Signal to Noise(85)

“How do you know?”

“Because it’s Meche and Meche I know.”

Daniela did not think that was quite enough, but what else could she say? She brushed the hair from her face. Her lips trembled a little as she spoke.

“I am so sorry, Sebastian. I really am. I helped do this to you.”

“It’ll be okay. I’ll be fine.”

She hugged him and Sebastian patted her back.





MECHE AND HER mother were sitting in the kitchen, eating in silence. Meche dipped her animal crackers in milk while her mother sipped her coffee.

“Your grandmother is going to have to go to Monterrey,” her mother said, all of a sudden.

“Since when?” Meche asked.

This was the first she had heard of this. Had she missed some important family meeting or was she supposed to divine tea leaves in order to be up to date? Really, what the hell.

“I talked to your aunt about it. We had a long conversation. Your grandmother is going to need a lot of care.”

“She could get better.”

“She had a stroke,” her mother said. “She can’t walk and she can’t talk. She can barely eat mush.”

“I noticed,” Meche said dryly.

“Your aunt is a nurse. Plus, she has more money than we do. A bigger place. Your grandmother needs more care than I can give her.”

“You’re just going to pack her off ’cause she’s sick.”

“There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Don’t I get a vote in this?”

Her mother did not reply. She looked at her coffee cup, long nails tapping the ceramic mug.

“Awesome,” Meche said, pushing her chair back and scraping the floor in the process.





“I NEED TO talk to you,” Meche said, cornering her outside the bathroom stalls.

Daniela had been evading her all day long. A clumsy effort at best because Daniela did not know the meaning of subtle. She waddled through school like a great, big goose, a panicked look on her face.

“I don’t want to talk,” Daniela whispered.

“Listen: I need your help.”

“To do what?”

“My grandmother had a stroke. She’s not well. I want to heal her. I think we might need Sebastian for this.”

Daniela moved towards the sinks, slowly opening a faucet and rubbing her hands with liquid soap.

“Sebastian is at home, resting. He’s in a cast. I don’t think he’d be up for it and frankly I don’t think he’ll be talking to you until you do some serious apologizing.”

“Apologize?” Meche scoffed.

“Didn’t you hear me? He’s in a cast.”

Daniela closed the faucet. The paper towel dispenser was empty, so she rubbed her hands against her skirt.

“I heard you fine. I’m not apologizing. He got what was coming to him.”

“Then don’t expect him to help you.”

Meche was tired, nervous and more than a little irritated. She squeezed Daniela’s arm and gave her a sharp, intense look.

“Convince him to help. Tell him to come by the factory and bring my Duncan Dhu record.”

“No way,” Daniela said. “I’ve done enough already. I won’t goad him into it.”

“I don’t care what you want,” Meche said. “He will be back in our circle, ready to offer his assistance or you will be the next one hexed.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” Daniela said.

“Try me. I think you’ll find I’m becoming very good at this sort of thing.”

Daniela’s eyes went round and glassy like marbles. She was really scared. Meche felt bad for a few seconds. She shoved the feeling aside. She needed Sebastian and Daniela. At the very least, she wanted her damn record back. If it took a bit of pushing around, so be it.

Daniela wriggled free of her grasp and took a couple of steps back.

“Okay. I’ll talk to him.”

“Today?” Meche asked.

“Today,” Daniela said.

“Remind him he still has something that belongs to me. He better bring it to the factory.”





SEBASTIAN DID NOT reply. He was staring at the big glass full of milk and chocolate powder, observing the beads of moisture rolling down the sides, trying not to think. Trying to ignore it.

“And then?” Daniela asked.

“I won’t help her.”

“She’ll hurt us,” Daniela muttered.

Sebastian did not want to believe it. Meche was many things, but would she really force them to obey her?

She could have killed you, he thought. She’s Meche but she’s also something else now.

Sebastian sipped his milk. They sat in the darkened dining room and he listened to the clock tick, measuring the minutes.

“It’s time we did something about this magic circle,” he said. “But not what she expects.”

“What, then?”

“Tell her I’ll be at the factory Friday evening.”

“You’ll do what she wants?”

“No,” Sebastian said, shaking his head. “I won’t do anything of the sort.”