A Long Petal of the Sea(51)

“That’s impossible. He doesn’t live here.”



“What do you mean, he doesn’t live here? Wherever he may be, we’ll find him, Ofelia. And if he doesn’t marry you…”

“What do you mean? That you’ll kill him?”

“My God! The things you say. I’ll talk firmly to him, but if that doesn’t work, Father will get involved…”

“No! Not Father!”

“We have to do something, Ofelia. It’s impossible to hide this: soon everybody will realize what’s going on, and there’ll be a terrible scandal. I’ll help you all I can, I promise.”

In the end they agreed to tell their mother, so that she could get her husband used to the idea; after that, they would see. Laura del Solar greeted the news persuaded that God was finally settling her debts with Him for all she owed. Ofelia’s drama was part of the price she had to pay to heaven, and the other, more costly one, being that her son Leonardo’s heart was always either beating wildly or remaining silent. As the doctors had forecast when he was born, his organs were weak and his life would be short. Slowly but surely, Baby was fading, but his mother, clinging to prayer and her dealings with the saints, refused to accept the obvious signs. Laura felt as if she were sinking in thick mud, dragging her family with her. Her headaches began at once, a pounding in the back of her neck that clouded her vision, leaving her blind.

How was she going to tell Isidro? She had no way of softening the blow or his reaction. All they could do was wait awhile to see if divine goodness resolved Ofelia’s problem naturally—many pregnancies were frustrated early in the belly—but Felipe convinced her that the longer they waited, the worse the situation would become. He himself took on the task of braving his father in the library, while Laura and Ofelia, cowering at the back of the house, prayed with all the fervor of martyrs.

More than an hour went by before Juana came to find them, with the message that they were to go at once to the library. Isidro del Solar met them on the threshold and immediately gave Ofelia two resounding slaps before Laura could shield her or Felipe grab his arm.



“Who’s the swine that ruined my daughter? Tell me who he is!” he roared.

“I’d rather die,” said Ofelia, wiping the blood from her nose on her sleeve.

“You’re going to tell me even if I have to whip you!”

“Go on and do it then. I’m never going to tell you!”

“Father, please,” Felipe interrupted them.

“Shut up! Didn’t I give orders that this damned brat be locked up? Where were you, Laura, to allow this to happen? I suppose you were at Mass, while the devil was strolling around our house. Do you realize the shame, the scandal of this? How will we be able to face people?” He continued shouting at the top of his voice until Felipe managed to interrupt him a second time.

“Calm down, Father, and let’s try to find a solution. I’ll make some inquiries…”

“Inquiries? What do you mean?” asked Isidro, suddenly relieved because he hadn’t been the one to suggest the obvious.

“He means that I have an abortion,” said Ofelia, without losing her calm.

“Can you think of any other solution?” Isidro barked.

At this point Laura del Solar spoke up for the first time. In a trembling but very clear voice she said an abortion didn’t even bear thinking about, because that was a mortal sin.

“Sin or not, this mess won’t be sorted out in heaven, but down here on earth. We’ll do whatever is necessary, and God will understand.”

“We’re not going to do anything until we’ve spoken to Father Urbina,” said Laura.



* * *



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VICENTE URBINA ANSWERED THE family’s call that same night. He calmed them down just by being there, radiating intelligence and the strength of purpose of someone who knew how to deal with troubled souls and has a direct line to God. Accepting the glass of port he was offered, he declared he would speak to each of them separately, beginning with Ofelia, who by this time had a swollen face and a closed eye. He spoke with her for almost two hours, but he wasn’t able either to get her to confess the name of her lover, or reduce her to tears. “It’s not Matias, don’t blame him for this,” Ofelia repeated twenty times like a refrain. The priest was accustomed to hypnotizing his flock with fear, so this girl’s icy calm almost drove him out of his mind. It was past midnight by the time he had finished talking to the sinner’s parents and brother. He also questioned Juana, who was unable to clarify anything, because she had no idea who the mysterious lover might be. “It must be the Holy Spirit, Reverend,” she concluded slyly.

Any idea of an abortion was dismissed out of hand by a scandalized Urbina. Not only was it a crime according to the law, but it was an abominable sin in the eyes of God, the one arbiter in matters of life and death. There were alternatives, which they could consider in the following days. What was most important was to keep the matter within the four walls of the house: no one was to find out, not even Ofelia’s sisters or her other brother, who fortunately was away measuring typhoons in the Caribbean. Rumors have wings, as Isidro rightly said; the main thing was to safeguard Ofelia’s reputation and the family’s honor. Urbina encouraged each of them with his advice: Isidro was to avoid violence, as that can have unfortunate consequences, and at that moment what was needed was extreme caution; Laura was to continue to pray and contribute to the church’s charitable works; Ofelia should repent and confess, because the flesh is weak, but God’s mercy is infinite. He took Felipe aside and told him he had to take the lead in this crisis, and that he should come to see him in his office; he had a plan.