Ervey drove up to the front of his apartment and stood the Kodiak. Both sides of the street were crowded with parked cars. The only option was to hop out and hand over the big truck to Lilo so he could drive it around the block a few times.
"Just a couple of minutes," he told Lilo as they crossed in front of the truck.
Lilo nodded in agreement.
Fabiola heard the truck drive up and peeked through the curtains on the front window. Seeing Ervey walk away from the truck, she quickly went to the front door and opened it just as he was about to knock.
"Hello, pretty," she said with a straight face, "what's happening?"
"Just came by to tell you I'm getting in late tonight," he said, "going all the way to Ojinaga with a stop on the way there and back."
"Yuck!" she protested.
"Why do you detest your homeland?" he said, smiling.
"Not mine, Ervey, my father's," she said, "and he's from the high sierra-- not the valley, where Ojinaga is. Besides, I don't detest it. It's just that it's quite hot there this time of year."
"Valley, sierra, it's the same people. No?," said Ervey, reaching out to his wife, "I like them all just the same because they're hot like the land they´re from."
She squealed but let him put his arms around her. They stood in silence a few seconds.
"You've been out a lot lately?" she said.
"My boss is getting a lot of business. I guess that's why I have a job," he said.
"Well, yes, but I hate that Javier is growing up with out his father," she said.
"Growing up? He can't even walk yet," he said, "not that you mention it, where is he? Asleep?"
"He's with my mother, who's visiting one of her friends down the block. And he is going to be away from his father a lot because you're going back to school in a few months and be away even more than now," she said.
"It'll all pass quickly and we'll be fine," said Ervey, "but I just wanted to come by and tell you to and give you this number for the cell phone Celso gave me. Chonito used to have it, but it was for work. Now I have it in case I need to call in case of an emergency or in case you need to call me."
"OK, but that's it," she said, now smiling, "can't you come in and wish a good good-by?"
"I can't. My partner is circling the neighborhood and he'll probably be rounding the corner any second now," he said, "but if you'll give me permission to wake you up when I get in, I'll wish a good hello."
"Guaranteed but only if it's not too late," she said.
Lilo came by and found them kissing. He smiled and delayed stopping as long as he could.
Ervey looked up when he heard the truck shift down. Seeing it was Lilo, he separated from his wife.
"I'll bring you back some chiles from your old terre. What's it called, Cuchillo Enterrado?" he said to Fabiola, laughing as he spoke.
"Ay, Ervey, its Chucillo Parado. And it's my father's tierra, not mine. Don't forget that those people started the Revolución. No Pancho Villa without them," she said waving to him cheerfully.
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