#454: News for Mom - 2020-04-01

After getting off the bus in Talca, Hugo and Pedro noted that Eliana covered her eyes when they passed through a place exposed to the sun.

— Something wrong, Eliana? — Pedro asked her.

— I don't know, the daylight seems too bright, it hurts my eyes.

— Do you see well? — Hugo asked her.

— I can see clearly in the shadows. It's the light. Doesn't it bother you two?

— No, not to me, I think it's all normal.

— Same, though I don't have good eyesight.

— It's me, then. Truth is, it's been like this to me since when we returned to Chillán. When the sun rose in the morning, it dazzled me a lot.

— Did something happen when you were flying at night?

— … now that you say it, it was freezing as Hell up there. I wish that this is nothing serious! I can't see anything under this much light now!

— As long as you can see in the shadows…

After buying some icecream, they took the train. When they arrived to the town, it was overcast, and Eliana could see fine. Then, Pedro noted that Hugo and Eliana walked slower than usual.

— What's going on? — he said, but when he turned to see them he knew why — Hey, no! Let's go quickly back home! We will talk with Mom, we will tell her the truth, all that happened during our trip, and we're going there with our heads held high! It was an accident! Ok? Don't be afraid! Let's go!

Hugo and Eliana hurried up, but they didn't change their expression. They were afraid but also upset. Eliana knew that something like that would happen, and Hugo changed his mind after realizing its risks, but their complaints weren't heard. And Pedro accused them of being cowards; had he intervened, they would have been majority, Rosa and María wouldn't have been able to continue alone. But he supported them.

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When they arrived, they found the house painted and the door open. Clara was sitting at the armchair, dressed full in black. They entered slowly, and their mother stared at them with an inscrutable expression.

— Hello, Mom. — Pedro was the first to break the ice. Clara stared at him, without changing her expression.

— Hello, kids. You remember what I told you, right?

— … Right, Mom.

— So? Where is Rosa?

— … She's at our great—great—grandmother's house…

— And? Why didn't she come with you all? Did anything happen to her?

— She wrote you a letter, she wants you to read it.

— No, no. She will tell me what she has to say in person. Because she's alive, right? Or else, you wouldn't be here.

— … Yes, Rosa is alive.

— Very good! I guess that I put on this dress for nothing. Now. You. Tell me. WHAT HAPPENED TO HER.

— … She fell from a great height…

— … to a frozen pond at the bottom of a ravine in the mountain.

— Oh, she crashed to the ground… That's so bad, she was so cute. I don't know if I'll be able to see her current state.

— Actually, she broke an arm and a leg…

— … and she lost a lot of blood…

— … but the doctors told us that she got it easy…

— Indeed! It could have been much worse!

— … Anyways, I had to go find an helicopter to get her to the Hospital.

— … now she's safe, put on a cast and immobilized.

— … Rosa will be back home around the end of March.

— Oh, that's good to know. Anything else that I should know?

— … I don't think so, Mom.

— Great… Just one think, Eliana. How did you go to get the helicopter? By foot or flying?

— Flying. We were at a ravine, a difficult to access place. Also, there was a wind from the south, which helped me get faster to the rangers' cabin.

— Very well, Eliana. Just think about what could have happened if you didn't go. Because I know that you didn't want to go.

— That's correct. Maybe Hugo and Pedro would have attempted to carry Rosa down there…

— And they wouldn't have made it. — Clara said. The three siblings shivered. — And you know what would have happened?

— … Rosa would have died in the road. — Pedro replied while shrugging.

— Bingo! And you would have had to stay there, because I wouldn't have opened the door of my house to you again! See?

Nobody replied to Clara.

— That old woman is crazy! She's senile! And you put your trust on her! You ignored me, and those are the consequences! Didn't Rosa want to go see the snow?

Clara took a tomato from the table, and threw it to the floor.

— Bam! There's your snow! Rosa had what she deserved! Just wait until she gets there, because I'm going to yell at her up and down! So now you all go to your room. You're grounded. Pray so Rosa recovers.

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News and Stuff

2015-10-19:
The English version of “Sueños del Sur” returns to this website after a long time being hosted elsewhere. Also, changing servers...

2007-10-16:
Welcome to “Sueños del Sur”. This is a webcomic adaptation of a story I've been writing since forever.