The Bad Boy & The Bad Girl

36

Lucia

The funeral was packed. If it was up to me. It would be been the people she worked with and her family. It looked like my mom told the whole damn world to come.

The beginning passed by until it was time to give remarks. Everyone went. Even Dorothea. She cried hard and couldn't even get out a word. She stopped down and went to her seat weeping like a mad woman.

I felt someone nudge me and I guess it was my turn to speak. I stood up and walked up to the podium. I cleared my throat as I looked at the presentation they were playing without music.

And then I began.

" I remember the day I came to stay at her house for a weekend. I was six. She made me cookies. We laughed and joked. Then I remember when I saw Brittany for the first time. My abuela told me that she would be staying with her for a little while. I was a little jealous. I can say.

Then I remembered her showing pictures of her self when she was my age and growing up. Wow did me, my mom and her look alike.

Hopefully my mom can mark her present so she can give her little speech as well.

She was a strong woman. She could defeat anything. She defeated my granddad at tug a war. And she was fifty. She had the body to stop a truck. Her body wasn't even a body for her age.

She loved to cook. God she mad the best spicy chicken and rice that anyone has ever had. But she was more than that. She was a nurse. She was a friend. A grandma. A mom.

And to that... We're all thankful. She was strong, but cancer is one thing she couldn't beat. But believe me when I tell you, if she had it her way, none of us would be sitting here today. Mourning over her death. " I said. I walked down the steps and Diego grabbed my hand as I sat down. I tuned out the rest since to me it was irrelevant. I still looked around for my mom and dad.

But they never came.

Then came the burial site and I tell you, it was the worse part. Brittany had to speak.

" Her favorite bird was the roadrunner. The road runner is the State Of Mexico Bird. But she said if you have a road runner at my burial site I'll make sure you won't be able to sit down. She said she'd rather have a
dahlia on her coffin and a copy of the Mexican flag as well. And she would rather have a dove. " She laid the flag on her coffin and the flower there as well.

" And with this, as the casket goes down and is being buried, I state the Lomanda De La Perez is now free. Free from worries. Free from pain. Free from suffering. " She said as she let go of the dove. I looked up and saw it fly far away.

As everyone began to disperse, I felt a hand grab my shoulder.

" Lucia... " That familiar voice called my name. Who invited him?

" Daniel... Who invited you? " I said looking at him. I took his hand off my shoulder.

" No one. I heard it around school so I decided to drop by and see how you were doing. " He said. I rolled my eyes.

" What's the real reason?" I asked sharply.

" Ok. I realized what I did to you was wrong -"

" You think." I said, cutting him off.

" And, I wanted to know if you can give us another try. " he said. I laughed. I laughed so hard that I hunched over because my stomach started to hurt. Diego rushed to me and sat me up.

" Baby are you OK. Do you feel sick?" I shook my head and calmed my laughter. He didn't pay attention to Daniel standing in front of me.

" You think I would want you back so you can play the same jokes with me before? Nah buddy." I said shrugging and Diego looked between me and him.

" So your together with my own cousin?" Daniel shouted. I laughed again and nodded.

" Yeah. Been together for sometime now." I say looking at my gorgeous boyfriend.

" Well.... I gotta go." Daniel said awkwardly before walking away.

I grabbed Diego hand and we walked back to the car together. I got in as he started the car and made our way home.

I was extremely upset and angry. Upset because the person, besides my sister, has just been buried. Angry because my mom didn't show up for her own mothers funeral.

Then my phone rang and my anger fueled even more. She decided to call me a hour after the funeral?!

" I hope you have a good explanation for why you didn't come to your mom's funeral?!" I said through the phone. I heard a intake of breath on the other line.

" I had a lot of important work to do Lucia..."

" Bullshit!" I yelled.

" Calm your tone young lady!" She yelled back.

" Calmar mi calma?! De verdad piensa im que va a mantener la calma?!" I yelled back. I heard her sigh.

" No I didn't think you weren't. But you have to understand that I own a buisness -"

" And whose gonna be there a when something happens. I know this. But you took time out of your busy schedule to go to my hermana funeral. And she was your mother. Flesh and blood I know. But this is your mom. The person who gave birth to you. You could at least stop being selfish for once in your busy damn life. " I said. I hung up the phone and felt a hand on my knee. I smiled and looked at Diego.

" I did a good job didn't I?"I smiled and he gave me knee a squeeze.

" Yes. Yes you did."