Read Nilda for Free Online Page B

down over his forehead.
    Nilda felt her own stomach turn cold as ice. Running out of the building to find her mother and Leo, she saw them coming toward her. “Mamá, there’s a man. He’s all full of blood, in that building in there.” Her voice was shaking. Swiftly they went past her into the hallway.
    â€œOh my God, Virgen María Madre de Dios, he’s been stabbed.”
    Nilda could hear her mother screaming. Leo was out in a second.
    â€œPolice! Police! Help! ¡Ayuda! Somebody’s been hurt,” Leo was shouting. He ran into a bar next door. People began to open windows and gather about.
    â€œHe’s been hurt, poor man, we need help, ¡bendito! ¡Se muere! He’s bleeding very badly,” her mother went on, pleading for help.
    The superintendent of the building came out, and by this time many people were shouting and asking questions.
    Nilda waited outside in front of the building. Two small boys came by. They looked at her. “Hey, what happened, man?” they asked.
    â€œSomebody got stabbed, I think in the stomach, and he’s bleeding all over.” She pointed to the blood on the sidewalk. People had stepped in it, leaving red shoe-prints.
    â€œDoes he live here?” asked one of the boys.
    â€œI don’t know. I don’t live here myself. I was just walking by and I saw—”
    â€œHey, maybe I know him,” interrupted the other boy. “Let me see.”
    They tried to get in the hallway but the entrance was crowded with people. Nilda watched them disappear into the crowd of adults as she waited nervously for the sight of her mother or Leo who were inside the building. She heard the siren sound and a patrol car pulled up, followed by a white ambulance.
    â€œOkay, break it up. Come on now, step aside, break it up. Stretcher coming through.”
    After a few minutes, Nilda heaved a sigh of relief as she saw her mother first, and then Leo, step out into the street. The wounded man was carried out on the stretcher and taken away in the ambulance. Slowly people began to disappear and the street got quiet again. Her mother and Leo exchanged good-byes with some of the people who lived in the building. “Muchas gracias por todo.”
    â€œDe nada.”
    â€œAdiós.”
    â€œHasta luego.”
    Nilda walked alongside her mother and looked back at the sidewalk which was still streaked and blotted with blood. The red was beginning to bury itself in the concrete. The rain will wash it away, she thought.
    They decided to turn into one of the streets leading to the Madison Avenue bus. “After that we better ride back,” said Leo. The street they came to was noisy and crowded with people. Most of the shops and bars on the street were open and brightly lit, busy with activity. Nilda saw groups of women, some standing against the tenements and in front of the shops, others sitting on the stoops of the buildings. As they walked past the women, Nilda saw that some were very young, with cheeks painted bright red, crimson lips and false flowers pinned in their hair.
    â€œHey, good looking! Want a good time?” said a young girl who had come forward, almost blocking the way.
    Some others followed saying, “Daddy, leave Mamá and relax with me.”
    Nilda looked at them and realized they were talking to Leo. Calling out to him, yelling endearments.
    â€œYou’re a sweet Papá and it don’t cost much. Vámonos adentro, come inside for a minute, lemme talk to you.” They were beckoning him to come with them. Some had sweet voices, others almost commanding.
    â€œCome on now! Papi dulce, right in here in this building you’ll have the best time of your life!”
    Nilda stared in amazement at the very young ones who seemed about the same age as the older girls on her block.
    â€œTen dollars the whole night and a good bed.”
    â€œBueno. Five for me and everything nice and clean.”
    Some of