trolley slowed at the next corner, she grabbed her brother’s hand and pulled him off. They spilled out onto the street, not knowing where they were.
The cobblestone street was deserted. Beautiful plane trees lined the street and cast dappled shadows on the uneven paving. In contrast to the heart of Mexico City, the only sounds were birds singing in the trees and the distant strains of someone playing the piano.
The serene atmosphere of the neighborhood had a calming effect on the two children. “He’s not following us,” Maria said, glancing back.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. This way. There’s a street sign up here. We can’t be that far away.”
“I hope so,” said Victor.
“It seemed as if we’d been riding that old trolley forever.” As they walked Maria glanced around. “These houses are beautiful!”
The houses that lined the street were all similar one-story stucco homes with flat roofs. They were laid out in the colonial style, U-shaped buildings with many doors, each one leading to a single room. All of these houses were whitewashed with painted shutters, exceptone. This unique house was painted a beautiful bright blue, enlivened by tall, many-paned windows with green shutters.
Maria noticed the house right away. “It would be nice if Mama lived there.” She sighed wistfully. The house was on a corner. When the children approached, they could read the address set in the outer wall on blue tiles. It read Lourdes 20.
“Lourdes!” shrieked Maria. She dug the envelope with the return address out of her pocket. “Lourdes twenty-seven!” Maria read. Quickly she spun around and ran to the house next door. “Twenty-two!”
She dashed across the street. “Twenty-five!” She went to the next house, which was number twenty-seven. “Come, Victor!” Jumping up and down, she couldn’t contain her excitement. “It’s here!”
Grinning, Victor ran across the street. “We’re going to find Mama!”
“Here.”
Together, the two children reached for the gate on the outer wall enclosing the property. When Maria pulled on the handle, the gate didn’t budge.
“It’s locked,” Maria groaned. “And padlocked. But someone
must
be there.”
Victor banged on the gate and called, “Anybody there?”
Silence.
“Hello?” added Maria.
Silence. No one answered.
Maria shook the padlock. “Why would they put a padlock on the gate?” She noticed that the handle on the gate also had a keyhole, so it must have a lock as well. “They already have a lock. Why the extra protection?”
“Maybe they want to be extra safe,” suggested Victor, not realizing what this padlock might mean.
“No, that’s not it, because then they wouldn’t be able to get in and out easily.” Maria hesitated. She didn’t want to say what she was thinking. “There must be another way in. Let’s look around. Maybe we’ll find out that Mama is here and we just have to wait for her.” She helped her brother over the wall and then climbed over herself.
On the other side of the wall, Maria froze in stunned silence.
The enclosed courtyard was not just deserted. It had been empty for a while. The grass was overgrown. Ivy crawled like thick, long fingers across the tiles of the patio. Leaves were scattered everywhere. It looked as if no one had been in this courtyard for ages.
“This isn’t good,” muttered Maria. She knew this meant that her mother was gone, but she wasn’t ready to tell her brother.
“Where is Mama?” asked Victor in a trembling voice. His eyes teared up.
“We’ll find her,” insisted Maria. She scanned the courtyard for any signs of recent activity. There were none. “Let’s check the house.” She grabbed her brother’s hand and stepped away from the wall. “Come.”
Dead leaves crunched underfoot. They made their way to the closest door. “Locked,” said Maria when she tried the handle. They put their faces up against the window in the door to look inside. The room was empty
The cobblestone street was deserted. Beautiful plane trees lined the street and cast dappled shadows on the uneven paving. In contrast to the heart of Mexico City, the only sounds were birds singing in the trees and the distant strains of someone playing the piano.
The serene atmosphere of the neighborhood had a calming effect on the two children. “He’s not following us,” Maria said, glancing back.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. This way. There’s a street sign up here. We can’t be that far away.”
“I hope so,” said Victor.
“It seemed as if we’d been riding that old trolley forever.” As they walked Maria glanced around. “These houses are beautiful!”
The houses that lined the street were all similar one-story stucco homes with flat roofs. They were laid out in the colonial style, U-shaped buildings with many doors, each one leading to a single room. All of these houses were whitewashed with painted shutters, exceptone. This unique house was painted a beautiful bright blue, enlivened by tall, many-paned windows with green shutters.
Maria noticed the house right away. “It would be nice if Mama lived there.” She sighed wistfully. The house was on a corner. When the children approached, they could read the address set in the outer wall on blue tiles. It read Lourdes 20.
“Lourdes!” shrieked Maria. She dug the envelope with the return address out of her pocket. “Lourdes twenty-seven!” Maria read. Quickly she spun around and ran to the house next door. “Twenty-two!”
She dashed across the street. “Twenty-five!” She went to the next house, which was number twenty-seven. “Come, Victor!” Jumping up and down, she couldn’t contain her excitement. “It’s here!”
Grinning, Victor ran across the street. “We’re going to find Mama!”
“Here.”
Together, the two children reached for the gate on the outer wall enclosing the property. When Maria pulled on the handle, the gate didn’t budge.
“It’s locked,” Maria groaned. “And padlocked. But someone
must
be there.”
Victor banged on the gate and called, “Anybody there?”
Silence.
“Hello?” added Maria.
Silence. No one answered.
Maria shook the padlock. “Why would they put a padlock on the gate?” She noticed that the handle on the gate also had a keyhole, so it must have a lock as well. “They already have a lock. Why the extra protection?”
“Maybe they want to be extra safe,” suggested Victor, not realizing what this padlock might mean.
“No, that’s not it, because then they wouldn’t be able to get in and out easily.” Maria hesitated. She didn’t want to say what she was thinking. “There must be another way in. Let’s look around. Maybe we’ll find out that Mama is here and we just have to wait for her.” She helped her brother over the wall and then climbed over herself.
On the other side of the wall, Maria froze in stunned silence.
The enclosed courtyard was not just deserted. It had been empty for a while. The grass was overgrown. Ivy crawled like thick, long fingers across the tiles of the patio. Leaves were scattered everywhere. It looked as if no one had been in this courtyard for ages.
“This isn’t good,” muttered Maria. She knew this meant that her mother was gone, but she wasn’t ready to tell her brother.
“Where is Mama?” asked Victor in a trembling voice. His eyes teared up.
“We’ll find her,” insisted Maria. She scanned the courtyard for any signs of recent activity. There were none. “Let’s check the house.” She grabbed her brother’s hand and stepped away from the wall. “Come.”
Dead leaves crunched underfoot. They made their way to the closest door. “Locked,” said Maria when she tried the handle. They put their faces up against the window in the door to look inside. The room was empty
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