When I Knew You by Desireé Prosapio Read Free Book Online

drawn documents to make anything really work.
    "Anyway, a woman came into the office researching mineral rights on some land. There was a discrepancy about names on this natural gas field in South Texas and her company wanted to clarify before they entered into a lease. Involved the Bonita family back in the 60s.
    "I didn't know too much about them back then, but your grandmother told me we were related to the Bonitas, distant cousins or something. That was something she told me a little too late. "
    She laughed bitterly, that ironic, sarcastic tone was one I hadn't heard from her in over a decade.  
    "But I'll get to that later."  
    There was a long pause, and I could hear a muffled sounds in the background. My mother's voice was louder for a minute.
    "I'm relaxing in the tub, mother."
    Another muffled sound, then the splashing of water.
    "Honestly, can you just leave me alone for a while?"
    A muffled sound cut off, then there was a skip in the tape as if something had been erased. Her voice was back, softer.
    "Does your grandmother always sleep so lightly? I wonder if you were ever able to sneak out of the house in high school. I never could. She had me nailed the minute my feet hit the floor. All for the best, I suppose.
    "So, like I was saying, it's about people. And... relationships.
    "That's what I really want you to know. I wasn't trying to be a hero, or on some kind of crusade. It was all a weird accident. And I never would have known any of it if it weren't for that natural gas lease. Didn't matter, though."  
    There was another long pause, then she continued.
      "So I ended up focusing my thesis on natural gas leases and mineral rights. I know, it sounds pretty boring. But almost every power player from the panhandle was built on those leases. They were smart guys. They might sell land, but not the mineral rights. They held on to the value. I was working on economics around oil and gas, some statistical analysis, but I have to admit, I kept coming back to rights. Maybe Gustav was right. Maybe I should have switched to law.
    "Anyway, in the year before the accident I got something in the mail. It was... well, something pretty unusual, a kind of crazy coincidence. It's the first thing you need to go back and get if you're going to figure out what's going on. When everything started to get heated, I scattered all the information so if something happened to me, so someone could do something. Of course, there was the will...
    "But you never did see the will, did you? Because 'technically' I didn't die."
    She laughed again, lower this time.
    "I think it's the letter they were after the day the truck hit me, Katarina. Or maybe the package from Susan. I don't know. It could be the whole file. I haven't had time to look at everything really, I was so busy scattering it around after the big scene with Roberto.  
    I'd never heard of a single one of these people she was talking about.Who were they? Did she work with them? Were they friends?
    "And now... In a few days, I won't be... I won't really be here. "  
    Her voice broke, sounded tight and her breathing grew louder as if she had pulled the microphone right to her lips. My eyes began to burn and tears spilled over when I closed them. Mom's voice, Antonia's voice, all at once strange and yet painfully familiar and distant, continued.  
    "I won't be able to do shit. They'll come after you, Mija. Whether you know anything or not. I'm not sure why now, not sure what's going on. Maybe it's just because of me, because I came back.
    "At this point the only thing I can give you is the things I gathered before they... hit me.
    I heard a tap on the recording, and when she continued her voice was different, as if she was in a different room. She spoke so softly, she was practically whispering.  
    "Okay, Kati. First, go to the church in San Elizario. Ask for Father Henry. He's got the envelope and I called him to tell him you were coming—"
    I heard a loud knock on the door. I