A Treacherous Earthquake

"Well, I'm interested. In the newspaper that I have here I already pointed out some places that seemed interesting to me. When you like we can see them."

Elizabeth picked up the phone and contacted her father. They agreed that she would pick up the keys the next day to show Gerardo the apartments.

The next day, Elizabeth picked up Gerardo and they went to see the apartments. The furnished apartment was preowned, with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a living room and a small patio. The other apartments were similar, but without furniture. He thought no more and told Elizabeth that he was interested in her. He just wanted to know how much the rent would be.

"Today I will talk with my dad and tomorrow I will inform you. I don't think it will exceed MXN$20,000 a month, but I'll confirm tomorrow."

The next day, Elizabeth informed him that the rent would be MXN$15,000 with no down payment required. Gerardo accepted immediately. Luck was still on his side.

Two days later Gerardo flew to Mexico City. He no longer wanted to use the bus because his economic outlook seemed clearer, without so much uncertainty. The savings that he still had left were programmed for two things. The first was for the expenses of transfer and definitive installation in Juárez. The second was a kind of bonus that he intended to give Mireya to cover his most immediate needs. Once he stabilized financially, he thought of assigning her a monthly allowance for her expenses, if she decided to stay and live in his mother's house, which he seriously doubted.

Arriving in Mexico City, he went to his mother's house. From the calls he had had with Jorge, he knew that her mother was fine even though she had not answered any of his calls while he was in Juárez. He suspected that she was still upset with him.

Upon entering the house, he found her mother sitting in the living room watching TV.

"Hello, how are you mom?"

Surprised, Refugio answered.

"You scared me; I didn't expect you so soon. How did you go?"

"Very good mom, they already hired me in a company. I start working in ten days."

"Congratulations, I guess it's what you were looking for."

After a few seconds of silence, Gerardo asked.

"How is Mireya?"

"Mireya just left three days after you."

A bit surprised, Gerardo exclaimed.

"Where?"

"Why do you want to know, are you going to look for her?"

Embarrassed, Gerardo kept silent.

"Only for curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat. Forget about Mireya."

It was the last time Mireya's name was mentioned in Refugio´s home.

The next day Gerardo showed up at Jorge's offices.

"How are you, Gerardo, how did it go?"

"Everything went smoothly, I have a job and I already have an apartment set aside to live. How are you doing?"

"Very good, Sebastian came out better than expected. He puts a lot of effort into it and brings good ideas. That was your merit. What about Mireya?"

"You do not know? Mireya left the house three days after I left."

"The truth, I did know; our mother told me. I didn't mean to tell you on the phone."

Do you know where she went?

"No, mom didn't want to tell me. What's next with you?"

"I start work in 9 days. I hope to take Rebeca with me, right now I'm going to see her."

He called the greengrocer to find out if Rebeca was there. Lety answered, who replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Hello Gerardo. Is it true you want to steal my daughter?

"That's right Lety. If you don't give her to me, I'll take you, but I am not going to come back empty-handed.

With a laugh, Lety replied.

"I'm ready Gerardo, when are we leaving?"

"Now I'm going to your home to see Rebeca; if you like we'll see you there."

"Very well Gerardo, see you there later, let's see what happens."

Gerardo took a taxi and went to Rebeca's house.

Seeing him, Rebeca jumped into her arms.

"I didn't expect you so soon, darling, did something bad happen?"

"Nothing bad, everything went very well. I come for you..."

"What?"

"Yes, I already have a job in Juárez; I have a furnished apartment reserved and I only come to pick you up and what is left of my belongings. Or have you already regretted it?"

"Not kidding! But first, come here."

She took him by the hand and led him into a room. She closed the door and began to remove her clothes.

"My sister and her son will be back in about an hour. We must use the time, I'm in need."

He didn't have to think twice, Gerardo undressed and took Rebeca to bed.

They managed to fuck twice, barely enough to relax. They bathed and went out to the living room to wait for the other house's guests.

"Gerardo, have you already visited your mother?"

"Yes, yesterday, just as I arrived."

Rebeca didn't want to ask directly; she just said her.

"And?"

"Mireya is gone, she left three days after I left. I do not know where."

"That's it?"

"Yes, that story is over."

A few minutes later María, Rebeca's sister, arrived accompanied by her son. Introductions were formally made, and they continued to wait. A few minutes later Lety arrived and greeted Gerardo warmly.

Lety asked ironically.

"What did Rebeca tell you, is she going to go with you?"

"Let her tell you..."

"That's right mommy, I'm going with Gerardo."

Now a little more serious, Lety said,

"Well, we must celebrate. A block away there is wine and liquor store."

Rebeca and Gerardo got up and said.

"We´ll be right back."

After an hour of celebration, Lety got up and went to Gerardo.

"Gerardo, it's time for this girl's luck to change. I hope you will be a good husband and I also hope that you will not forget us and visit us from time to time."

Gerardo got up and hugged Lety, telling her quietly.

"You can be sure about that. I will be the best husband and the best son-in-law"

One year after the 1985 earthquakes, in their apartment in Ciudad Juárez, sitting in front of the TV, Rebeca and Gerardo watched, once again, the scenes of earthquake destruction. The sight of the ruins of the Nuevo León building, one of the most shown, caused pangs in Gerardo's stomach; and could see, out of the corner of his eye, that Rebeca had a few tears in her face. He had no doubts, her pain was nothing compared to hers. He got up, went to the TV and turned it off. He picked Rebecca up and hugged her.

No words could come out of his mouth.

Epilogue.

Gerardo and Rebeca stayed to live in Ciudad Juárez where they had three children.

Gerardo's mother, Refugio, died four years after her departure. She was never interested in meeting her daughter-in-law.

Nothing was ever known about Mireya, even though years later, with the advent of the internet, cell phones and social networks, Jorge tried to locate her without success.

Mario did not appear in the lists of victims either. His death is almost a fact.

It is estimated that the 1985 Mexico earthquakes killed at least 20,000 people and more than 300 buildings collapsed. Of these, there must have been at least 20 hotels of all kinds. Certainly, at the time of the earthquake, in some of these hotels some forbidden love was being staged. This story, most likely, was not unique.