The Years that the Locusts Have Eaten

Chapter 6

Caridad and Jin had taken full advantage of the time following the end of Jin's chemo treatments. They both felt free to pursue the relationship as they were no longer in a patient/healthcare worker relationship. They were both very aware that Jin still had a few hoops to jump through before he would be given a clean bill of health, but they had been able to move forward without really taking it into account much.

Today they had a wonderful adventure planned. They were going to take Victoria to the Strip District by the docks on the banks of the Allegheny River. In summer, Smallman Street and Penn Avenue were alive with hundreds of shoppers and a variety of stores, restaurants, and street stalls.

As they walked down Smallman, Caridad stopped to admire some crocheted dresses from Guatemala.

"Vicki, this would look so good on you," she commented. Victoria looked dully at the dress and just let out a sigh.

"What's up with you, girl?" her mother asked. "You've been moody all day. You're only six. Don't tell me you're already in your tween stage," Caridad teased.

"No," the girl replied rather robotically.

Jin stepped in and picked Vicki up tickling her around the ribs. But instead of the laughter he expected, the child looked pained.

"Put me down. That hurts," Victoria said.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry," Jin replied. "Where does it hurt?"

"Right here," she answered pointing at her ribs and back. Caridad lifted Vicki's shirt and saw a collection of purple bruises on the child's midsection.

"What the hell?" she whispered, struggling to process what she was seeing. "How did you get these?" she demanded of the child, who suddenly seemed afraid to talk about it. "Why do you have bruises?" Caridad continued to press. "Did your dad hit you?" she persisted.

Vicki shook her head, looking at the ground as the crowd of people just pushed past them.

"Your abuelita?" Caridad demanded. When Victoria still would not answer, Caridad pulled out her cell phone. "I'm gonna get answers one way or another," she declared as she scrolled through her phone looking for Vicki's grandmother's number.

"No! Don't call her," Vicki protested.

"Well, if you don't want me to call her, then you'd better start talking," Caridad told her daughter firmly.

Jin pulled them both toward the side of the street to get them out of the flow of humanity that was passing on either side of them. They entered a small used book shop that was relatively empty. Jin sat on an old crate in the back of the store and motioned for Victoria to get up on his lap. He held her gently, making sure not to press her too tightly to himself.

"Now, it's quiet," he said. "You can say what you have to say," he encouraged her.

Victoria took a deep breath. "Well, you know abuelita's ceramic thingy? The lady in the blue dress?" she asked.

"Yeah," Caridad replied.

"Well, I was playing with the balloon I got at Walmart. Remember that balloon you got me of Doc McStuffins?" she questioned.

"Yes," her mother responded, eager for Vicki to get to the point.

"Ita told me to stop playing by her shelf of stuff. But, I guess, I didn't hear or whatever. So, I kept playing," the child continued her detailed narrative. "So, then I batted at the balloon and somehow, I knocked over the thingy and it broke. So, abuelita gave me the chancla," she finally finished.