The Farming Of Bones

Amabelle brings Papi some water while he’s working in his orchid garden. He starts talking about Señor Pico’s accident again and Amabelle reveals that she knows which worker was killed. Papi asks Amabelle to put him in touch with the dead worker’s father but Amabelle insists she get Kongo’s permission first. Amabelle goes inside to check on Señora Valencia, who tells her that Señor Pico thinks the Generalissimo is going to give him “the whole nation” (86). They then discover that Rafi, Pico’s son, isn’t breathing. Señor Pico and Doctor Javier try to save him, but he’s already dead. Señora Valencia puts him in her baptism outfit and paints his coffin with orchids. She asks Doctor Javier how Rafi died but his explanation is vague. While she is painting, she recalls the day her and Papi found Amabelle sitting on the rocks by herself. She says she was so grateful to have Amabelle come into her life, but Amabelle only feels jealousy at Señora Valencia’s ability to touch things she can’t. When mourners arrive, Señora Valencia refuses all visitors.