That night's dinner was room-temperature chicken nuggets, not because they had no other options, but because Papi could not abide the thought of the frozen food going to waste if the power company did not fix the problem in time to prevent spoilage.
Pablo remained fidgety all evening from the lack of his cartoon tapes and the break from his usual routine, especially as night fell and the streetlights remained dark. Papi found an old box of wooden matches and rummaged around for two tall glass jars filled with candles.
The largest was decorated with a picture of the Blessed Mother, and the other with the angel Gabriel. An older Hispanic neighbor lady had given them to him when she had moved, and he had taken them just to be kind and had forgotten to throw them out.
The only thing Papi knew of his father was that he was not religious and originally came from Cuba, or so his Argentinian mother had told him. As God had never directly revealed himself to Papi, he withheld judgment on the entire subject. The candles would come in handy now, though, and he doubted any God would be mad about using them for practical purposes rather than worship.
There was still no power the next day, nor had there been even one car pass during the usual morning commute. Pablo had gotten up and made his own cereal as usual and prepared to dress in preparation for school. Papi doubted the bus would show up but did not feel like trying to explain that to the anxious child.
Pablo liked school, and Papi was not sure if he'd rather deal with tantrums or pouting all day. At the proper time, even though the battery-operated clock on the wall was not moving either, Pablo started to walk out the door. Papi held the boy's hand to stop him before he bounced down the stairs.
"There might not be school today, Mijo."
"Why not?"
So far, so good. Pablo's face only displayed curiosity rather than disappointment.
"The bus might not come today."
"Why not?"
"There won't be anybody at school if it has no power just like us."
"Why is there no power?"
They were in serious danger of falling into the why game, and once it became circular, there would be no easy escape. The office door across the lot burst open, and Papi was saved. A dozen angry residents followed the manager into the open air, all talking at once while playing their own version of why.
"Look, people, I don't have the authority to discount the rent. You'll have to take it up with the central office, but seeing that it isn't our fault, I wouldn't hold your breath. Don't worry, I won't add late fees for not paying until the power comes back; how about that?"
The statement did not make everyone happy, but it seemed to satisfy the small mob's most vocal member.
"No, I don't know any more than you do. I'm worried about my own partner. She didn't make it home last night, and I haven't seen one car on the road that isn't broke down either. She works thirty miles away, so I doubt either of us will be walking.
No, Mrs. Cortez, I don't know how you're going to get your medication. Maybe someone can send one of the older kids on their bicycles down to Main street with a note or something. It's only about five miles. I don't think..."
The manager stopped mid-sentence and stared open-mouthed at something in the road behind the tenants' backs from Papi's viewpoint. A few individuals swung around and gasped, which made everyone look.
Papi also stared as the strange vehicle silently eased into the parking lot and stopped in the center of the space. It reminded him of an open-sided tourist bus, with a simple roof supported by thin pillars covering rows of bench seating. It was otherwise like no vehicle anyone had ever seen.
First, there was no driver or place for one, and there was nothing to distinguish the front from the back. There were no lights or engine compartment, just a bare deck that supported the roof and seats. A couple of men went to their knees with puzzled expressions on their faces and exclaimed that there were no wheels.
The vehicle floated on nothing, about a foot above the road's surface as if supported by air. The men stated they could not feel a breeze when they bravely put their hands beneath the chassis. The three-hundred-pound apartment manager was the first to board, and the deck did not even wobble.
"See? I assume the authorities sent this so we can go get some answers. I am going to ride along to see if I can find any information on my old lady. Anyone else coming?"
The people murmured, some to others and some to themselves. The two men who initially investigated the wheels, or lack thereof, eventually jumped on and were joined by a middle-aged woman with two small children, plus Mrs. Cortez searching for a pharmacy.
The vehicle sounded two bell-like rings, then slowly and smoothly reversed to pull out into the street and disappeared up the block. Everyone who stayed behind walked out to watch the strange trolley. It turned into the next apartment complex and then continued around the next street corner and out of sight. The passengers never returned.
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