An Uncommon Family

by Christa Polkinhorn

  Anna flew to Guadalajara, where Nico picked her up at the airport. He dropped her off at the pension where he lived during his stays in the city. It was a small two-room suite with a bathroom and a kitchenette. It was located in the old historic center of the city within walking distance of Nico’s office and next to one of the many beautiful parks. They had lunch at a small restaurant nearby. Afterward, Nico went back to work and Anna called one of the poets and set up a meeting for the following day.

  The next couple of days, Anna met Nico once at work and once for lunch. In the evening, after it had cooled down, they went out to dinner or for a walk. Nico seemed preoccupied. He wasn’t his usual bubbly self. When Anna asked him, he waved his hand in front of his face as if warding off a fly.

  “It’s work,” he said. He cleared his throat and sighed. “Business is bad. We don’t know if we have the finances to finish this project. They miscalculated the resources, and with the economy in the dumps, this is going to be a real problem. They might have to let a bunch of people go.”

  Anna peered at him. “Is your job in danger?”

  Nico shook his head. “No, it’s really the Mexican side of the business that’s in trouble. I’m worried about some of my Mexican colleagues. They have families, and if they lose their jobs, it’ll almost be impossible to find a new one considering the bad economy.” He took a sip of beer.

  “Is it certain? That they will lose their jobs?”

  Nico shrugged his shoulders. “No, we don’t know yet. There are talks and meetings going on every day. The next few weeks are really crucial.” He glanced at Anna. “I might have to stay longer, until it’s all sorted out. You may have to fly back on your own.”

  “That’s all right.” Anna reached across and put her hand on his. Nico glanced at his watch. “I need to get going.” He gave Anna a quick kiss. “See you tonight.”

  Anna sighed. At least now she knew why Nico had been in such a strange mood lately. He had been absentminded, often staring into space. She got up and decided to go grocery shopping. She would fix one of Nico’s favorite dishes, chicken cacciatore, for dinner.

  The following day around lunchtime, Anna decided on the spur of the moment to visit Nico at work. Perhaps they could have lunch together again. When she entered the office on the second floor of one of the few modern buildings in that area of town, the receptionist, a friendly, somewhat overweight young woman, waved at her.

  “You’re too late; he already left.”

  “Hi Gloria. Do you know where he went for lunch?” Anna shook hands with her.

  “Let me see.” Gloria wrinkled her forehead. “When he goes with his colleagues, they normally go to Lupe’s. But today, I saw him leave on his own. He sometimes goes to the park nearby for a walk. You know the one across the street?”

  “Yeah, I know which one. I’ll give it a try. Maybe I’ll find him there.”

  The Parque Morelos, which ran along Calle Independencia, was a large green area with tall trees, fountains, paths with benches, and picnic areas. It was a favorite spot for families with children and business people taking a break from work. On windy afternoons, kids flew kites.

  Anna took a leisurely stroll along one of the paths, looking for Nico. He couldn’t have gone too far since he had to be back at the office in less than an hour. She watched as women with small children unpacked their lunches and realized she was hungry. Just as she was about to head to the cafeteria, thinking Nico might be there, she saw him. He was sitting on the lawn underneath a tree near some people, a woman and a little boy. The boy, who was about three or four years old, was playing with a ball. He tossed it in the direction of Nico, who caught it and threw it back. Anna waved, trying to catch his attention. He briefly looked in her direction but didn’t see her. He seemed to say something to the little boy or the woman. Anna was too far away to be able to tell whom he was addressing. All of a sudden, he got up, turned around, and started to walk away. Anna called his name. The little boy looked at Anna for a moment, then continued to play. Nico walked in a brisk pace toward the exit of the park. He must not have heard her. She considered trying to catch up with him, but he had already reached the street. He was obviously in a hurry to get back to the office.

  It was getting late, and Anna was starved. She walked to the cafeteria, ate a sandwich, and drank a bottle of lemonade. At home, she called another writer and set up a meeting, then took her laptop and went to sit outside on the patio with a cup of tea. She worked on an article for a few hours. In the late afternoon, it was getting hot and Anna went to take a nap.

  Nico came home late that evening. After dinner, Anna suggested they take a short walk. It had cooled off and the temperature was balmy. The sun was about to set and colored the sky crimson.

  “By the way, I saw you at the park during lunch. I came by the office and Gloria told me you might be there.”

  “Yeah, she mentioned it. We must have just missed each other.” Nico gave her a quick glance.

  “I saw you, though. You were sitting next to a beautiful young lady,” Anna teased him. “I called you, but you either didn’t hear or didn’t want to hear.”

  Nico stared at her. “What are you talking about? Of course I didn’t hear you. Why would I have ignored you?” His voice was sharp. “Are you spying on me now?”

  Anna was startled at his intense reaction. “I was just kidding. You were sitting next to a woman and were playing ball with a little boy.”

  “Oh, that?” Nico waved his hand. “I happened to sit next to them and the little boy threw a ball in my direction, so I caught it. I don’t know those people.”

