-And there were about 20 lizards, I took a log from the sand and with that I began to beat them, but each time they came closer, because they wanted to take me to the beach, when I saw the Countess of Malibrán's carriage approaching me over the waves, and while I managed to kill 1 or 2 lizards, I think, the Countess's carriage parked next to me, the door opened and she looked out, she was very pretty and well dressed and grabbed my hand so that I would get into the carriage with her, but I told her; No thank you ma'am! I have my girlfriend and I can't go with you, then she got angry and the hand she was holding me with turned into a tentacle like an octopus, tangling my arm and waist, I kicked her twice in the chest to get her to let me go and she angrily threw me to the sand, I barely managed to grab my girlfriend by the arm to take her with me on the plane, and when I realized I was already flying with Pamela, so in the air I turned her around so that when we fell, I would be under her and she would fall on top of me, and that's when I fainted and I didn't even know what was going on, crazy.
René tells his friends in the neighborhood about his adventure, but in his own way, while his mother waits for him in the seat of the van where they were going to take him to the airport; Soledad and Pamela listened amused without daring to deny it, the new version of the story that he told to his friends that when they found out what had happened, they had already organized a kind of insurgent army to defend the Román mansion, from the attacks of the Countess, it was already Sunday morning and after performing a special ritual for him and his friends, to give him several amulets so that the Countess could not attack him again, they convinced him that the best thing was to return to Houston where she could not find him, they also explained to him how to create a magic door to call Soledad, although he was unable to see how she saved him from the kidnapping that the Countess intended to carry out on him.
He was convinced that she was a very powerful witch when he saw her disappear into the wall, since he also knew the legend of the mulatto woman of Córdoba.
- Don't worry René, your house will be considered our castle, because it has become the symbol of the two neighborhoods! And its tenants in our neighborhood sisters, so we will not allow any Countess, or any other kind of demon come to bother them, go quietly to your field trip brother, that here the race will take care of your mother and your home.
The group of friends said goodbye to them, and already at the airport; Pamela and René said goodbye very lovingly at the Veracruz airport, promising each other many kisses for the next vacation at the end of the semester, in June.
And so, that Monday, April 19, 1982, the day of the return to classes arrived, so awaited by some, so detested by others.
Soledad asked the girls to erase the drawing of the magic door of their rooms, to avoid future confusion, and when the last of the students entered their respective schools.
Adelina and Soledad returned to the mansion, which was being guarded by a volunteer guard of the new insurgent army, made up of gang members from the Veracruz-Boca del Rio conurbation, who thanks to René had joined and stopped fighting for that territory, promising to keep it safe during their absence.
-Now with the boys from the neighborhood and the navy unit standing guard I feel a little calmer, and now yes, the president of the city promised me not to withdraw them, even if a year passes, by orders of the governor of the state, Mr. Agustín Acosta Lagunes, whether the Countess appears or not. - Adelina says.
-Maybe, although I really don't know, the last time I felt her very weak, as if she didn't defend herself. -says Soledad. -Or maybe her only objective was to take your son.
- This has already made it personal! -says Adelina. - Is there no way you can make me a guardian of humanity? I would rather see René die of old age than know that he is dying because that damned witch took him away.
Adelina says, while they were making the food for the pensioners, since the maids had also gone on vacation and arrived in the middle of the week, also Leticia Corréa who had been very busy all those days, in interviews and reports regarding the Countess' demonstrations, went from time to time to visit them, like on that occasion when it was her turn to help prepare the food.
-I don't even know what official version to give, the good thing is that the neighborhood guard doesn't let anyone outside the mansion, with yesterday's demonstration the siege by the curious increased again, the good thing is that they have already identified me among the select group of inhabitants of the mansion, as they tell us in the news, because if not, they would never have let me in. -says Leticia. -Maybe the best thing about all this is that the neighborhood has become united and they no longer fight among themselves, even in the schools where our girls study they have volunteer guards, with banners and everything, the banners say: "Insurgent army of the Román mansion" And people look at them with good eyes, they even bring them food and normal military clothes; you know what? I already know how I am going to divert the attention of the tourists and the hunting groups, I will make a report to the insurgent army to discourage them to come, you see that they do not let anyone approach, but to the neighbors or those who are passing by they do not say anything, besides there are city traffic officers evicting the cars that are parked and that are not from the area.
