Valeria Torres and the Midas Vault

Chapter 17: Misdirection and Survival

The four of them continued to practice different jujutsu and judo techniques over the next three hours. While difficult, the moves became easier with time. Valeria was amazed at how the techniques allowed a smaller person to use a bigger opponent's size against them.

Frank and Dontrell  breathed heavily as Jada showed Valeria another Judo technique. "Can we get a break for dinner?" Frank asked between labored breaths.

"Do you need a break?" Jada asked.

Valeria shook her head. "No. Let's keep going."

Dontrell looked over at  Frank and grinned. "She is a machine," he said, turning to Jada, "just like my sister – Jada Pinkett Smith over there."

Frank laughed as he checked his phone. "I was going to order Uber Eats delivery. I guess Japanese would be appropriate for today?"

Jada shook her head. "No, let's do Korean. The usual for me. Let Valeria try some Bibimbap."

"Alright, I'll order it." He looked over at Dontrell and asked, "Your usual too?"

As Frank and Dontrell  discussed food options, Valeria turned to Jada. "I've never really tried any Asian food. Is there really a difference?" Sighing, she added, "I feel like I don't know shit about anything."

"Yeah," Jada said, her lips pulling back into a grin. "Korean food is the best. And yes, you don't know shit. But I do, and I'm willing to teach you. So here's a lesson - the best ways to learn about different cultures is to try their food." Laughing, she added, "It's also the most fun. Anyway, let's continue."

She kept practicing with Jada until their food arrived forty-five minutes later. The four of them sat at the dinner table eating, with Frank, Jada, and Dontrell mostly involved in casual banter. Valeria remained quiet as she inspected her bowl of rice. The dish had vegetables, beef, and a fried egg on top. She was hesitant, but after giving it a try, she found the food delicious.

As she sat there eating, Valeria couldn't help but notice how the evening had turned out so much  differently than what she had anticipated. She expected Dontrell to act like some sort of coldblooded villain, but he seemed decent so far.

"So Valeria," Dontrell said. "How's school been going? Have you been able to fit in at all?"

"Yeah," she replied. "It wasn't as difficult as I thought."

"Valeria became friends with a nerd group and a popular group of kids," Frank said with  a wink. "She's a natural charmer."

"Well isn't that nice,"  Dontrell replied, his tone sarcastic. "I'm sure it was easy in a wealthy liberal suburb. I wonder how she'd do at a rural school in Mississippi."

Jada scowled as she addressed her brother. "Don't start trouble, D. Let's have a nice dinner."

"I'm not starting trouble," Dontrell said, leaning back in his chair. "I'm just getting to know your protégé. So tell me, Valeria, did you have a chance to read the news today?"

"Don't..." Jada hissed.

"She can read a newspaper," Dontrell quipped. "I would just like to know how a Latina immigrant, like Valeria here, feels when the President of the United States laughs about the idea of shooting unarmed immigrants traveling to our country."

Valeria gaped at him, unable to fathom a response. She wasn't surprised; she had heard anti-immigrant rhetoric before. Still, this example was above and beyond the usual intolerance, and it angered and frightened her.

"I'm warning you –" Jada  protested, but Dontrell cut her off.

"Or, how does she feel when she hears those stories about Latinos being ripped from their parents and being locked in cages? It can't be much better than how I feel, reading about unarmed black kids being killed by police."