The weekend niece. from the book, Searching for treasures

   If it was true that Dora hopelessly missed her mother, deep down inside of her, what she really missed was her former life. A life where she could fit in. A world with a space for her. Somewhere for her to grow and develop in, a place to call her own. On top of it all, how she missed her father! It would seem that he had also died in the accident! The man she lived with, from Monday to Friday, he was but a shadow, that briefly and sporadically manifested itself in her life, resembling her father…

     She was pondering these thoughts, feeling desolate, as well as, isolated from that non-existent world outside of her room. Suddenly, she pulled out of her seclusion on clearly hearing the footsteps of Katalina, approaching toward her room.

     Her grandmother was a person with a decisive attitude, clearly evident in her reverberating footsteps that sounded as if they were hammers furiously beating against the floorboard of the corridor. Overbearing and determined footsteps, they were the movements of a person accustomed to manipulating the world as she sees fit and obtain her whims, notwithstanding the consequences.

     Katalina rapped insistently and without waiting, she opened it and entered Dora’s room. Resigned, the girl asked in an uncompromising, neutral tone:
“Good afternoon, grandmother Katalina. What can I do for you?”
“Good afternoon, Dora. Possibly when you grow older, but for now, I doubt there’s much that you to do for me” Dora felt a glacial chill penetrate her heart, as she heard the sharp reply, but her face was continued blank and emotionless.

     I just talked to Ines and asked her to do me the favor of receiving you at her house for this weekend. I’m sorry, Dora, but with your uncle and aunt away in Bogota, it’s just too complicated to have you stay here. Of course, you know that you’re welcome, always, and this is your home, but in a while I have guests arriving and have to attend to them properly. So, you see, I just don’t have time for children in the house. We have organized a literary discussion, and we’ll discuss the new book written by this Colombian journalist, I can’t remember his name at the moment. It seems that his communist ideas have got him in trouble, and he’s now living in Mexico. Personally, I believe it’s a waste of time, but at the moment, he’s the writer of the moment, and you know how these this go. One must keep up with the fashion.”

     “Anyhow, do me a favor and prepare your things. I’m in a hurry, for they’re about to arrive, any moment now. I already called this Alicia, woman, at the terminal and she’ll have a bus ticket for you when you arrive.”

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