  “It’s okay,” Anna said. “It just looked like you knew them and then you rushed off—”

  “Ah, I get it.” Nico picked up his glass of wine and grinned. “You’re jealous.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are.” He grinned. “I can assure you, I have no idea who those people are.” His eyes had a mischievous twinkle. “The woman was pretty, though.”

  Anna gave him a playful slap. “Stop it.”

  The following Saturday, Nico had to work. His company had received some encouraging news. The headquarters in the United States had promised them additional funding, so the company decided to push ahead with one of the projects which had been in limbo. Now, they had to make up for lost time.

  Anna got up early so Nico and she could have breakfast together. The sun was just rising behind the buildings. It had cooled off a little but it promised to be a sunny day. After Nico had left, Anna sat on the patio, reading for a while, then worked on a book review. Later that morning, she went jogging and walking in the park. The morning before, she had had to struggle closing the zipper on a fairly tight pair of pants. Too many tortillas, she thought. She needed to get back to her regular exercise.

  She had been walking and running a few rounds when she saw the little boy again who had played with a ball the other day. Two older children, a girl and a boy—teenagers most likely—were playing with him. An older woman, sitting under a tree next to a picnic basket, called to them. It could have been a grandmother or a nanny. The woman Anna had seen the other day wasn’t there. The older boy kicked the ball, which rolled toward Anna, and the younger boy ran after it. Anna picked it up and rolled it in his direction.

  The boy bent down to pick up the ball and when he stood up again, Anna looked at a pair of striking blue eyes.

  “Gracias,” he said, then lowered his gaze as she kept staring at him. He ran back to his friends.

  Anna’s heart skipped a beat. She remembered the photos of Nico as a little boy: the same stark contrast between his jet-black hair and intense blue eyes. The resemblance was eerie. Anna had seen other Mexican and Latin people with fair skin, light-brown hair, and blue eyes, but the combination of blue eyes and black hair—a common feature in Ireland, for instance—was rare in Mexico. Or at least she hadn’t seen it except in Nico and the little boy.

  Anna watched as the woman and the
children gathered their things and began to walk away. On a hunch, Anna decided to follow them. She was careful to leave enough distance so they wouldn’t notice her. She had no idea what she would discover but she needed to know. The nanny, or perhaps the grandmother, walked slowly, but the kids ran ahead. When the woman turned the corner on one of the streets behind the park, the children were waiting for her in front of a small, modest house. It was in a rather poor area but the small garden patch in front of the house was well kept with colorful flowers and shrubbery.

  Anna stayed back until the woman and children disappeared in the house. She waited a few moments, then carefully advanced until she could read the number on the house. She pulled out her notepad and wrote down the address, then walked back toward the park. She was so preoccupied that she walked past the park and ended up in a shopping street. Very tired all of a sudden, she went to a coffee shop and ordered a cup of cappuccino.

  As the coffee and a cool breeze coming from the open space of the park revived her, she tried to make sense of the sequence of strange events over the past couple of days. The longer she thought about them, the more she felt she was being ridiculous. What did she know? She had seen Nico in a park together with a lot of different people. Nico had taken a break from work and happened to sit next to a woman with small children. One of the little boys had blue eyes. So what? There were other children in Mexico with blue eyes.

  Anna shook her head. She knew she had a tendency to be obsessive. Once she got an idea in her head, she would pursue it single-mindedly. Terca como una mula, stubborn like a mule, Nico sometimes called her. She decided to forget about the whole thing and not bring it up again. She didn’t want to give Nico the impression she didn’t trust him. If there was any connection between him and those people, he would’ve told her.

  Anna finished her coffee and went grocery shopping on her way home. She would fix cheese-and-green-chili enchiladas for dinner. It was a messy and time-consuming meal, but Nico liked it and Anna felt guilty and ashamed for having acted like a private detective by following the family to their home.

  When she returned to the pension, Nico was already there. He had left work early and seemed to be in a better mood than the previous days. He told Anna that the situation at the office had improved and it was now pretty certain that they would get the additional money.

  “Don’t cook tonight,” he said when he came into the kitchen and helped Anna unpack the groceries. “Let’s go out for dinner.” He pulled her close and kissed her.

  A few days later, Nico drove Anna to the airport. After Anna checked in, they sat at a coffee shop, waiting for the boarding announcement.

  “I wish we could fly right back to the States from here. I hate having to go back to the office. Things have improved, but there are still some problems,” Nico said.

  “I’ll miss you,” Anna said.

  “You’ll be busy with your work. You won’t miss me,” Nico mumbled.

  “Of course I’ll miss you. How can you think otherwise? Won’t you miss me?”

  “Of course.” The answer came fast. “Just wanted to make it easier on us. I mean we’ll both be busy and time will fly.”

  Something in Nico’s demeanor startled Anna. He all of a sudden seemed unusually cool and aloof. He gazed into space with a serious face, a sharp furrow between his eyebrows. He’s still worried about work.

  Anna touched his cheek, then gently brushed her hand across his forehead. “Smooth out the worry lines or they’ll stick. Relax, it’ll be okay.”

  Nico nodded and smiled, then glanced once again at the clock above him.

