After the surprise of Bella's gesture, there was concern.
Leïla was the first to approach Bella wondering why she is making such an annoyed face. It doesn't look like her at all, her sister is a real sunshine. She likes to brag about it so much in front of everyone, but there, her sister's face looks like a linen stretched out in the sun, her expression is so white.
"Herminia, you look sick, tell me, are you sure you're okay?" Leïla asked, remembering that her sister has been looking weird since she got back from the club a few minutes ago.
When she saw her from the top of the window, she looked like she was crying, and now she looks like there is something heavy in her heart.
She knows her little sister very well, when something troubles her, she looks really serious; a bit like right now.
Leïla bit her lip hard, could these be the effects of this outing? She told her that she slept in the club bathroom, but why when she thinks about it, it sounds so….
Fake.
No, her little flower would never lie to her on such a trivial matter, she is the very personification of purity, and she has no reason to lie when it's not necessary.
She held her sister's hand away from the broken dish pieces as their father came to join them. their mother also arrived and the three, with downcast faces, looked at Bella wanting to know what was going on.
"Mi bebé, are you sick? Are you feeling fine? We can go to the hospital if you feel any pain" The mother panicked and the father nodded in agreement.
"Is it true Herminia, do you have your periods? I know that when you have them you are often unwell. I can go buy you some medicine" Leïla offered.
The father sighed before taking his coat from the back of the chair where he was sitting.
"Well, we can go directly to the tìo Manuel clinic, it's no use talking here" he announced and the two other women nodded.
But Bella was paralyzed by this statement. She's scared, and if on going to the hospital the doctor tells them she's lost her virginity? No, they don't have to.
Besides, she knows that aside from the pain in her crotch, or the fact that her body is a little heavy, she's fine. No need to spend money unnecessarily.
Bella pulled her hand away from her sister's before heading over to the mess she made by smashing the dish.
"Mama, papa, Herminia, don't worry. I'm fine, I just got a little distracted and the dish slipped out of my hands." Bella sighed before starting to pick up the loose ends. "Besides I think yesterday's stew didn't go well. I have a little stomach ache ha ha" Bella laughed wanting to look natural even though her family members' gazes remained heavy and uncertain.
"Well, if you say so. I always told your dad that his daughters aren't fans of this kind of cooking, but hey, he insists" the mom spoke and the dad sulked in response.
The tension finally subsided and Bella decided to pull herself together. What her mother has just said is indeed harsh knowing that she too had to sleep with a stranger, but unlike her cousin Lucia, she never had this character. She is a virtuous and dignified girl, she has never had a boyfriend and has never had any real interactions with a boy other than her best friend.
She's not like her cousin, she didn't sleep with that man, he raped her. Indeed, the events could upset his parents but it's an unfortunate set of circumstances. She just wanted to see her favorite reggaeton artist, and even though her clothing was too much for her parents' taste, she didn't take the first step. It was this man who dragged her into a room and abused her.
She didn't do anything wrong. Moreover, she is not pregnant like her cousin, there is nothing to be upset about and worry her family about that. Indeed, it will always traumatize her for life every time she hears this, especially knowing that her parents make a point of honor to the virtue of a young girl. But she can overcome this dramatic episode in her life.
She knows many women in her neighborhood who have been raped by men, often even from the same neighborhood, whom they knew or rubbed shoulders with.
They live in a neighborhood with gangs everywhere, it is not strange that there have been many cases of rape on the sidelines of murders and robberies. But these women were able to overcome these experiences, why not her?
They had to face the gaze of others, shame, and opprobrium. They had to endure that their aggressor was never bothered by the police and continued to taunt them every day. But they knew how to get back up, so compared to them, she feels lucky that she doesn't even know her aggressor. Also, no one knows what happened in that room other than that animal and she and she don't think there are any witnesses or that he lives in the neighborhood.
This concert brought together people from all over Acalpuc* and other towns, it can be anyone, it's true, but she's not going to rack her brains because of that.
The past has passed and now she must find a way to overcome this experience.
Maybe she will mature after that.
She sighed before looking at her mother.
"Mama, can I go back to rest? I'm still very sleepy," she asked politely and her mother just smiled, stroking her cheek.
"Of course mi amor, you seem to need it. Your dad is right, it's your age especially after you worked so hard for your baccalaureate", the mother reassured, receiving a smile grateful for her daughter.
"Thank you mamá, I'm going" Bella announced, turning to go up the stairs while left alone, the parents cast cold glances at their eldest daughter.
"Alright now Leïla Grande Santos, you are going to tell us the truth. Why do you seem to be in such a state and above all, why does your sister seem to be at the end of her life?" The father asked to make Leïla swallow hard.
Did the parents catch them?