with a mischievous smile on his face.

'I'm going to take you to another hotel, a very luxurious one,' I tell him.

'To another hotel? But I don't have my luggage with me,' he's looking at me surprised.

'You won't need your luggage there,' I smile when I see the confusion on his face.

I take a dirt road and I enter in the green zone, heading to the mountain.

'Why do we have to take this road to that hotel or you are going to abandon me in the fields?' he says joking. I don't answer. 'Are you going to kidnap me?' I look at him lifting one of my eyebrow. 'It's okay. I'll shut up now,' he crosses his arms and leans his back against the seat.

I drive for more than fifteen minutes through a small path full of curves. It leads directly to the top of the mountain. Everything is dark. The only lights that we see are those of the town that we left behind.

'Look!' Cesar shouts excited. 'A deer!'

The poor animal is surprised by the noise of the engine, and runs scared into the pine woods.

'Look, there's another one!' I show him. It is dark, but the lights of the car allow us to see for a couple of seconds. 'This is the time of the bellowing,' I say.

'The bellowing?' he arches an eyebrow.

'Yes, the time when they are in heat. They fight one another to get a female,' I explain.

'Well... interesting,' he tells me.

'City boys don't know about these things, mmm...?' I laugh. 'Well, I think we are already here,' I pull over to an empty space almost at the top. I take out a backpack that I have in the back seat and get out of the car. We can barely see. I take a small pocket flashlight and point the light in front of us.

'Come on,' I take his hand.

'Are we going this way?' he asks, but doesn't refuse and walks with me.

'We are almost there,' I say. 'Can you hold the flashlight and point it right here?' I show him the area that I want him to light for me and he does what I tell him.

I take a blanket from the backpack and put it on the ground. I sit on it and pat by my side for him to sit with me. He does.

'Where is that hotel?' he asks me while getting comfortable.