The Jumbee (31 page)

Aurora stared at him in disbelief, then turned to Esti. “You let Alan beat up Rafe—”

“Wait a minute,” Rafe interrupted, putting his hands on Esti’s shoulders as he stood behind her. “Let’s see if I get this straight, babe. Last night you said it was all your fault the jumbee scared you and made you scream. Then you forced him to hit you. Your mom thinks you’re the reason I’m such a wimp he was able to beat the crap out of me. And I just heard you take credit for Aurora being a lush.”

“Rafe, you are a jerk.” Aurora closed her eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t say that Alan
hit
Esti last night.”

“It’s not what you think,” Esti began, but Rafe interrupted her.

“Hey, mon, I say it like it is.”

“I am so . . . upset about all this,” Aurora said. “
Upset
is the wrong word. It doesn’t begin to come close to how I’m feeling. Thank you, Rafe, for rescuing my daughter, and I’m truly sorry you got beat up.”

She opened one bloodshot eye to glare balefully at Esti. “I need more coffee and Rafe needs a shower. He looks even worse than I feel.” She propped her elbows on the table, covering her face with her hands.

“And then,” she muttered, “Esti has a lot of explaining to do.”

It was late afternoon by the time Esti finished. She tried to be as honest as she could, describing the first time she ever heard Alan’s voice, his withdrawn nature, and his extensive knowledge of Shakespeare. She managed a calmly detached explanation of her breakdown when he decided the tutoring must end, then his apology during Carnival.

Aurora listened with very few interruptions, although she grew frighteningly pale at the descriptions of Manchineel Cay. When Esti began explaining the Shakespeare posters and the boarding school near London, however, Aurora slammed her hand down on the kitchen table.

“Your father never knew this guy. I would have known.”

“He said Dad was like a father to him. And Dad’s inscriptions were—”

“He lied,” Aurora ground out. “He forged the posters to make you believe him.”

Esti slowly shook her head. “What about the boarding school?”

“If your father had tutored a boy like Alan,” Aurora snapped, “he would have told me. He did
not
keep secrets from me.”

Esti couldn’t bring herself to mention that she had never kept secrets from Aurora either, not until she met Alan. She felt a surge of pity for her mom, followed by an even greater burst of pity for her dad. She knew the posters weren’t forged, even if her dad had regarded Alan merely as a prodigal student, rather than some kind of adopted son. Until yesterday, Esti had never dreamed that her dad might have had cracks behind the façade.
You have the remarkable ability to give me strength when I doubt myself,
he wrote to Alan. If Esti hadn’t experienced the same thing from Alan, she wouldn’t believe it either.

Despite her resolve to be neutral, she finally broke down when she tried to explain about removing Alan’s mask. Her throat grew so thick she couldn’t talk, and after the third try, she gave up and stared out at Manchineel Cay.

“Rafe,” Aurora asked in a steely voice, “did you see Alan?”

“Yeah, mon,” Rafe said. He hadn’t uttered a word all afternoon, merely holding an ice pack against his face as he sat on the couch and listened. “I saw a monster, anyway. I guess that was Alan.”

“Esti?” Aurora said.

Esti could only close her eyes and nod.

Her mom was quiet for a long time. When Esti finally looked back at her, Aurora picked up the stolen Shakespeare treatise with a fierce, questioning look. Staring at the blood-stains, Esti forced herself to tell the truth.

“We’re moving back to Oregon tomorrow,” her mom said when she finished. Aurora no longer looked angry, merely exhausted.

“But I want to finish the showcase,” Esti protested.

When her mom stared at her in disbelief, Esti felt a growing sense of determination. She wasn’t sure why, but it suddenly felt like the most important thing in her life.

“I need to do it, for Dad’s sake.”
And for Alan’s sake.

“For your father’s sake,” Aurora ground out, “we are getting out of here the minute I can get you on an airplane.”

“Alan’s afraid of me now,” Esti said, unable to stop her fingers from reaching up to touch the necklace.

“He’s afraid of you?” Aurora let out a burst of incredulous laughter.

“He is,” Esti said calmly, not allowing the slightest hint of her desperation to show. “He didn’t want to take me to Manchineel Cay, but I talked him into it. I’m the one who let things get to this point, even though he warned me.”

“Warned you of what?”

Esti slowly tucked the necklace beneath her blouse. “He said all along that it was a mistake, but I didn’t listen. This whole mess is my fault.”

Aurora stared at her in disbelief. “He almost killed you.”

“No,” Esti said softly. “He never hurt me.”

“Look what he did to Rafe!”

Esti abruptly covered her face with trembling hands. She didn’t know what to say. After a moment, she heard Aurora’s chair screech on the floor tiles, followed by the slam of the cupboard and the familiar rasp of the balcony door as her mom stomped outside.

“What’s up, babe?” Rafe’s voice was flat. “You’re still not over the monster?”

Esti stood up, aware of the catapult trembling in anticipation. “I’m over him.” Walking to the couch, she gently settled herself on Rafe’s lap. She reached up to his swollen face, trying not to cry. “He almost killed you, and I can’t forgive him for that. Ma Harris always told me he was too dangerous, but I didn’t believe her.”

“You’re not serious about wanting to finish the showcase, then.”

“I am serious. If I leave him alone, he’ll leave me alone.” She leaned against Rafe, resting her aching forehead on his chest. “Manchicay School has a lot riding on this, and Frederick isn’t the only one who’ll hate me if I quit now.”

