Our Words Are Stars

11. Alicia

Alicia was staring blankly at the blinking night sky in that blinding city she called home.

If everything turned alright just like it has been lately, she will be traveling in a few months overseas to Europe. She will drink exotic and expensive varieties of wine, she will watch famous plays in luxurious theaters and luckily, she could meet someone on ancient streets then fall in love with him, get married and get everything she ever wanted.

"If" was such a small word Alicia didn't know the meaning of, not really, until a few months later, when everything in her life started to crumble down, like if the blinking sky suddenly stopped existing and only infinite darkness remained.

*****

It all started when her dad left her. And her whole family, to be more precise.

They never really knew the reason why. Maybe he stopped loving mother, or maybe having two daughters and a sickly son was too much for him to handle. Maybe he just didn't want to share his money anymore.

Or maybe he fell in love with someone else, and suddenly the love of one whole family was no match against a passionate, new love. Of course, this possibility was only thought by Alicia's mother.

So then, on a pretty, sunny Sunday, Eustacio left, taking everything he could with him. Money. Dreams. Love. Trust.

"We don't need him." Said Alicia's sister, Irene. She was packing some dresses on her big suitcase. The very same she was going to use for her trip to Europe. Now it packed stuff and memories to leave her home to an unknown future. "Mom... however..."

"And little Eustacio as well." Alicia quickly said. At her tender age of 12 she guessed the fact that your husband, your love, left you, should be something really painful. But, what about them? Perhaps Irene was 15 years old, and she could get married soon or something, but Alicia was more worried about their little brother.

Irene however, didn't seem to care that much for her brother. "You better take care of mom. And little Eustacio as well."

Alicia was nodding before she got what her sister was saying. "Why does it sound like you are leaving too?" There was no way she was leaving with her dad. That wouldn't make sense... would it?

"Because I am." Her sister replied, not looking at her, packing more clothes and her notebooks. "Remember Rogelio?"

"Dad's co-worker?" Their dad was a musician in the most important orchestra of the city. Perhaps from the whole country. "Wait... did he...?"

"Yes, he proposed to me. And it seems he knew about... this. About dad's plans. So I'm going to live with him."

This, of course, was another time. Time when a girl of 15 was perfectly in age to get married. And it was also normal that the man who wanted to marry that girl was 20 years older.

"But, what did mom...?" Asked Alicia, a shaking in her voice. She knew he sister was to get married soon, but she never thought it will be this soon. Alicia wanted to get married as well, but in a couple of years, with a French man, perhaps. But now...

"Of course she knows. And I would rather say she is happy." Irene replied, Alicia didn't have a clue in that moment why her mom would be happy for that, due to the recent events. Later she would understand. "Ali" Continued Irene, she was facing her sister now, holding both of her hands with her own. "I may be leaving you, Tacho and mom but I promise... I'm not leaving the way dad's leaving us. We're still a family."

Alicia nodded, and both sisters hugged each other.

*****

The reason why their mother Carmen was happy about the fact of Irene getting married was clear when they moved to another city, in another state, in another house: with Eustacio gone they didn't have money now and if at least one daughter was married, that, at the very least will secure her future.