“You’re right. I think we need to go this way.” Mercedes led her mother away from the touristy district.
They walked for a couple of blocks and then slowed. “I think we made another wrong turn.”
“I don’t recognize this street. Let’s backtrack.” Up ahead, Carlita caught a glimpse of the main road. “I recognize the street down there.”
They were almost to the corner when a man stepped out of the shadows, blocking their path.
Chapter 13
“You got some spare change?”
Mercedes grabbed her mother’s arm and sidestepped the man, attempting to pass.
He moved quickly, easily blocking their path, and a bolt of fear shot down Carlita’s spine.
“I said…do you have some change you can spare?”
“No. We don’t,” Mercedes replied in a firm voice. “Step aside.”
“I think you do.” The man lunged forward.
Mercedes pivoted, jamming her elbow into the man’s ribs.
“Oof,” he grunted as he doubled over.
“Run!” Mercedes propelled her mother forward, neither of them slowing until they reached the main street.
Carlita leaned forward, gasping for air. “I never even saw him until it was too late.”
“I think we were about to be robbed.”
“He had no idea what he was up against. I’m proud of you, Mercedes. You kept your cool. Where’s your gun when you need it?”
“Back home in my dresser drawer. We were in such a hurry, I forgot it.”
Determined to avoid a repeat of the incident, the women stopped at the nearest open shop to ask for directions, only to discover they were heading the wrong way.
They were soon on the right path. Carlita and Mercedes didn’t talk as they briskly walked back to the inn.
The employee they chatted with on the way out was still seated behind the desk. “How was dinner?”
“Delicious,” Mercedes said. “We had a small incident on the way back. A man in an alley was panhandling and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It’s wise to stay on the main streets after dark.”
“We found that out the hard way.” Carlita thanked the woman for the dinner suggestion.
Back inside their room, they turned the television on and flipped through the channels until they found one that featured the upcoming local events. “It’s amazing how many similarities there are between St. Augustine and Savannah.”
They watched the program until it ended and decided it was time to turn in. Carlita wanted to get up early to track Elvira down before heading home.
She waited for Mercedes to finish in the bathroom and then slipped inside to change into her pajamas and brush her teeth.
The lights were off with only the dim glow of the nightstand’s alarm clock to guide her as she crept across the room to her bed. Carlita eased onto the edge.
Creak. The springs creaked loudly. She slowly lowered onto the side, causing the bed to creak again. “Sorry,” she whispered.
“Mine is doing the same.” Mercedes flopped over, and her bed creaked.
A small groan escaped Carlita’s lips as she settled in. The left half of the mattress was lumpy, and it sagged in the center. She wiggled to the side to find a more comfortable position. It was a downhill slide, so she moved to the other side, all the while the bed creaked.
“You okay, Ma?” Mercedes asked after her umpteenth move.
“I can’t get comfortable.”
“You wanna switch beds?”
“Do you think it will help?”
Mercedes giggled. “No. My mattress feels like it’s filled with bricks.”
“Same here, except mine has needles sticking out of it.”
“And my pillow is flatter than a pancake.”
The women burst out laughing.
“This has been a day,” Carlita sighed.
“It has, but at least we’re together. We don’t do enough mother-daughter stuff.”
“You’re right. We don’t.” Carlita slipped her hand under her head. “We’re so busy at home with all of the businesses, your book writing, not to mention fitting Sam into your schedule.”
“It is busy.” Mercedes grew quiet. “Do you miss home?”
“We’ll be back tomorrow, whether we find Elvira or not.”
“No. I mean, New York.”
“I…” Carlita’s voice trailed off. Did she miss New York? She had lived there most of her adult life. They had only been in Savannah for a couple of years. Despite the short amount of time, Savannah felt like home, in some ways more than Queens ever had.
“I miss your father,” Carlita replied softly, “but I don’t miss Queens. I sometimes wonder what life would be like for us if your father was still alive.”
“Pops would’ve married me off to one of his buddies’ sons. I would have at least two children by now and be miserable,” Mercedes joked.
“Would you…be miserable if you were married with children?”
“No. I mean, I want a family someday, but not right now. Pops never would’ve moved to Savannah.”
“You’re right. He was a New Yorker…an Italian New Yorker through and through.” Carlita thought about her husband, his death and how much their lives had changed.
Looking back, she wondered how she managed to muster up the guts to sell the family home and start a life in a state she’d never even visited before his death. “Sometimes God has plans we can’t even fathom.”
“He turned bad into something good,” Mercedes said.
“Yes, he did, which is why I find comfort in believing your father is smiling down on us. That he’s proud of us.”
“I think so too.” Mercedes yawned loudly. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“See you in the morning. I love you, Mercedes.”
“I love you too, Ma.”
*****
Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, the uncomfortable bed and Mercedes’ soft snores, Carlita managed to fall asleep and sleep through the night.
She was stiff when she crawled out of bed and tiptoed to
