Family Matters - Chapter 2

Family Matters by Nina Lavoie

Intermediate Level English. All in the present for transposition exercises.

China has secrets. That much is obvious. When she travels to Paraguay to visit her family, she wants to hear the whole story about Wenasclao and finding the Simon Bertoni treasure. Everyone is happy to see China. But something is amiss.

When goons dressed up as the secret police come storming into the house to arrest her, even the Bertoni family is surprised that she has vanished. Then Johnny, a new teacher from school, finds listening devices in the house. Things are starting to get out of hand.

Apparently some people think that China killed General Stroessner twenty years ago and may still know where he buried the Stroessner fortune. Whoever controls that fortune, controls the future of Paraguay. Serious stuff, indeed.

Family Matters is the second in a series of three books (Family Secrets, Family Matters and Family Ties) about the Bertoni Family and their adventures in Paraguay.

CHAPTER TWO

“China, you’re here!” Jane and Jeremy run down the front steps to the taxi as their grandmother gets out of the car. “Dad only told us ten minutes ago that you were coming.” Jeremy hugs China so hard that she staggers back against the taxi.

“Hello, my darlings,” China says, a bit out of breath. “Careful with these old bones, Jeremy.” She reaches out to caress Jane’s face. “How are you, my dear?”

“Fine, we’re all fine, grandma.” Jane says. “Just surprised to see you is all.”

“But glad you made it here without dying,” Jeremy says with a straight face.

“Dad told us you couldn’t travel anymore because you were too old and the trip might kill you.”

“I’m not dead yet, Jeremy,” China says. “But if you don’t stop squeezing me, you’ll hug me to death.”

Jeremy and Jane each take a hand and lead China up the steps, onto the porch where Arnold and Annie are waiting.

Arnold walks past them to get China’s luggage from the trunk of the taxi.

“And don’t forget to pay him,” China calls after Arnold.

“Hello, China, welcome. We are so glad you’re here,” Annie says and gives China a big, heartfelt hug. “We have so much to tell you.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here. I’m getting bits and pieces of this adventure of yours from the kids but I want to hear the whole story.”

Although they insist that China rest first, she insists even more strongly on a cup of tea and telling the whole story from the beginning. In the end, that’s exactly what they do.

“What I don’t understand,” Arnold says, “is why you told me that Lujan had died with her family in the jungle? Were you trying to keep me from coming back here?”

Arnold isn’t being very subtle with his questions. Obviously he is upset about it still.

“Arnold, look at me,” China says. “I swear that I didn’t know. That’s what they told me. Obviously someone was trying to keep Lujan safe and it worked.”

That calms Arnold down somewhat. “Yes, I suppose if I had heard that she was still alive, I would have come back here and she would have been discovered.”

“It was better this way, son.”

Arnold turns away to go into the kitchen.

“What I don’t understand,” Annie says, “is why we didn’t know you were coming. We would have loved to pick you up at the airport.”

“I had people to see and things to do first,” China says. And then she is silent. She will not explain. She never explains. Some people will say she is difficult but Jane knows it is just her way.

“Well, I for one, am glad you’re here,” Jeremy says and the rest of the family chime in. "But, China, why are you here?” Jeremy always has a way of getting straight to the point.

“I wanted to hear the whole story of your adventure, of course.”

“No, really,” Jeremy says. “Why are you really here? You never go anywhere. When we go to the zoo, you don’t come with. When we went to Colorado last year, you didn’t come with. Why now? What changed?”

China takes a long moment to think and then she makes a decision. “Ok, I’ll tell you,” she says. “I came here to die.”

Johnny claps his hands loudly outside on the porch. The doorbell is not working it seems and clapping loudly is the accepted way of getting the attention of the people inside the house.

The door opens and Jane stands there looking at him in surprise. “Johnny, what are you doing here?”

“I came to meet your parents. I do that with all of the students. Didn’t you get my email?”

“What email?” Jane says.

“Who is at the door, Jane?” Annie calls from the inside of the house.

“Mr. Martinez, ,my history teacher from school,” Jane shouts back.

“Tell him to come in,” Annie says.

“Would you like to come in?” Jane asks Johnny. He nods and steps into the house. Jane leads him into the living room and introduces him to everyone.

“And this is my grandmother, Matilde,” Jane says, indicating her grandmother seated on an overstuffed chair. “We call her China.”

China makes to get up but Johnny insists that she stay seated and bends down on one knee and takes her hand and kisses it lightly, like a knight-in-shining-armor or a French gentleman will do. He murmurs something that only China, and Jane, can hear. “I have heard such wonderful stories about you,” he says softly.

China looks at him sharply but Jane just looks confused. Before she can say anything, China interrupts and demands that someone show her to her room so she can rest. Arnold has already taken her suitcases upstairs so now he takes her by the arm and helps her climb the stairs slowly, one step at a time.

Jane doesn’t think she actually needs that much help. She looks stronger than she lets on. And what were these stories that Johnny had heard about her grandmother?

“How can we help you, Mr. Martinez?” Annie says. “Please take a seat.”

“I like to meet the families of my students,” Johnny says, “it helps me to understand them better when I have some context.” He smiles that beautiful smile and Jane melts. Again.

Annie and Mr. Martinez talk back and forth for a while as Jane tries to process what China has told them earlier. She had come to Paraguay to die? What was that all about?

“What do you think, Jane?” Her mother is talking to her.

“About what, mom?” Jane asks.

Annie just looks at her. “Haven’t you been listening, dear?” She has to be polite in front of Mr. Martinez but her eyes are shooting daggers at her.

“No, sorry, Mom. What are you talking about?” Jane says.

“Well, apparently, the Simon Bertoni Foundation has also offered Mr. Martinez here a place to stay.”

“Where? Here in the house?” Jane asks.

“Yes, apparently. He was under the impression that the house would be empty but he says he really only needs one room. He’s your teacher, so what do you think?”

Johnny turns to look at her but Jane doesn’t know what to think.

“Obviously, there was a mix up,” her Mom is saying, “but we will ask the Foundation for some answers. In the meantime, do you have a place to stay for a couple of days while we sort things out?”

“Yes, no problem, Mrs. Bertoni.”

There is something about all of this that is not right. Jane is suspicious but she isn’t sure of what. Johnny living in her house is a dream come true. But it is totally weird and unusual and there is something off about him that she can’t quite put her finger on.

Jane follows her mother and Johnny out onto the front porch to say goodbye and then stands there looking out at the city below long after Johnny has left in his taxi.

Something was not right.

Copyright © 2019-2025 by Bert A. Amsing and vanKregten Publishers. All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from Bert A. Amsing and/or vanKregten Publishers.

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