Under The Feet Of Jesus

As the family arrives back at the bungalow, Perfecto worries about what to do next:

There would be no tomorrow, he knew. He was positive the nurse had called the police […] Without checking his wallet, he made a mental calculation […] Five dollars gave him a quarter of a tank, and he couldn’t decide whether four dollars and seven cents was enough cash to bail out (161).

He tries to reassure himself that the nurse might not have reported the incident, but other concerns, like Petra’s pregnancy, are also weighing on his mind. He considers leaving that same night: “He could not wait for the barn and the money and tomorrow. If he left right this minute, without even turning back, pulled the arrow of pain from his belly, he would have a second chance” (162-63).

Petra is also worrying about the police, and she is losing faith in Perfecto. She wonders why she didn’t try to stop Estrella, but admits that “there was no stopping Estrella, no harnessing the climate of circumstances, no holding back the will of her body” (164). She kneels before her altar, which is decorated with a doily Petra’s grandmother crocheted—a skill Petra now wishes she had.