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“We’re gonna name all our girls Valentina.”
Valentina looked into Tony’s bright eyes as he knelt before her, in them there was a gleam that hadn’t existed only a few days before. He beamed with hope, a feeling so rare for a boy who had known only a life of struggle and misfortune. Valentina had never seen the young man so confident and certain and the despair she felt for the boy she loved like a son in front of her was unbearable.
How could I tell him that the girl he loves with his whole being, the girl he killed for and would most certainly die for, is dead?
Anita’s words upstairs haunted her. Only moments ago while Tony sat oblivious behind the basement door had she been told of Maria’s murder at the hands of Chino. It was news she knew would devastate poor Tony, news that would destroy the poor, sometimes senseless boy who appeared by every sense to be absolutely and unequivocally in love with Maria. If only Valentina had have had more time to talk to Tony, if she could’ve stopped or slowed down the whirlwind romance between the young couple, then maybe she wouldn’t have needed to destroy the boy with her words. But Valentina knew the ways of young love, she’d lived it herself. Her love for Doc was an example of the beauty and madness of such love, and it amazed her further that Tony and Maria’s love had prevailed even after Tony had been responsible for Maria’s brother's death. If time and circumstances were different, Tony and Maria could’ve had what her and Doc had, but sadly, fate hadn’t dealt its cards in Tony’s favour again.
She could see in Tony's elated and frenzied appearance as he hurriedly gathered his things into a large duffle bag that he could do something stupid or dangerous in his state. It was a look she’d seen in many boys before, and she feared he’d do something he couldn’t take back for the second time that night.
“Life matters even more than love.” Valentina said, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks.
“They’re the same thing.” Tony’s smile widening wholeheartedly as he spoke.
“Before Maria, maybe I would’ve said they ain’t. But now, it’s all life is.”
Valentina was holding her shattering heart together with threads now. She needed to tell him, but how?
“Even if it lasts no time at all. A month. a day even.”
There was her opening. She needed to do it.
“That was Anita upstairs.”
Tony’s smile dropped as she spoke.
“What's going on?”
Valentina’s heart was racing looking into those now worried eyes.
“Chino… he…”
Valentina took a breath, trying to compose herself.
“Chino has a gun.”
Tony’s head started anxiously searching the room as he was now remembering how thoughtless he had been to drop the weapon, what trouble he and Maria may now be in. He turned back and searched Valentina’s face for any thought of Maria, but he couldn't read what she was thinking behind her nervous expression.
“ He… Chino… He”
Valentina couldn’t get the words out, they hurt too much to share. She needed to sort her thoughts, to tell him in a way that wouldn’t leave him a broken shell of a man at the end of it, if that was even possible. She needed fresh air; to be away from Tony’s searching eyes to work something reasonable out.
“Chino may know you're here, it's still not safe for you to be out there right now.”
Tony noticed that Valentina avoided his eyes as she spoke, was it out of concern or was she not telling him something?
Valentina reached out and patted his arm for a moment reassuringly, nodding then moving past him towards the stairs up to her drug store above.
“I’ll keep an eye out and tell you if I see anything.”
“You’ll tell me as soon as you see her, Maria?”
“Si, Si as soon as Maria is here.”
She quivered as she spoke her name. A tremble Tony most likely noticed.
“Thank you Valentina. You are one of the few people I feel I can trust in this world.”
Valentina smiled lightly and nodded a last time as she left Tony downstairs pacing, both his hands interlocked behind the back of his head, a distressed expression on his face.
Valentina walked out through the front doors of Doc’s Drug Store, desperate to get air and release the tears she hid from Tony. She held the frame of the front door with one hand and the other hand was to her chest as she bent over slightly, gasping for air in between her weeps. She cried for Anita, her good friend who lost her beloved partner and the girl she knew as her sister in one night. She cried for Riff and Bernardo, two foolish young men with so much potential who died for their pride, and for Maria and Tony, for what could’ve been. She was surrounded by all this heartache, and she was forced into the middle of it all. While Valentina put her best efforts into dusting herself off and collecting her nerves, she noticed a figure lurking behind a partially wrecked building close by the store. A person in a blue jacket was watching her from afar. It was the kid she’d seen earlier through the drug store window, who quickly ran away at the sight of her, the name “Anybodys” was what came to her mind, a good friend of Tony’s.
“You can come out Anybodys, I won’t bite”
Anybodys emerged from the shadows, and quickly made her way towards Valentina.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you if that's what I did. Chino’s around with a gun looking for Tony. I wanted to warn him and let him know I’ve got somewhere safe for him and Maria, places to go that they’ll, the cops and Chino, will never look.”
Valentina could see that Anybodys was one of the good ones, they had kind eyes and evidently cared enough for Tony to risk his own safety. Anybodys looked at her concerned, no wonder with Valentina being in the state she was in.
“I’m afraid that currently won’t be necessary, Maria has unfortunately passed, she was killed by Chino. I haven’t managed to tell Tony yet. I know that boy well, and the moment I tell him, I just know he will wreck his life further than he already has. You understand?”
