Moving Serafina

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217 Gus Muñoz was himself enjoying huevos rancheros on this morning. Even with the mysterious absence of Alvaro the second morning in a row, this had become usual fare at Los Arbolitos this past week and Gus was savoring every bite. Perfidia had also filled a plate and now sat silent across from Gus as they ate. Anticipating that he would have to take the corrientes himself to the rodeo in Pecos, Gus had loaded them into an eighteen wheeler in the early hours that morning. They jostled and bawled now inside the metal slats of the hauler attached to the truck, parked next to the barn. With the noise of the raucous cattle, Gus did not hear Alvaro’s pickup as he pulled into the yard. “Everybody invited to this party?” Alvaro said. He leaned against the doorjamb at the entry to the kitchen. He was unshaven and had on the same clothes he had worn the morning of Cinco de Mayo, two days ago. “I gotta long haul ahead of me.” “You ain’t gonna make it over there in time if you stop to shower and eat both,” Gus grumbled. “Who said anything about a shower,” Alvaro said. He moved into the kitchen, poured himself some coffee and slouched into the extra chair at the table. “You C H A P T E R 23 Bob Cherry 218 saying I stink or something, brother?” Perfidia stopped eating. She sat stiff and would not look at Alvaro. “And how’re you doing?” Alvaro leaned forward and cocked his head so he could look into her eyes, but Perfidia diverted them to the floor. “Not so good, I guess,” he said. “Maybe you had a couple of rough nights too?” “Okay,” Gus said. He slapped his napkin onto the table and stood. “So you had a party. So what else is new?” “Lots,” Alvaro said. “You gonna finish this?” He did not wait for Gus to answer. He reached across and scraped the remainder of his brother’s eggs into a flour tortilla, rolled it up and stood. “Lots is new.” Alvaro moved toward the entryway and out the front door onto the patio. Gus followed but he turned at the door and looked back at Perfidia. She remained rigid and intense, as if she might suddenly flee from the room, thus avoiding any news Alvaro might have brought. Gus thought he might say something to try and calm her but he said nothing. More pressing matters awaited him in the yard. Outside, he confronted Alvaro who sat on a bench against the adobe wall, eating the burrito he had made. “Well?” Gus said. “Well, what?” Alvaro said. “I don’t need to know where you’ve been or who you’ve been with or what they sold you,” Gus said. “Or what you might have bought for the road. I just want to know if you’ve found out anything for Perfidia?” “Oh, it’s Perfidia, now?” Alvaro said. He stuffed MOVING SERAFINA 219 one end of the burrito into his mouth, bit it, chewed. “Been cozy here, huh?” “No,” Gus flared. “That’s her name, dammit. And as a matter of fact, it’s been a little bit of hell.” “Hell for you or hell for . . . Perfidia?” “Okay, that’s enough,” Gus shot back. “You gonna tell me anything or you gonna fuck around?” “Ain’t me been fucking around,” Alvaro said. “Can’t be sure about you though, brother.” Gus stalked over, poked a finger into Alvaro’s chest and leaned into his face. “Then just get into the goddamn truck and get them steers up the road, hear?” “Yes sir,” Alvaro said. “Whatever you say.” He stood and stuffed the remainder of the food into his mouth and walked into the yard. At the wrought iron gate, he stopped and turned back. “Oh, in case you’re wondering, my information is that your Perfidia didn’t come across the river where she said. “What do you mean?” “Well, seems there were several others with her and also a family.” “So where did they cross?” Gus said and then, “But that don’t really matter anyway.” “Might matter if it was Santa Elena Canyon,” Alvaro said. “No way,” Gus said. “Nobody comes across there.” “Well, they did,” Alvaro said, gloating. “Down into the canyon and across that swift water and back up the...