Chapter I .The Moura's Cave (parts one to five)

 Hola!! 

Ya estoy de nuevo por aquí, en esta ocasión os traigo parte de un proyecto/meta/objetivo que me he marcado desde hace un tiempo y que, consiste, principalmente, en ofreceros algunos capítulos de La Cueva de la Moura en su versión inglesa, con el fin de que llegue a más público o a más rincones del mundo. Os dejo a continuación los cinco primeros fragmentos del capítulo uno, que ya he ido compartiendo con vosotros en mi perfil de Instagram (@enanalore , si no me sigues todavía no sé a qué esperas, jejeje). Espero que os guste y os agradezco de antemano la difusión.

CHAPTER I “THE MOURA’S CAVE”

I woke up suddenly and soaked in sweat, it is not strange considering that the summer in the city becomes suffocating. The asphalt retains the heat during the day and releases it at night causing the night temperature to be very similar to the daytime temperature. However, this morning, sweat is not due to the heat, but to a dream, a nightmare, which has been repeated over the last month. Yellow eyes, that’s all I can remember from the dream, yellow eyes that terrify me.

I stand up and look around, my bags are ready and next to the door, my clothes are on the desk chair. Today is my birthday, I turn seventeen and, my beloved mother, has decided that I have to spend the whole summer at Grandma Emma’s house so that she can have ours, with her new boyfriend Pablo.
 I don’t like him very much, he’s much younger than she is, he looks at me too much and, I don’t like that.

I haven’t been to Grandma’s house for three years, even though I’ve seen her every Christmas, I haven’t been able to go back to that house since... since Grandpa died. Grandpa, I miss him a lot, he was my best friend, we shared hobbies, including books, when he died, Grandma sent me a box with some of them. I have them here, on the shelf, above my bed; I have read and reread them a million times over these years. Grandma also sent me a small notebook full of his annotations but I haven’t been able to read it yet. Every time I try, I see his handwriting on the cover and I crumble, I burst into tears, I end up closing it and leaving it in its place, in my backpack, always with me because, even though I am not able to read it, I know there is a piece of my granddad in it and, I am comforted feeling him next to me.

Well, it’s time to get up, the train leaves in a couple of hours.
 After a shower, more than comforting, I get dressed; I take my bags and take a last look at my room, my sanctuary.

I hear the voices and laughs of my mother and Pablo, they get silent when they notice me coming and, when I enter the kitchen, a chocolate muffin appears in front of my face, with a candle lit on top.

― Happy birthday, honey –. My mother doesn’t stop smiling.

― Thank you, mum –. She gives me a kiss on my cheek.

― Come on, what are you waiting for? Blow out the candle. – She places the muffin in front of my face, again –. But, remember to make your wish.

A wish? What am I supposed to ask for? Hum,…I know. I hope this summer is not as bad as it seems. I blow; the candle goes out, my mother nods satisfied.

― Here, this is from both of us. Happy birthday, Eva –. Pablo brings me a huge box, while he gives me a kiss on the cheek, mum can’t smile anymore, and I do it too, even though I feel uncomfortable. 

― Oh...thanks a lot, let’s see… - I tear the paper, the truth is that I’m excited, the package is very big, and mum doesn’t usually give me presents. – Ah, a bathrobe, towels and sheets, how…how useful…Thank you both –. I give each one a little hug and, I scold myself, for holding out hope, that they would give me something I like for once. 

― We'll leave everything in your room, by the time you come back, do you have everything yet?

― Yes, mum. The taxi should be here soon.

― Sure, sorry again for not being able to take you - look at her watch - in fact, we should go now, they’re waiting for us...

― It’s okay, go. – I’ll manage on my own, as usual. I smile. – Have a good time.

― See you back, sweetie. – Sweetie? Who are you? They give me a kiss each, fast and fleeting, the door closes. Goodbye mum.

I take out my IPhone , there are still fifteen minutes for the taxi to arrive that is what the customer service girl told me, thank goodness, I have been foreseeing and I will arrive at the station with plenty of time. I decide to call Marta, my best and only friend, I want to hear her voice. Her phone is off, it’s true she must be on the plane to Paris. I could also be on that plane now but, my mother couldn’t stand the idea that I would spend a better summer than she.

