Easter's Lilly Read online

We picked up Elizabeth and headed to church. Hector and Max were poking fun at Diego the whole ride over calling him, “preacher man.” I tried to hush them but it wasn’t easy. We walked into the church and youth started swarming around Diego like mosquitoes to a lake. The ethnicity was diverse among the young people although I would guess that the majority was Latino. They were very excited to see him, especially the little girls. Diego assured me that he never mentioned my name or that the man who is married to his “wife” was his brother when he discussed his testimony. He said he protected our privacy.

  The children rushed us and Diego introduced us to them. I felt like I was with Antonio Banderas by the way they were treating him. “Are you his wife, are you his wife?” was bouncing idly through the crowd at me. Max pulled me through the swarms of people, much like the old days. I felt like I had a bodyguard again. Hector and Elizabeth trailed behind. We found some seats up front. We noticed that the front pew was almost always empty. Diego was finally able to get to the pulpit. He was full of self-confidence and pride. Before he got started he said a prayer and asked God to use him to help bring people to Christ. Then he made an embarrassing announcement.

  “I would like you all to welcome my family.” All heads turned and looked at us as he pointed to our pew. He was so proud that we were there. “They wanted to come visit with us to see what youth night is all about. Please make them feel welcome.” They all started to clap and we heard some female voices screaming, “We love you, Diego!” Max looked at me and laughed. Hector poked Max. They were so entertained. “What is he, Ricky Martin?” Hector asked.

  “Shhh!” I said. They tried to stop laughing. Diego went on to talk about someone named Paul. I guess he wanted to tell me the story after all. He talked about how God blinded Paul because it was through new eyes that he needed to see. He compared himself to the murderer and it was quite shocking, I thought. I was wondering how he could be so honest without putting himself at legal risk. He talked about the love of his life. He nicknamed her Blanca to “protect her privacy.” He said he lost her to his best friend. It was a very sad story. But he went on to say that the best friend was not at fault, and he only wants love and happiness for her. My eyes teared up and I almost started to weep. Max pulled me closer, hoping I wouldn’t give myself away with the tears.

  “If any of you are struggling with drugs or any other personal issue, I hope you will understand how non-judgmental I will be. If you think what you have done is unforgivable…” He paused. “I have done worse, I assure you. Come to me, and let me share God with you.”

  He got off of the pulpit and some of the youth got up with a few guitars and started playing music. Diego sat beside Max and Max hugged him and kissed his cheek. “Wow man,” he said. “You’re really good at that.”

  “You mean it?” he asked.

  “I really do.” I was moved. He put his hand to his heart in a joking gesture. “Seriously though,” he said. “You had Lilly in tears. You did well.”

  “Even I thought so,” Hector confessed. “Who would’ve guessed?”

  Diego got up and sat beside me. “Tears, really?”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, just like Max did. “I stand in awe.” He hugged me tight enough to draw attention and then let me go.

  “Thanks Lilly, that means a lot to me.”

  “Don’t you mean Blanca?” Max asked in a whisper. Diego put his finger over his lips and let a gentle “Shhh” slip by us.

  We headed for the door when it was over. Elizabeth was draping herself all over Hector and he looked as though he was in heaven. Max had little Diego’s hand and I had the stroller. As we got closer to the door an old Mexican man grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. “You’ll burn in hell for what you’ve done!” The crowd began to gasp and accelerate their pace out the door. Max and Diego went into protection mode. Max pulled the man’s hand off of my arm and he released his grip. Diego ran up from behind and grabbed the man by the shoulders.

  “Who are you, old man?” Diego asked. The man spat in his face. Max pulled his gun out and stuck it in the man’s back. People began to scatter. Diego pulled a cloth out of his jacket pocket and wiped his face with it. “That was a mistake,” Diego assured him.

  “Check his wallet, Diego,” Max instructed. Hector was standing behind him with Elizabeth. Diego looked into the man’s face as though he needed to see some recognition. He handed the wallet to Max and he grabbed it with his other hand. “Hector Montiago? What?”

  “Tio?” Diego asked. “You look like you’ve aged a hundred years.”

