RAINSTORM

Ch. 36

Rachel feels somewhat relieved to hear his voice. "Yeah, I'm home. You?"

"On the way," Hector says.

There's a brief silence before Rachel says, "I saw you talking to Ricky at the airport."

"That? Our luggages got switched. We were sorting it out."

Another brief silence follows, and Rachel says, "I was just reading a book and fell asleep on the plane."

"I know. I saw the book on your lap."

Rachel bites her lips trying to figure out what to say. It's not like she owes him an explanation for falling asleep on Ricky. "All the seats at the back were full by the time Ricky and his friends boarded. So they just took the seats next to Annie and me."

"I know," Hector says, "but do me a favor. Next time a seat is empty next to you, save it for me."

Rachel squeezes her thumb inside her palm. "Why?" She says.

"Because I would like to sit with you."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Rachel sighs. "Then I'll ask Ricky to sit with me each time."

Hector laughs. "No you won't."

"Why not?"

"Because I know you want to sit with me too."

Before she could respond, Rachel hears glass breaking over the phone.

"I gotta go," Hector says, sounding frustrated, "See you later."

"Hec—" the line is gone. Rachel puts down her phone, worried. Could that be his mother in one of her drunken episodes? Even if it is, Rachel can't do anything. She can't ask him what happened. She can't ask him to leave there. She can't be there for him either.

After all, she also doesn't know, why she prefers he sits with her.

Hector goes into his mother's room. There's broken glass all over the floor. Sometimes he wishes people would stop selling things in glass bottles altogether. But then again, his mother will just find something else to break.

The maid comes in and starts cleaning up. "I got this, master, you should leave," she says to Hector.

Hector glares at his mother who is sitting on the bed with her hair loose and messy like a possessed woman. "You devil," she mumbles while staring at her son.

Hector turns around to leave.

"How dare you turn your back on me?!" Eleanor shouts. When Hector turns back around, the edge of his forehead is struck by something.

Eleanor had thrown a glass at him.

"Master!" The maid says, rushing to him. The glass had missed his eye and left a shallow but bleeding cut on the side of his forehead.

While Eleanor keeps shouting, the maid rushes Hector outside. Hector shrugs off her hand. "I got this. It's not deep. See that she doesn't hurts herself."

Hector leaves to his room and goes into the bathroom and takes out the First Aid kit. Looking at the mirror he treats his wound. After he's done he throws the soiled cotton to the bin and stares at his reflection.

He's glad it wasn't serious enough for him to get treated at a hospital and take days off from school. Hopefully, Rachel won't notice it.