Delia's Gift

  She did as I said. I was worried she wouldn’t understand the directions well enough to follow them, but when she came out, she said it wasn’t far. She simply had to follow this street, and then she would make a right turn on the fifth street. She kept repeating what she had been told, babbling now. The only thing I thought was in our favor was that according to Trudy, Sophia had passed out just before Cliff had come for me. She wasn’t unconscious that long.

  When we arrived at the hospital, I thought it was better for me to rush into the emergency room for help. I told Trudy to stay in the car with Sophia. A nurse and an emergency-room attendant listened to my quick report, and moments later, two attendants wheeled out a gurney and loaded Sophia onto it. I told Trudy to find a place to park the car, and then I followed them into the emergency room.

  Trudy never came in. Later, I realized she hadn’t looked for a place to park the car. Instead, she had driven away.

  Such were the friends Sophia considered her dearest, I thought, and actually pitied her.

  Not long afterward, a policeman came into the waiting room and beckoned to me. My heart began to pound. Sophia had been in the emergency room for almost a half hour. I had given the admittance nurse as much information as I could, including mi tía Isabela’s name and telephone number, and she had told me to wait in the lobby area.

  “I need to speak with you, Miss,” the policeman said.

  He looked very young, I thought, but he also looked very angry.

  “Where is this party you mentioned?”

  “I’m not sure,” I said. He pulled his head back in disbelief. “I’m not from here, and I don’t know the streets. It was up a hill. I was too frantic to pay much attention to anything but getting her here, sir.”

  He grimaced. “Did you give your cousin the drugs?”

  “No, sir,” I said, astonished at the question.

  “Are you carrying any on you now?”

  “I never had any,” I said, and rushed out a description of what had happened at the party.

  He looked at a clipboard on which I could see some of the information I had given the admittance nurse.

  “This is the address where you are now staying?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And this is the name of the person who lives there?” he asked, pointing to Fani’s name.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “And this is your aunt’s address and phone number?”

  I nodded. “How is my cousin?”

  “The doctor will speak with you as soon as he can. In the meantime, don’t leave this area. Any drug overdose is a very serious situation.”

  “I understand,” I said.

  He didn’t look satisfied. “I’ll be back in a while,” he said, and left.

  When I turned to go back to my seat, I saw the way the other people waiting were looking at me. No one smiled. I lowered my head and sat. At the moment, I was too tired and numb to feel anything, even fear. I wondered if Trudy had returned to the party to tell Fani or if Fani had met Cliff and he had told her. Surely, she was looking for me by now and would seek out anyone who knew me.

  Almost another forty minutes went by, and still no one came to speak with me. I went to the admittance desk and asked the nurse there if she knew anything about Sophia. I told her how long I had been waiting.

  “When the doctor is able to speak with you, he will,” she told me. She looked as angry as the policeman.

  Why were they angry at me? I wondered. Did everyone assume I had given Sophia the drugs?

  This time, when I returned to my seat, I closed my eyes and leaned back. Despite the lights and the noise around me, I was so exhausted, both physically and emotionally, that I actually fell asleep. I had no idea how much time had passed, but I woke up when I felt myself being nudged and looked up at Tía Isabela.

  For a moment, she seemed to loom above me like some imaginary giant whose head brushed the ceiling. Her eyes rained down rage and disgust. She was dressed in a black pantsuit, with her hair pinned back severely. Although she was wearing her usual ton of makeup, she looked pale.

  “Was this meant to be your little revenge?” she asked.

  I sat up quickly. “No, no,” I said.

  “First, you nearly kill your own baby with this stuff, and then, you nearly do the same to Sophia?”

  I felt my throat close. Of course, everyone would believe such a thing, I thought. I just kept shaking my head.

  “The police are involved now, and this time, I am not going to do anything to save you, and neither is Ray Bovio.”

  “I did not do anything!” I cried.

  “She nearly went into acute renal failure. People, especially young people, have died from this junk. You could be charged with attempted murder.”

  “I gave her nothing, Tía Isabela. When I heard what was happening to her, I got her girlfriend Trudy to drive her here. I—”

  “You knew what would happen to her. You knew what this drug could do.”

  “No. I did not even know she was at this party. Please, listen—”

  “No, you listen. You should have taken my advice and used the money I gave you to return to where you belong. If you had, you would have your baby.”

  I stared at her, speechless. She was right. I lowered my head, the tears now streaming down my cheeks. I was too tired to fight or to argue.

  “You’re a bigger disappointment to me than I ever imagined you would be, Delia. There was a time when I thought you would make me proud, when you would achieve some remarkable things for a girl from such a backward, poor place, but all you have done is prove my initial instincts correct. All you have done here is bring pain and misery to anyone who has had the least to do with you. Don’t you move. The police will be seeing about you now.” She turned and walked away.

  I put my hands over my face. I didn’t want to look at any of the people nearby who had heard the things Tía Isabela had said to me. Soon afterward, the policeman who had spoken to me returned. He had a man with him who was wearing a dark gray sports jacket and a tie. He looked much older.

  “This is Detective Boyton,” the policeman said. “He is with narcotics.”

