6. La Abuela

6 La Abuela Stanley had seen Olympic divers on television: their bodies perfectly straight, their hands like arrows piercing the water. Stanley made himself as flat as he could. The wind rushed around his ears. The side of the cliff blurred before his eyes. He barely made a splash. Stanley shot toward the bottom of the water like a bullet. Suddenly, he noticed an underwater cave to his left, swarming with fish. He went for it. Inside, Stanley knew he couldn't hold his breath much longer. His hands broke the surface and hit the cave's rocky ceiling. There wasn't nearly enough space for his head. How am I going to breathe?! he thought in a panic.

Then he remembered Carmen's voice: What are you going to do with what you have? Stanley swung himself into a back float. His flat body barely rose above the surface. The ceiling of the cave was inches from his nose.

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He gulped the air hungrily. A current began pulling him along. It started gently and then got faster. Soon, Stanley felt like he was riding a water slide—except it was pitch-dark, and all the sides were covered with sharp rocks. The current rose to a roar. He swung into the wall and scraped his leg. Stanley cried out. Vroosh. He shot out of the cave. Stanley found himself in a calm, clear pool of water shallow enough that he could stand. Around the pool was a small field of herbs, planted in rows. And at the edge of the field was a tiny cottage. Stanley walked ashore, careful not to step on any of the plants. He was about to knock on the door when it opened.

A very small, very old woman stood before him. Stanley swallowed hard. "La Abuela?" She was smaller than Stanley was, with big cheeks and short gray hair. She wore a colorful dress and a patterned scarf around her neck. She looked at him curiously. Stanley reached into his pocket for Carlos's letter, but all he found was a few soggy bits of paper. "I'm not a spy," Stanley said quickly. Without responding, La Abuela reached for his hand. She raised his arm before her eyes and turned it this way and that, examining its shape.

Then she turned her gaze to Stanley's face. Stanley held his head high so she could look. When he looked down again, La Abuela's eyes were moist, as if she were about to cry. Her lips quivered. "Estaba esperándole," she said. "I have been waiting for someone like you." Stanley was about to ask what she meant when he heard a series of splashes—one, two, three! "Oui!" a familiar voice said triumphantly. "We have arrived at last!"