Light From Uncommon Stars(118)

Shizuka Satomi.

You were quite the surprise, weren’t you? “Hell shall be avenged sevenfold,” the contract said. Seven souls was the deal. You gave us six. A contract is a contract … but a profit is still a profit.

And those souls. Each one exquisite. Perfectly flavored, simply bursting with despair. In fact, after your contract, Hell had intended to offer you a full-time position. Not that you would have accepted it, of course.

Though, to be honest, I never understood how you believed that you had lost your music in the first place. What do you think made each of those six souls so exquisite, their suffering so terrible? Any demon can drag six souls to Hell.

But your souls, dear Shizuka, even without their violins … to this day, oh how they sing!

But enough reminiscing. Shizuka Satomi was gone, and Hell was as hungry as usual. Tremon took out his phone and looked at his GPS.

The demon wriggled his hooves in his shoes. All would be well.

Tamiko Giselle Grohl was not so far away.



* * *



Wake up! Ynez, wake up!

The bus ride had been over an hour, but finally she was here. She was aiming for that magic time just after lunch break, when the owner would be there but the shop was most likely to be empty.

Ynez Beltran took a deep breath and slapped her face.

Okay, I am going to make a good impression. I am going to make a good impression.

Ynez walked toward the huge donut. She peeked through the window at the clean floors and tables. Yes!

She had timed her visit perfectly. She opened the door and walked inside.

“Hello? May I help you?”

“Yesterday I see your sign? That you … look for help?”

Ynez stumbled over the words she’d rehearsed. Why couldn’t she focus? Her English was poor, but that wasn’t it. It was the amazing smells. The flour, the oil, the glaze, the yeasty rising dough … They filled her with memories of home, and happiness, and so many other things …

“Shirley, who that?”

“Someone is looking for a job.”

“Job?”

Ynez felt more comfortable at the sound of another accent, but when the old woman appeared, any confidence vanished. All of those magical aromas wafting from the kitchen were obviously due to her.

“M-my name is Ynez. Ynez Beltran.”

“Ynez Beltran, you make donut before?”

“Yes, ma’am, I work in a bakery many years. But we no have so much donut shops in my country, no.”

Oh, no! Ynez berated herself. Why did she say “my country”?

Ynez tried to remain calm. She couldn’t mess up. She needed this job. She had a family depending upon her.

But the donuts were making it difficult. The rising yeast, fresh dough, frostings and glazes … This was no ordinary kitchen; she wanted to know more. The apple filling …

Floresta liked this Ynez girl immediately. She had general bakery experience, not donut making, but that she could learn. And her reaction to the donuts—that was something one did not teach.

“Can you start tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, ma’am! Thank you, ma’am.”

“Just call me Floresta for now.”

“Yes, ma’a—I mean, Floresta.”

Another mistake, but this time, she was too giddy to mind. The job was hers! She would work here, learn to make these donuts— “But I have no papers,” she blurted without thinking.

Ynez froze. With those words, she’d just lost everything.

If she had only kept her mouth shut! Now hiring her would be knowingly breaking the law.

What if they called the authorities? What if she was separated from her family? What if they came for her family, too?

“I’m sorry!” she said. Quickly, she turned to the door.

But then a hand fell gently upon her shoulder.

“It’s fine,” a voice said. The voice was caring. Wise. It reminded her a little bit of her aunty.

“It’s fine,” Floresta repeated. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. She patted Ynez gently before letting go.

Slowly, Ynez relaxed. Blood flowed back into her hands and fingers. She took a deep breath, and as she did so, the smells of the donut shop came rushing back to her. She blushed as her stomach growled.

Floresta laughed, then gave Ynez a donut.

“So you came from far?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am, with family,” said Ynez.

With family.

Floresta walked past Ynez to the front of the shop. She peered out the window into the San Gabriel Valley.

Right now, Edwin was trying a new sandwich place in Monterey Park. Tonight, she and Windee were going to Alhambra to see a movie. Up in that beautiful sky, Lanny and Shizuka were saving the galaxy. And this weekend, Shirley and Katrina would be shopping for swimsuits at Santa Anita Plaza.

“Ma’am?” Ynez finally ventured.

Yikes! How long had she been staring? Lanny was right. Being a captain was hard work.

“Ah—just looking at stars.”

Ynez wasn’t sure if she had understood correctly—wasn’t it still daytime? They must not be common stars. But now she had a donut.

And tomorrow morning, she had a job.

“It’s fine, really?” Ynez Beltran asked, just to be sure.

“Yes, really,” Aunty Floresta said. “That’s how we got started, too.”