  “I hope you all burn in hell!” he said again. “How could you betray Jorge like that after all he’s done for you? How could you hang around with these half-breeds? And showing up in church with white girls…” He hesitated. “Blasphemy!”

  Max handed the wallet back to Diego. “Technically, the white girls are with us,” Max said. “So, he’s off the hook.”

  “Shut up you smart ass!” he shouted. Hector and Max laughed. I think they were a little surprised. “I always hated that about you; always a smart ass. The other half-breed too. No respect.”

  “Do we have an uncle Hector?” Max asked Diego.

  “Papi’s brother.” He paused for a minute. “Polo’s dad.”

  “Polo?” Hector asked. “I remember him. He spent a lot of time at Jorge’s house.”

  Diego suddenly got a disconcerting look on his face. “Hector, sweep the car.”

  “I thought he was dead?” Max answered.

  “In jail somewhere in Mexico,” Diego replied. “Boy, no one tells you anything.”

  “Repent!” he said to me. “Repent before it’s too late and you live in Satan’s den forever!”

  Hector took his jacket off and handed it to Elizabeth. Then he started loosening his tie as he headed for the car. “What’s he doing?” she asked. “What does sweep the car mean?”

  “That’s one of Hector’s specialties,” Max said rather casually. “He can find a bomb or a bug anywhere.” He shot a look at Diego and Diego gave him a half smile. The man stood there with his hands in the air.

  “Can’t he get blown up like that?” she asked. Hector blew her a kiss before he got under the car.

  “BOOM!” The old man shouted as he began to laugh. Max dug the gun into his back. “Shut up moron.” Hector stood up and held up what looked like dynamite sticks all wrapped together. Max got on the phone and called the FBI and told them about the bomb. By now the parking lot had pretty much cleared.

  “Take Elizabeth into the sanctuary, Lilly.” Max looked at me for an obedient answer.

  “No, I’m not leaving you here.”

  “Go Lilly,” Diego added. “I won’t leave him alone.”

  “Yes sir,” I said angrily. I took the baby, Elizabeth picked up Dieguito and we headed inside. Chris was sleeping soundly and little Diego had his arms spread wide while he pretended to be an airplane flying through the pews. Elizabeth was rocking back and forth in the front pew. She looked like she was in shock. “Are you all right?” I asked.

  “This is your life?” she asked. “Every day you worry about one of you getting blown up or shot?”

  “This is the way it is,” I told her.

  “Are they worth it?” she asked. “Is the way you distract yourself from all of this by running back and forth between the two?”

  “I am not running back and forth,” I answered, uncomfortable with that comment.

  “I am in no position to judge,” she continued. “I don’t know what I would do if I lived with the two of them. Married to one, sleeping with the other and then…” She paused. “Switch.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said. “I love my husband.”

  “I saw you kiss Diego in the kitchen.” I could feel the blood rush to my face and I felt a little nauseous. She was not my friend and if she told Max or Hector, Max would not forgive me another indiscretion. “Don’t worry, Max didn’t see.” She looked around. “I
won’t say anything. I don’t know what I would do. They’re both beautiful.”

  “He kissed me. I did not kiss him back,” I responded.

  “Whatever,” she said dismissively. “Can you deny that you are living in a house full of gorgeous men?”

  “That’s not it,” I said.

  “It helps,” she continued. “Look, you do what you need to do to keep your sanity. I always look out for myself. That’s how I got where I am today. Just be careful. They may be playing straight and narrow right now,” she looked around again and leaned into me, “but Mob is in their blood. Did you see Diego’s face when that old man spit on him? I thought that man signed his own death warrant.”

  “He may have,” I answered. “I’m not really sure.”

  “Just don’t get caught.” We saw the boys come back in. She jumped up. “Hector, where’s Hector?”

  “He’s with the bomb squad,” Max replied. “They have to make sure the bomb is diffused.” She sat back down. “He’s really good, don’t worry.”

  “Your uncle?” I asked. “Why would he do something like this?”

  “Jorge,” Diego and Max both said simultaneously.

  “Jorge and Polo have always been close,” Diego added.