  “I’d like you to come out to my car to talk, Delia,” Detective Boyton said.

  “I did not do anything bad,” I moaned.

  “We’re not arresting you for anything yet, Miss Yebarra,” Detective Boyton said. “But we do need to talk to you about all this, and this isn’t the place for it. Are you resisting my request?” he asked when I made no effort to move.

  I was just in a numb state. “No, sir,” I said.

  They led me out. I looked toward the emergency room and saw Tía Isabela in the hallway speaking with a doctor. She glanced at me and turned her back.

  “How long have you been in the States, Delia?” Detective Boyton asked after I was put in the rear of the sedan. He and another detective he introduced as Lieutenant Danbury sat up front.

  I told him.

  “So, you just arrived in L.A.?”

  “Yes, sir. Today.”

  “And this…Estefani Cordova…she invited you to stay at her apartment?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. Tell us what happened tonight,” Lieutenant Danbury said.

  I described the events as accurately as I could.

  “And this boy’s name is Cliff Alexander? He attends USC?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your aunt tells us you had another incident with the drug known as Ecstasy. During your pregnancy?”

  “I did not take this drug. I don’t know why the hospital said so.”

  “Uh-huh. So, you don’t know how your cousin got this drug tonight?”

  I hadn’t seen Fani give her anything in the bathroom, so I didn’t want to accuse her. She could have gotten it from someone else, perhaps at the wild party.

  “No, I did not see anyone give her the drug.”

  “Okay. For now, we’re going to let you return to this address you’ve given us,
Delia. If you intend to leave it, you must call to let us know. Here’s my card with the phone number to call,” Detective Boyton said. He handed it to me. “We’re going to investigate everything you’ve told us. If you’re leaving something out or not telling us the truth, this is the time to speak up. Once we leave you and begin this investigation, you won’t have another chance.”

  “I did nothing wrong,” I said, now growing more angry than afraid. “I tried to help her. If I hadn’t gotten her here, she would have died.”

  “Okay. You can return to the hospital or to this address. We’ll possibly be stopping by to see you tomorrow or calling you to come to us. Why you kids fool around with this stuff is a mystery to me,” Lieutenant Danbury said. “It’s like rolling dice with death.”

  “I do not fool around with drugs. I am telling you the truth,” I said.

  “Okay, you can go.”

  I reached for the door handle, and he added, “You know, your legal status here might come into question. Your own aunt is suggesting that.”

  I didn’t respond.

  “There’ll be no question about it if you’re involved with drugs, Delia,” Detective Boyton emphasized.

  I was trembling so hard now that I didn’t think I had the strength to open the door. Once I was deported, my hope of ever seeing my baby again would probably die. I fumbled with the handle. Lieutenant Danbury got out and opened the door from the outside for me.

  “Remember, Delia,” he said as I started back toward the emergency room, “if you leave that address, you had better call us.”

  I nodded and continued walking, even though I couldn’t feel my legs under me. It was as if I were floating now, drifting along in a body that had turned into air. Maybe I’m dead, I thought, but when I looked up, my heart began to beat again. Edward was standing in the emergency-room doorway, waiting for me. I rushed to him, and he embraced me.

  In a hysterical flood of words, I told him as much as I could about the evening and what his mother and the police believed.

  “Easy,” he said. “Take it easy. We’ll get it all straightened out.”

  He led me to his car in the parking lot. When I was inside, I calmed down enough to ask him about Sophia.

  “She’ll live,” he said dryly. “She was close to being in serious trouble, however. My mother should be kissing your feet and not sending the police after you. You really don’t know how she got the drugs, then?”

  “When I was in the ladies’ room, I heard her ask Fani for it, but I didn’t see Fani give it to her.”

  “Well, we need to have a little talk with Fani. She never came here?”

  “No. I don’t even know if she knows I’m here. She didn’t see us leave that party.”

  “Let’s try her cell phone,” he said, and called. He was directed to her answering service. He thought a moment and then said he would take me to where he was rooming. “It’s not much, but you need some sleep.”

  “I have to tell the police if I don’t go back to Fani’s.”

  I showed him the detective’s card. He took it and called to explain who he was and where I would be for now.

  “Don’t you want to go back to see about Sophia?”

  “No. We’ll check on her later. It’s going to be a while before she’s talking, anyway.”

  We drove to a small hotel where he had a room. He insisted that I take the bed and he would sleep in the cushioned chair. I didn’t have the strength to argue about anything. Minutes after my head touched the pillow, I was asleep. When I woke up, I was alone. I saw that it was a little after one o’clock. I went to the bathroom and washed my face, and then I heard him come in. He had gone for some coffee and sweet cakes for me.

  “Did you call the hospital?”

  “Yes. She’s a lot better. My mother is at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. She’ll probably make use of this trip to go shopping on Rodeo Drive,” he said.

  “What about Fani?”

  “She called this morning, shocked about it all. She claims she spent most of the night looking for you and finally went home with some guy named Larry. She thought you might have gone off with someone named Cliff. She said she didn’t know anything about Sophia. No one told her anything at the party. That’s her story.” He looked at his watch. “We’ll see her soon. We have to go to the police station. She’s been told to appear, and so have you. We have to be there in an hour.”