Anybodys looked at Valentina puzzled as she spoke.
“Wha.. but when did Chino… No, that's impossible. I’ve been following him and he ain’t been close to Maria with his gun. Its Tony he’s after, Chino…he ain’t that kinda guy.”
Valentina took a step back in this moment.
“But Anita said… Anybodys, are you certain?”
“I’m sure. See, here she comes now” Anybodys replied, pointing behind Valentina’s back towards the well lit street.
Valentina turned around quickly, immediately seeing a dark haired girl in a blue dress, with a suitcase under her arm running towards the store. Valentina looked into the heavens in this moment, thanking the Lord that one of the night's many tragedies was healed, that her boy could still have hope in the world and she wouldn’t have to crush him the way fate had a way of doing his whole life.
The girl in the blue dress stood before her, a big grin as she juggled the suitcase between her arms.
“Está aquí? Tony? We are meant to meet here. Lo siento, I came as soon as I could.”
Maria spoke breathlessly as her eyes searched around.
Valentina pulls the girl into an embrace, Maria stepping back slightly shocked before leaning into the hug. She notices how beautiful Maria is, Doe-eyed with a bright charming smile, she could understand in an instant why Tony was so taken with the young woman. A rustling sound echoes, followed by bricks falling nearby, and Valentina realises that her, Anybodys and Maria were still out in the open. She pushed Maria inside quickly.
“Si Maria, he is here waiting and you must go quickly inside, it’s not safe out here”
Anybodys watched as the two went inside, staying outside the door, smiling reassuringly at Maria.
“I’m gonna keep an eye on Chino, try to draw him away as long as possible so you and Tony can get away.”
Valentina and Maria both nodded a thank you as Anybodys disappeared back into the night. Valentina made quick work of drawing blinds to block anyone outside from looking into the store and then knocked on the basement door before letting herself inside. Maria dropped her suitcase and remained standing within the store, looking around nervously and fidgeting with the pleats on her skirt.
“Tony?”
He’d been sitting on his bed, palms on his face with sweat from the stress of everything dripping off of his forehead. He bounced up the moment he heard Valentina’s voice.
“She’s here.” Valentina beamed.
Only minutes ago had she thought she’d be the bearer of the worst news imaginable, but the stars aligned and life seemed to be looking up for Tony.
“She's here!” He cried out in excitement.
The lines on his face instantly smoothed out into a big grin. Tony swung the duffle bag at the end of his bed over his shoulder in one fast movement, almost tripping over the corner of his bed as he made his way to the basement stairs, hastily stumbling up the steps with giddiness to reach where Valentina stood. He gave her huge smile as he passed her by the doorway.
Both Maria and Tony’s eyes widened and the sight of each other and Tony dropped his bag to the ground. He hurried towards where she stood, wrapping his arms around her slim waist and lifting her off the ground before spinning her around, both laughing at the happy sight of each other. Maria’s hands rose to hold Tony's face as he held her, and she leaned in to plant a big and excited kiss on his lips. Their lips separated after a short moment, both looking at each other with complete enamour, not wanting to take their eyes away for a moment in fear they would be separated again. Tony then dropped her back to the floor and placed his duffle bag over his shoulder with one hand, and his other hand held onto Maria’s.
Valentina smiled at the sight of the two, as it reminded her of where she stood in the same place with her late husband many years ago, a memory that hurt and much as it brought her joy to remember. Moving behind the bar to the cash register, she pulled out some notes equaling to two hundred and fifty dollars and placed them inside an envelope.
“You two need to leave now, quietly through the back door. You can’t stay here much longer because they'll know you’re here by now.”
Valentina handed the envelope over to Tony. He immediately embraced her in a hug, tears falling again from Valentina’s eyes.
“Thank you Valentina, for everything.”
“Si, Gracias Valentina”. Maria agreed with a deep sincere smile.
Tony squeezed Maria’s hand affectionately as he led her out the back door, both looking back to wave goodbye as they left Valentina standing alone.
Navigating the streets of New York was difficult while trying to keep a low profile. Maria and Tony crept together through the dark alleys and side streets staying in the shadows and jumping into doorways at the sound of police sirens or people passing. Tony kept a firm grip on Maria’s hand, in fear they’d lose each other if not connected the whole journey. Maria could see that Tony was incredibly tense, and she stroked the back of his hand with her thumb as the moved through the streets.
After twenty or so minutes of walking, the young couple reached the bus stop, before entering, Tony quickly dug through his bag for a hat and some reading glasses somebody had left behind at Docs store to wear as a disguise. An older man at the ticket sales desk sat sleepily, reading a cowboy western novel and barely took his eyes off the pages as Tony approached.
“Good evening sir, we would like one-way tickets west from here please, we’re in a bit of a rush”.
Tony said, looking between the man and Maria, worrying that he may have just sounded too desperate and thereby suspicious.
