Lib Novel Page 63
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“All right.”
He stood, pulling her up with him, and she flicked a thumb at the window facing the backyard as she headed for the kitchen.
“I just need a lizard.”
“If you cooked one of those lizards,” he said, following, “I’d still eat it.”
“I can add a little Harissa sauce.”
“Lizard tagine.”
“Lizard chermoula.”
“Have I ever had chermoula? Can we have that today? And do you have any more of those crispy donuts?”
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
“So, your birthday’s in June?”
Sayeda nodded, sitting crosslegged across from Adrían on her bed, munching on miniature versions of his other favorite dessert—pastels. Then she rolled her eyes because, of course, she would nod when they were facing each other in complete darkness.
“Yes,” she answered.
“Are you a Gemini or a Cancer?”
“You follow signs?”
“I know a little bit,” he said. “Obviously, I believe in fortune-telling. Ghosts, a little bit. Folktales. Mythical beings. Candomblé.”
“Oh, I’m all for folktales and mythical beings.” She popped another pastel into her mouth. “But what’s Candomble? Is it something like voodoo?”
“In a way. It’s the Brazilian version of Santeria, you could say, but I more fear Candomblé than I practice it. Personally, I don’t like to mess with things I don’t understand.”
“So, what about aliens?”
“No, no aliens.” His knee brushed hers. “But I did see Papa-Figo once. Papa-Figo, he’s a liver-eater. He goes around drinking children’s blood and eating their livers.”
She grimaced. “Why would he do that?”
“See, he has a rare disease, and he believes it’s the only way to cure him.”
“And you saw him?”
“I can hear your disbelief.”
“No, no. I’m interested.”
“É verdade. Yes, I did see him. I was waiting for my mother. It was after school, and a bad storm was passing. We don’t get many…ai, how do I say this…furaçao. Ciclone.” She noticed a slight shadow, as if he was moving his hand in a rapid circle. “Like the big storms that start in the ocean.”
“Hurricanes?” she offered.
“Sem, hurricane. It’s always interesting whenever I come across a word I’ve never had to use in English.”