Capítulo 17: Sixteen
I sat on a bench near the departures gate at Tucson International with the sign Hernando made facedown. When Hernando finished designing the poster, he wanted to bring it home so he would bring it to the airport.
I told him, "So you can arrive to the airport without it?"
As I saw Kat and Hernando enter the airport I laughed at Kat's shirt. "Always keeping it real, Kat," I replied.
She looks down at her shirt and said, "Well, I'm here for support. May as well wear my own sign." Both of us laugh while Hernando had a sour look on his face.
"Just give me the sign," he replied as I hand it to him.
Hernando did a really good job with the poster. He made it look as inviting as possible as around the words 'I Love Hugs' were smiley faces and winky faces. It was Kat's idea for Hernando to make the words in bold black and the faces in different colors. Even though she offered to help him with the poster he was adamant against it. Saying, "A bet's a bet."
He stood near the departures gate with the sign, while Kat sat next to me as she started to work on her homework. "Let me know if you get stuck, Kat."
She scrunched her nose at me. "I don't get stuck. I get frustrated."
"Same thing," I replied as I looked at people's reactions. Some of them looked at Hernando like he's crazy while others chuckled. It's fun to people watch. I always took an avid interest in watching people. There was nothing I wanted to miss. And it probably had something to do with being an only child.
Then again, Kat's an only child and she's not much of a people watcher. She tends to avoid people.
The first hour was a continuous wave of weird glances or chuckles as a blur of people passed to their next destination. As the first hour came to a close though, a family with little kids enters the airport. One of the kids tugged on their mom's pant leg and beckoned her to bend down so she'd be able to whisper in her mom's ear.
After looking at Hernando and some quick words with her husband, they approached him. I lean in as much as I can without being obvious about it. "Hello! Is it alright if my children take a picture with you? They'd like to hug you too," replies the mom.
"Sure?" asked Hernando. As soon as he said that the three children ran at him before hugging him. They were so little they were hugging him by his waist.
The mom whips out her phone to take a quick picture. "SMILE!" she says as her children immediately oblige. It takes Hernando a second to smile too. After the picture, the dad shook his hand and they're off.
Hernando looks amazed and I raise my eyebrow at him. "What happened, Nando?"
At the mention of his nickname, Kat looks up from her homework. She decides to be more responsible than me and tackle the math first.
Hernando walks up to our bench and showed us what the dad gave him...a ten dollar bill. "I got a freaking tip!" He looked at me as he stuffs the bill in his jean pocket. "At least the loser gets paid," he told me with a smirk as he runs out closer to the gate again to hold the sign.
"Your cousin can be really annoying, Kat."
She laughed at me as she said, "You're just noticing that?"
We stayed there until 5 PM. For five hours, almost everyone wanted to take a picture with Hernando as they hugged him. A group of models even took a group selfie with Hernando...for that picture he was practically grinning ear to ear.
I was astounded. I never knew what started out as a bet could pay the loser so well in tips. I felt like I was being punked. It was when I was in the middle of feeling down that Kat gave me a hug. "Don't worry...I'm going to make him treat us to something with that tip money Kit."
After she let go of me I sighed. "I don't know how you could get him to do that Kat. It's his tip money."
"Which he has you to thank for," was her reply. I've taught her too well.
"Very crafty."
"Not crafty. Taking your advice...there's no sore losers in the House of Adair." I smirked at her reply and she quickly went back to working on her math.
While I was watching Hernando the Sensation of the Tucson International Airport. As he was about to leave, a group of TSA Agents said they wanted to have a picture hugging him too. It was the last photo of the day taken where Hernando was now proudly holding the sign.
When Hernando was finally done, he sat next to Kat and took a deep breath. "This bet felt like work!"
"Good," I said.
Kat closed her history book, as she finished her math early on, and she looked up at her cousin. "Nando, I want a cinnamon roll." Kat said it so softly, but Hernando nodded.
"Okay, let's get you one. There's that bakery place after security. Let's see if TSA will let us go through." TSA did, after having us go through the metal detector and getting Kat's backpack through the scanner.
We went to the bakery place where we got three toasted gooey cinnamon rolls with some of Hernando's money. Even after treating us he still had $100 worth of tips.
"That was awesome! Now, I have enough money to buy that acoustic guitar I found on craigslist." He was so excited that I couldn't help but be happy for the guy.
"Nando, you don't know how to play guitar," replied Kat.
"I know, but I'll teach myself. Learn how to read music and then, perform on the street and get MORE tip money!" Kat gave him a skeptical look.
"Whatever you say. Thank you for treating us," Kat replied with a smile.
Hernando had a far away look as he said, "I'll treat you to more than that once I get MORE tip money and prove you wrong, Prima!"
He was like that the whole time Kat and I were eating, but his enthusiasm was contagious. Even Kat smiled and nodded as he was talking with his head completely in the clouds.
Later when we parted ways Kat told her cousin, "My best friend and I have to talk for a minute." Hernando shrugged and was still standing off to her side, still with the sign. "ALONE."
"Jesus, fine!" Hernando walked farther away from earshot.
Kat looked up at me as she said, "Thank you."
"For what?" I asked her.
"Today is the first time in a while that I feel like I got my cousin back." Kat's eyes started to water as she choked out, "Thank you."
"Awe Kat, don't cry!" This time I'm the one that initiates the hug. "It wasn't my intention but I'm glad that Nando's not the only one happy he's lost the bet."
Then after I break the hug, we went our separate ways. I have no idea what Kat's talking about. Having her cousin back? He's been hanging out with us since yesterday!
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