Page 17
“You like watching us, don’t you?” Ana remarked. She was very observant which could sometimes be unnerving.
“You’re entertaining,” I retorted wryly.
“We’re a bunch of nosy villagers.”
“I guess.”
She laughed. “No need to be diplomatic. You’ve been here long enough to be one of us. You’re allowed to badmouth us.”
I wouldn’t dare. Besides, I didn’t know anyone well enough to badmouth. I took another bite of my potatoes while Ana rested her elbows on the bar.
“You know what I’ve always wondered?” she continued when I remained quiet.
I finished chewing my food and swallowed before I answered. “What?”
“You came here five years ago. You didn’t know anyone. You barely spoke to us for the first few months and us, being wary of strangers, barely spoke to you too.” She paused, studying me. “Why did you stay?”
I picked up my glass and rolled it between my fingers, looking away from her.
“It feels like home,” I lied.
Ana raised an eyebrow. “That’s a terrible answer and a lie.”
“It’s the only one I have.”
She was quiet for a moment before she asked, “Were you happy before you came here?”
I looked at her. “I suppose I was.”
“Suppose?” I shrugged. “That’s very vague.”
I looked toward the room instead of continuing the conversation. It was exactly for this reason that I mostly kept to myself. But every so often, that got to be too hard and I’d seek out people in this pub.
“What’s your father doing?” I asked, seeing him argue with one of the men.
“They’re discussing football and the referee’s decision.”
“Hmmm, sounds serious.”
“Oh, it is,” she agreed, smiling faintly.
She’d let me change the subject, and it wasn’t the first time. Ana was wrong to accuse the locals of being nosy. They’d been letting me keep my secrets for the past five years.
She picked up an olive and popped it into her mouth just as Joseph came back and started serving new guests at the bar.
“You know,” Ana said, “you could tell me something. Anything about you.” Ah, I spoke too soon. “After all, it’s been five years.”
I smiled.
“Anything?” She nodded, and I looked at her for a long moment before I said, “My favorite color is green.”
She stared at me.
“Five years.”
“What?”
“Five years, and that’s what you give me?”