The man lifted his head from his book, an eyebrow raised towards Tony. In response, Tony shrunk down, eyes falling to the floor. Maria then moved in front of Tony, smiling brightly at the man.
“We are on our.. how you say.. Honeymoon! .”
She said in the most bubbly voice she could muster.
“And we want to start our holiday a bit earlier than planned, right, mi amor?” She said as she linked her arm with Tony’s, him smiling nervously back at her.
The ticket man blushed a little at the sight of Maria, as she batted her eyelashes and swept her hair in front of her shoulders to draw the attention to her rather than Tony.
“Oh ah… yes congratulations. There are two buses departing in the next twenty minutes, one leaving for Austin, Texas, the other leaving for Reno, Nevada.”
He looked at the young couple, trying to measure how old they were. They certainly appeared to be young, possibly too young to be marrying, but figured he had no cause to deny them anything.
“Now if you're going on your honeymoon like you say, I'd pick the second option. Last year my wife and I–”
Tony could see the clock on the wall ticking away, and had the feeling that at any moment he’d turn around and there Chino would be, standing with a gun pointed to his chest.
“Yes, yes, Reno it is thanks.”
After an annoyed huff from being interrupted, the ticket man started rifling through his ticket options and inputting numbers into his adding machine.
“That’ll be ninety-nine dollars and sixty cents Son. What are the names for the booking?’
Tony and Maria looked at each other, a quick nod of understanding passed between them.
“I’m Carmen… um..”
Maria stuttered for a second as she quickly searched for ideas. She noted the book the ticket man has been reading named ‘The Ox-Bow Incident’ by Walter Van Tilburg Clark.
“Carmen Walters, and he’s Thomas Walters.”
The ticket man noted the names down onto the list next to him, somehow not noticing her obvious lie, and Tony handed the man the money, the man handing him two small paper tickets with blue print.
“Alright Mr and Mrs Walters, safe travels.” The man said as he waved them off.
The couple then made their way to the bus, both scanning the area for any signs of police or Chino, to their relief, there was no sign of either.
They both slumped into their bus seats next to each other, Maria by the window, exhausted from the long night they had endured. The couple turned to face each other, both giving relieved but pained smiles and Tony gently leant in to place a soft kiss on her lips, while he brushed some stray hairs back behind her ear.
“Carmen huh? I like it.” He whispered in the same ear.
Maria gave him a playful nudge.
That's right Thomas, we’re going to have to get used to these names now.”
Maria, overtaken by the exhaustion of the day, leant her head against Tony’s arm and he awkwardly moved around to allow Maria the most comfort. They both closed their eyes as the bus departed from the station.
Sleep did not come easy for Maria however. How could it? After the night she had experienced, anyone in her position would feel the same. While neither spoke, she knew Tony wasn’t finding sleep easy either.
Maria thought of her brother, how she never got to say goodbye to him. It plagued her mind that her brother could be looking down at her, as she rested her head on the man that had killed him only a few hours ago.
How could I be so stupid? What was I thinking!?
She sat up. The clock at the front of the bus displayed that it was four in the morning and the hum of sleeping people sounded around her. Maria was suddenly feeling very aware of her situation, everything had moved so fast in the last days and she’d barely had time to think, panic starting to rise in her chest as her mind swirled. It felt as though the chairs all around were closing in on her, suffocating her of any available air within the moving contraption she was stuck in. She turned her head from the window back to the now sleeping boy next to her. He looked so still and peaceful for the first time that night. The sight of him somehow soothed her nerves and she couldn’t understand why. Could she really trust this man? She had few reasons to, she didn’t even know his favourite colour, who his parents were or if he had real siblings.
they’d only met a couple of nights ago, but strangely, Maria felt as though she’d known him her whole life. She felt comfortable and safe with him in a way that she’d never felt with anyone before. However Anita’s words from when they had fought earlier haunted her mind.
“A boy who kills cannot love, a boy who kills has no heart” she had said.
Anita’s words were not fair. Bernardo had killed too; he’d stabbed Riff who was Tony’s best friend, his brother. No one could deny that Bernardo’s heart was made of gold at the best of times, but he was stubborn in his ways. Maria’s mother, God rest her soul, had tried to teach her children forgiveness above all else, not that it did any good for Bernardo. While Maria, much like her mother, was never a believer in revenge, it was the understanding that Tony deeply regretted his actions that allowed herself to forgive him of this crime. She could see that he would never kill again, that he could learn forgiveness.
To say that a killer was without a heart when Anita talked of Bernardo and Tony couldn’t be further from the truth. Maria had seen Tony’s heart. If anything his heart was too big for this world. He’s too passionate and loving and while it’s his downfall it’s also his greatest strength as it made Maria feel safe in his arms, because she could know that in a heartbeat, he would move mountains for her.
Maria and Tony had both lost a brother last night. They would both need each other more than anything, and she knew that loving him would be easy, despite the terrible mistakes he had made. She was feeling at peace with her thoughts again for the time being, though a long journey still lay ahead.