“For true.” Rafe’s arms tightened around her. “You wouldn’t believe the industry heavies Frederick convinced to come next weekend. Some of them are already here, and he’s set up a bunch of yacht tours and parties.”

“I know.” Esti felt Rafe’s hands moving, absently stroking her hair. “I can’t run away now.”

“What if Alan comes after you?”

“He won’t.”

“And if he quotes Shakespeare at you?”

“I’m done with him.” She placed her hand on top of Rafe’s. “I won’t let him hurt you again.”

At his skeptical expression, she twined her fingers through his, gently bringing his hand up to her lips. “I promise.”

Although he still looked unconvinced, he slowly nodded. “I guess that means you’re
my
bodyguard now. I’ve never gotten whipped that fast.”

Esti couldn’t even smile.

“My dad’s gonna throw a fit when he finds out Aurora wants to leave.” Rafe glanced out at the balcony. “He ain’t no cop, but he’s hugely respected on Cariba, and the jandam does whatever he wants. Everyone knows how important this is for the school.”

Esti nodded bleakly, watching Aurora through the screen door. Her mom didn’t even bother with a wineglass this time. Taking a swig straight from the bottle, she stared out at Manchineel Cay.

“
That’s
not your fault, you know,” Rafe said softly.

“Maybe.” Esti looked up at Rafe again, his beautiful face barely recognizable through the swollen mess. “All I do is cause trouble. It’s your mom who’s going to throw a fit when she sees what happened to you. Your parents must hate me.”

“They would figure something was wrong with me if I wasn’t getting in trouble. My mom says I got testosterone poisoning, and she gives you all the credit for keeping me out of jail this time. They love you, believe me.”

“I almost got you
into
jail.” Esti stretched up and touched her lips to his. “I’m still not sure why you put up with me.”

“Because you’re irresistible.” Smiling crookedly, he slipped his hand beneath her necklace to caress her shoulder blade. “Does this hurt?”

She stiffened. “Does what hurt?”

“You didn’t even notice. You got a couple blisters on your shoulder that had to come from Manchineel Cay.”

Esti relaxed. Rafe wasn’t talking about the necklace.

“Spots this big will leave permanent scars,” he said. “Manchineel sap does that. Keep ’em covered up as much as you can. You don’t want people to know you went to the haunted cay. Superstition runs deep on Cariba.”

“What would people do to me?”

“Nobody’s gonna do anything to you. It’s just that I’m not in the best shape after last night, and I’m tired of washing dishes.”

“Oh.” She winced. “I’m sorry.”

He gave her a lopsided smile. “You know, when I left Los Angeles, I thought I would get bored here.”

Aurora hadn’t moved from the balcony by the time Rafe drove away. Esti went into the bathroom, craning her neck to see in the mirror. She studied the two blisters on the back of her shoulder, each as large as a nickel. Damaged skin trailed beneath them, where the sap had dripped before coming to a stop. As awful as they looked, she was surprised they weren’t painful.

She sagged against the sink, then straightened and methodically washed her face. When she finally went back to the living room, Aurora still hadn’t moved. Taking a deep breath, Esti walked outside.

“Okay, Esti.” Aurora didn’t look at her. “I heard you and Rafe talking. I won’t let Alan destroy Manchicay School. If the police promise to protect you, we’ll stay until Frederick’s showcase is over. Next week, though, we’re out of here. I’ll call Ashland High and make arrangements for the rest of the semester.”

“That’s fine.” Esti stared out at Manchineel Cay.

“Esti, I want you to promise me you’re through with him.”

She leaned numbly against the doorway. “Yeah.”

“Swear you’ll never talk to him again. I want to hear the words.”

“I swear I’ll never talk to Alan again.” Esti tightened her jaw and looked back at her mom. “Now it’s your turn. I want you to stop drinking.”

“I’m not an alcoholic.” Aurora’s voice grew thin.

“I didn’t say you were.”

The balcony was silent for a minute, tempered by the chirps of distant frogs.

Finally Aurora sighed. “You’ll give up your addiction if I give up mine.” She picked up the bottle and held it over the rail, pouring the last of her wine into a bougainvillea bush. “If you stay away from Alan, I won’t drink another drop until you’re out of high school. Now I’m going to call Rodney. If he gets a couple of policemen down to the school, I’ll let you go to rehearsal tonight.”

For a moment, they stared at each other, then Esti leaned forward into her mom’s arms. She closed her eyes, trying to remember the time, not too long ago, when Aurora had been her friend. Although the hug was awkward, it was nice to feel her mom’s arms around her.

By the time her mom dropped her off at the theater, Esti was late. Carmen glanced pointedly at her watch as Esti approached, but Lucia greeted her with an expression so somber that Esti winced.

“We gotta talk,” Lucia said. She folded her arms across her chest and glared at Carmen. “’Tis not for melee, what I say to Esti now.”

Carmen’s eyes grew wide. She instantly nodded, for once not saying a word.

Lucia looked around to make sure no one else was listening, then leaned against the building. “Ma say something happen to the jumbee last night. Something bad.”

Although Esti met Lucia’s piercing gaze, she couldn’t make herself speak.

“You have scare him away.” Lucia’s eyes narrowed. “Ma she want you to bring him back. She say’tis a bad thing you do.”

“I can’t bring him back,” Esti whispered.

“Ma vex that you got more power than she.”

“I don’t have any power,” Esti said, shaken. “Your mom has known him a lot longer than I have. He’ll talk to her again, even if he never talks to me.”