I’ll send her a message through Line, telling her about the cool gifts  that my mother and Pablo have given me. From today, this is the only thing I have to be in touch with the outside world, my IPhone. I make a mental list of what I should have packed in my suitcase, I have everything. I look at myself in the mirror in the hall, with the heat, my hair is already dry, I decide to make my self some braids, so when I get home of my Grandma, it will be perfect, neither sued, nor tangled. I put on a black and white striped strapless dress with my Converse, also black.
 I decide to retouch up the eyeliner, I started using it this year, and I like the Gothic look that gives me.

My taxi has arrived, I go down in the elevator, and the driver is outside waiting for me to put my bags inside. As it is early and, Saturday, we don’t find much traffic and, in half an hour, I’m already at the station with the train ticket in my hand and looking for it.

I have a window seat , so I won't get dizzy. Luckily, they have already invented these fast trains, which take you to the north of the country in just a couple of hours, I don’t want to imagine what it was like in my mother’s or my grandparents’ time. I take out my IPhone and put on my headphones, the movies they are playing are very old, I look out the window, with the movement and Rita Ora singing How we do, I fall asleep.

I open my eyes and, to my surprise, they announce my stop in ten minutes. I have already arrived in Galicia, in the blink of an eye, never better.

I go out to the street, I don’t see my grandmother’s Citroen Saxo anywhere, has she forgotten? Impossible, I’m her favourite granddaughter, her only granddaughter. A SUV is coming beeping and flashing lights, I wouldn’t like to be the poor asshole they come to look for.
 It parks in front of me and... I can’t believe it! What a guy, blond, tall, brown eyes... In addition, for some strange reason, he comes up to me, my heart beats at full speed, he is familiar to me... What if he talks to me? I don’t think I am able to articulate a word. No, Eva, you have to grow up; don’t let him know you like him. Calm down, breath deep, okay, I got it.

― Hello, Eva – says the hot guy, he knows my name -. Don’t you remember me?
 – He sounds a little disappointed.

― Uhm... hi. No, sorry, I think we’ve met before but... I can’t reach you, sorry.

― It’s okay, it’s normal; it’s been about... six years, since we last saw each other. I’m Brais. The grandson of…

― Antonio. Yes, I remember you, you are… - you are hot, imponent, tremendous… Don’t be vulgar–. Different, older, I guess.

― Yes, you’re... older too – he looks at me from top to bottom, I must be red-faced -. Well, we can leave whenever you want; we still have a half hour to go to village.

― Okay, let’s go - he loads my bags in the luggage compartment, I take advantage of and take off my braids quickly, my hair blowing in the wind, he looks and smiles at me.

― Ready, we’re leaving. –. We got into the car and leave the town through the highway.

― Hey… why hasn’t my grandmother come?
 – He looks at me glance–. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind you coming, it’s just... I expected her to come - I sound disappointed, in a way it’s like that.

― The truth is that I offered to come and get you. Your grandmother is already a little older and she shouldn’t drive long distances. Usually, she only uses the car to go to the store in the next village. Cheer up, in that way, she has prepared the food and not my grandfather. Believe me, you’ll thank it –. He laughs and I join him.

― And you? Do you live here now? Have you also come from holydays? – Suddenly he stops laughing. Oops, I think that he will give me an uncomfortable answer.

― Yes, well, I’ve been living with my Grandpa for two years, my parents…died and he’s the only family I have now –. Damn it, Eva, you’re idiot.

― I’m... I’m so sorry, I had no idea, and I haven’t talked much to Grandma in the last three years, I…

― Calm down, don’t worry, I’m fine, Grandpa’s great. Well, and your grandmother too, I have been spoiled so much these years.

― I’m glad, so Grandma has someone else to be with.

― Oh…by the way… Happy Birthday! – He looks into my eyes for a few seconds.

― Thank you.

― How old are you? Sixteen?

― No, I’m seventeen - he laughs, I think he’s kidding me.

― It's true, I get two years off you, you're a lassie. -. Lassie? Old people say that, does he think I’m a kid or what?

― Oh, yeah, sorry, you’re the  maturity personified, I hadn’t noticed when you entered in the station parking beeping and flashed the car lights.
 – Yes sir, there you go, pure sarcasm. He looks at me bemused and laughs.

― Touché….Sarcasm, huh? I like it, we’ll get along –. He winks at me.

It’s been a very short ride, Brais is fun and handsome. Nice and handsome. Smart and handsome. Oh my god, he's so handsome! I sneakily touch my mouth, I’ve been so excited that I even drool, luckily he hasn’t seen me.