  “You need to get back to work, don’t you?” Anna said. “You don’t need to wait. I have a book to read. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m just a little concerned about traffic back into the city.” Nico put his hand on Anna’s arm. “You sure you don’t mind?”

  “No, you should leave. I’ll be fine. Really.”

  “All right. Have a safe flight. Call me as soon as you get in. Okay?” Nico hugged her tight and kissed her. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

  Sitting alone, drinking her coffee, Anna felt strangely bereft. She was sorry they weren’t able to fly back together. She shook her head and glanced at her watch. Time to go. She picked up her purse and made her way to the gate.

  Chapter 25

  Late August was still hot and muggy in New York City. Anna took a shuttle from the airport to Grand Central Station and a cab from there to their home in Greenwich Village. She groaned as she entered the hot apartment. Sweat was pouring down her back. She turned on the air conditioner full blast, pulled a pair of shorts and a tank top out of her suitcase. She stripped off her jeans and blouse, which clung to her moist skin, removed her bra and walked into the kitchen. The cold floor felt good on her naked feet. She poured herself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table. As much as she liked New York City for its excitement and culture, she often wished they could spend the whole summer outside of the city.

  Anna checked her watch. It was three o’clock in the afternoon in Guadalajara. She picked up the phone and dialed Nico’s office number. He answered right away.

  “Hi there, how was your flight?”

  “Uneventful,” Anna said. “It’s hot and humid here, but that was to be expected.” Anna suppressed a yawn.

  “It’s kind of muggy here, too,” Nico said.

  “You just say that to make me feel better,” Anna said.

  “No, it’s true. I was actually sweating when I walked to work today. Everything okay at home? Any mail?”

  “I haven’t checked yet. Let me see.” Anna paged through the mail on the table. “Just the regular stuff,” she said. “A couple of bills, your architecture magazine, a letter from . . . England, from your father it looks like. You know, we should visit your father once again. It’s been years.”

  “Yes, I know,” Nico said. “We’ll do that real soon.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Okay, got to go. I’m glad you made it home safe. Take care of yourself. I’ll call you again in a couple of days. I should be home in two or three weeks at the latest. We’re winding down here.”

  “Good. I miss you.”

  “Miss you, too. Hasta luego.”

  Anna put down the phone. She took a few sips of water and looked out the window. From their apartment, they had a view of a small park with trees, shrubs, and playground equipment for children. Two Latin-looking women, one with a stroller, were sitting on a bench, watching two kids. A little girl was playing in the sandbox and a boy, probably about four years old, with curly dark hair, was sitting on a swing set. He reminded Anna of the little boy in the park in Guadalajara.

  “We should have a baby,” she said to herself.

  When she and Nico first were married, they had decided to wait a few years. Nico felt they needed to be more settled before having children. At the time, his job hadn’t been very secure and he was still waiting for his green card to come through. Now, however, he was more established and had earned a reputation as an industrial architect. It would be a good time to start a family. Anna was twenty-eight and Nico thirty-four, the perfect age. She knew Nico loved children and they loved him. He was always the first to play with the kids when they had visitors with little children. He would make a good father.

  The library was quiet during Anna’s first day back at work. The normal whispering and humming noises of the patrons were absent. It was vacation time and people who could afford it left the city during the hot and muggy days. The men and women frequenting the library were mostly older, trying to get out of the heat. They sat at the tables, one or several books in front of them. Most of them were nodding. An occasional snore or cough interrupted the silence.

  Anna loved the quiet and less busy summer days at the library. It was cool and pleasant. She got to chat with her colleagues, choose and order new books, and work on her own writing. On the third day after returning home, she went out to dinner wit
h Susan, whose husband was out of town. They went to their favorite Italian place in the East Village.

  “So, how was Mexico?” Susan asked.

  “Great. I got to meet with a few very interesting writers and poets. It was just wonderful to be out of New York City for a while and experience a different environment and culture.” Anna took a sip of wine.

  “You know,” she continued, “I was thinking about having kids, starting a family. And I don’t know if New York would be a good place for this. It’s a great city with lots of stuff to do: museums, theaters, and so on. But I wouldn’t want to raise children in this traffic and air pollution.”

  “Well, a lot of people have families here, too,” Susan said. “But you’re right, if I had children, I might want to move somewhere a little less crowded myself.”

  Susan and George lived in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and, according to Susan, they weren’t thinking about children yet.

  “So, you suddenly got the baby bug?” Susan laughed.

  Anna shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it.”

  “What does Nico say about this?”

  Anna laughed. “The last time we talked was a few years ago and he wasn’t too enthusiastic. But that was when we first got married and his career and everything was still up in the air. I think now would be a good time. I’ve been watching him around children and I think he’d make a good father.”

  “Yeah, I can see that,” Susan said. “He has this Latin warmth and enthusiasm.”

  Anna looked at her watch. “He’s supposed to call me tonight. Do you mind having coffee at my place? I don’t want to miss his call.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Susan pushed her empty plate aside. “I just love their spinach ravioli. If only their portions weren’t so big. I shouldn’t eat the whole thing but I have no self-control.”