  “Oh, Edward, what will happen to me?”

  “If I have anything to say about it, you’ll get a medal,” he replied. Then he smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ve called my friend’s father, Mike Simon. We have an important attorney on it for us. He’ll be there. He’s been looking into the family-court matter involving your baby as well this morning, so cheer up.”

  Was it possible to be hopeful after all of this?

  “Muchas gracias, Edward.”

  “De nada,” he said, and laughed. “Having you to look after has given me a reason to get back to business myself. So, thank you, Delia.”

  I hadn’t thought it would ever be possible to laugh again, but I did, and so did he.

  An hour later, we were at the police station. Fani came hurrying over to us the moment we entered.

  “What is all this?” she asked. “Did you say something to the police about me? Why was I called down here?”

  “She didn’t say anything about you, Fani. Take it easy. I have Curtis Simon’s father meeting us here. In fact, here he is,” he said, turning to greet a short, rotund man with a Santa Claus beard to match.

  “Hey, Mr. Simon. Thanks for helping us,” Edward said, extending his hand.

  “Who’s Delia Yebarra?” he asked, looking at Fani and me.

  Edward introduced me.

  “All right. From here on, no one but me says anything to anyone. We’ll make this go away quicker that way, understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” Edward said.

  “What about me?” Fani asked.

  “You might want to call your own attorney,” Mr. Simon said. “From what I know of this, I can’t represent you both.”

  Fani’s forehead creased as she pursed her lips. “What does that mean?”

  “Maybe nothing,” Mr. Simon said. “I can only advise you to contact your attorney or have your parents do so. Let me go talk to these guys,” he added. “Then we’ll talk.”

  He went into the station.

  “You’d better tell me what you told these policemen last night,” Fani said.

  I went through it as best I could.

  “Did you give the drugs to my sister?” Edward asked her.

  “No,” Fani said firmly. “Is that what she’s saying?”

  “I don’t think anyone from the police have spoken with her yet, but will she say that?”

  “Who could tell what your sister will say? She had better not implicate me. I know enough about her to get her in bigger trouble.”

  “I’ll bet,” Edward said. “Everyone, just relax. Go call an attorney, Fani. Mr. Simon is probably right.”

  “Where am I supposed to get an attorney?”

  “You’d better call your father.”

  “Damn it,” she said. She looked at me. “Why didn’t you come to me last night before you rushed off to the hospital? We could have done this without getting the police involved.”

  “I tried to get your attention, but you were too involved, and then when I saw how bad she was, I thought she belonged in a hospital right away. I asked Cliff to tell you what had happened.”

  “I never saw him. All I knew was that I couldn’t find you.”

  “The point is, Delia saved her life by moving quickly, I’m sure,” Edward said.

  Fani pouted a moment and then relaxed her shoulders. “Cliff’s in there,” she revealed. “I saw him enter the station just before I did. I’m sure he’s doing and saying everything he can to save his own rear end.”

  “Go call your father, Fani,” Edward suggested more strongly.

  She nodd
ed and looked at me. “I’m just trying to help you adjust to a new life, Delia. I was there for you. You had better be there for me.” She walked away.

  “She surely gave Sophia the drugs,” Edward muttered. “That guy Cliff Alexander might implicate her somehow, and if you said something that confirmed it…”

  “She’s not wrong, Edward. She wanted to help me. She was the only one I could turn to when Señor Bovio threw me out. I can’t hurt her. Besides, I really did not see her give Sophia drugs. I can’t say I did.”

  “Girls like Fani don’t need someone to hurt them,” Edward said. “They do a good enough job hurting themselves.”

  Before we sat, Mr. Simon came out and asked me to accompany him to a room where Detective Boyton and Lieutenant Danbury were waiting.

  “I’ll do all the talking,” Mr. Simon said. “You speak when I say you speak. Look to me before answering any questions, understand?”

  I nodded. The two detectives were at a long table waiting for us. Mr. Simon and I sat across from them.

  “Okay, Delia,” Lieutenant Danbury began. “Most of what you’ve told us has checked out.”

  “So, that’s it?” Mr. Simon asked.

  Both detectives smiled.

  “Not so fast.” Lieutenant Danbury looked at his notebook. “Cliff Alexander claims that it wasn’t until you had an embarrassing accident at this dance club and went into the bathroom that he saw Sophia Dallas with any pills. She had them after she came out of the bathroom you were in.”

  “Can he say without doubt that Sophia did not have the pills before she went in?” Mr. Simon asked.

  Neither detective responded to him.

  “He says she said she got them in the bathroom,” Detective Boyton said.

  When the detectives spoke, they looked directly at me, as if Mr. Simon weren’t there.

  Mr. Simon turned to me. “Did you see anyone hand Sophia Dallas any pills, Delia?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Did you speak to or have any contact with Sophia in the bathroom?” he asked.

  “No, sir. I was in the stall waiting for my clothes to be dried.”

  Mr. Simon did not know why, so he raised his eyebrows, but he did not ask the detectives. He turned to them.