- Yes, that's fine, but first eat! -says Adelina. -You've gotten so skinny that when a crocodile eats you, not even the hunger will go away, and after she was invited to eat, they took advantage of the time to plan what could and could not be said in the report.
The reporter went out to talk to the members of the volunteer guard of the self-styled army. "Insurgent Army of the Román mansion" -Among them were the oyster and the snail, who, although were from another neighborhood, had gone to the Román mansion to negotiate the formation of a cell, with the same purpose, to defend the Román mansion and the city from the attacks of the Countess of Malibrán, because a couple of their companions from the neighborhood of La Huaca, were missing.
-Yes, miss, we have not found Dandy and Ornelas, very fine members of our neighborhood, and we are looking for them in all the jails of the city and the state, the police have no report that they have captured them and that is why we want to join the army, because it is not fair that that witch from hell is taking away our pals, without us doing anything.
The Oyster says to Leticia, during a segment of the interview.
-This is one more example of the brotherhood of neighborhoods that arose from the Countess event, where at the end of the day, not everything is bad, gentlemen, where once again it is demonstrated that Mexicans will always be united, before a common enemy, which on this occasion is the Countess of Malibrán, I am Leticia Correa for the XEW radio and television newscast, good afternoon.
At that moment, Romaia's Caribe was approaching, honking the horn, to which a couple of soldiers of the insurgent army opened the sliding gate, but Oyster recognized Érika and Pamela who were accompanying Romaia, approaching the window.
- Hi blondie girl´s! Do you remember me? -asked the boy leaning against the door.
-I do, my friend, but you better pretend you don't know us, because here is the lady whose purse was stolen.
Érika says nervously, with a knowing smile as if asking for his silence.
- Giovanny and Benjamin! What are you doing here? If you don't go home immediately, I'm going to call your mothers! -says Soledad, scolding Oyster and Snail.
-Don't get angry, neighbor, we just came to offer our support to the people from the neighborhoods around here. -Oyster, whose name was Benjamin, answered nervously. -Because we haven't found the Dandy or the Ornelas since before Easter week.
- The curse has already fallen on us, blondie girls! That lady has known us since we were kids, anyway we have to go, but we'll be here to take care of you in case anything happens. -says the Oyster, whose name was Giovanny, to Érika.
- And why didn't they tell me? I'll be there soon so they can talk to me, we'll see each other in the library at closing time.
Soledad told them, and the boys boarded the bus to go back to their neighborhood.
- So those are the professional thief you hired? -said Romaia mockingly, as they pulled into the Caribe.
- They tricked us! -says Pamela. -But they'll pay for it.
- Then you fooled us too! -says Érika to Soledad, furious.
-I have no idea what you are talking about, Érika.
The mulatto woman answers her, smiling, as she went into the house.
- Leticia, I need you to do a report directly in my neighborhood! -Soledad says to the reporter, between annoyed and saddened. -I just found out that there are two boys missing, I think that, because I was concentrating on taking care of the girls at the mansion, I neglected the others, and somehow the Countess found out, giving me a blow where she knew it would hurt.
- Of course he knows where it hurts! -says Adelina. -That's why she came for René.
Most of the girls had already arrived from their classes and listened to her in anguish.
- Don't you worry! I will continue to protect you through the magic doors, but here you will only have one in the hallway, one in the garden and one on the terrace, only I will have to go to the downtown neighborhood to warn you and teach you how to use them. -says Soledad.
- Well now, everybody, let's eat! They'll be more scared when they're hungry. -says Adelina.
- Courage drunketeers! -says Romaia. -Don't let yourselves be discouraged and don't be afraid, so far he hasn't been able to take any of us and he won't be able to, they waited for you at 7 o'clock at night in the park that faces the public library; Leticia, please, I believe that now the best weapon we have against the Countess is to warn the population; and who better than you to detonate it?
-Yes, of course; Soledad, you have my full support.
- With all our support! -said several of the girls in one voice. - Because all of us are going to go to that report!
- Right, Mrs. Adelina? -asks Belinda as if asking for permission.
- Yes, of course! We are not going to leave Soledad and the Huaca neighborhood alone in this war.
Adelina said, reinforcing the courage they needed to stop fearing.
And so, the most extensive congregation of neighborhoods in the history of Veracruz took place, where all the kids of all ages and social strata, gathered at that meeting, to reinforce the creation of the insurgent army of the Roman mansion, to which everyone wanted to belong, regardless of age, or the city in which they lived.