Author: Ray Loriga
- Fiction
- Alfaguara
- ISBN: 9788420409993
- Release Date: 10-10-2011
-Reviewed by: Jacqueline Robles
Adela is a girl from the small town of New Augusta in Mississippi who has been awarded a scholarship at the prestigious Carnwell University, a 200 year old institution only accepting the very rich or the very smart. Adela falls under the second category. She leaves her small hometown with her heart set in becoming a worldly woman and as she walks through the university’s Victorian buildings, grassy fields and ancient elm trees, she feels exhilarated, convinced that she is fulfilling her destiny. This will not only be the first day of school, but the first day of her new and exciting life. Only two things are missing: a handsome new boyfriend and a best friend.
It is at this very moment that she meets the talkative and bubbly Laura; a freshman also, who claims to have just arrived but who is extremely familiar with life at the university, claiming her older sister graduated the year before. Laura immediately takes Adela under her wing, asking her to share the best room in the dorm, (#666). Adela watches in fascination as Laura talks to Mrs. Mills, the dorm monitor as if they were old friends, and immediately arrangements are made so that Adela and Laura can move into their dorm rooms that same afternoon.
As is customary, the first night on campus and two days before classes begin, both male and female students take to the wharf to meet and go bar hopping. Laura provides the clothes, under garments included, that Adela wears that night, claiming that her clothes are not sophisticated enough. It is important to make a good impression. But before they leave Adela hears Mrs. Mills’ warning to Laura: “Be ware of the Drinker of Tears.” Immediately Adela asks her new friend about the mysterious reference but Laura dismisses it as “nonsense.” However, Adela, who is extremely curious, insists and Laura has no other choice but to tell her about Carnwell’s legend. “Supposedly,” she says, “on your first day here you will meet a boy who will break your heart. But the Drinker of Tears will come from his darkest corner to avenge the wrong.” Adela insists that Laura explains further, and the other girl tells her how 100 years ago a girl engaged to be married was seduced by a false lover. Typically, the young man left her afterwards and her tears brought back her betrothed who came to avenge the act, killing the false lover. It is said that after that the Drinker of Tears wanders the campus, dragging his sword under the elm trees, ready to avenge any girl whose heart is broken by a lover. Adela is fascinated by the extremely romantic story but Laura insists it is pure nonsense, adding that afterwards the Drinker of Tears repudiated his betrothed, not even speaking her name again. The girl, sick with shame threw herself from the nearby cliffs but her body was never found. However, there is grave in the cemetery nearby with her name, Irene, and someone always puts fresh flowers on it.
After this last revelation Adela shakes with fear, but Laura tries to put her at ease saying that she has nothing to worry about, for after all she did not leave a boyfriend behind. Adela stays quiet, not wanting to tell Laura about Nathan, the boyfriend left in her small town, whom she swore to come back to, knowing full well she never would.
That night while bar hopping at the pier, Adela meets an attractive young man and as she lets him kiss her she meets with Laura’s disapproving gaze. The night turns chilly and Stephan asks her to come to the beach with him to see the bonfires but as they make their way Laura intercepts them. She accuses Stephan of being a liar and a thief, demanding that he returns what he has stolen from her. Adela is stunned but before she could get an explanation from Laura, her friend leaves warning Stephan that if he doesn’t return that which he has stolen, she will come after him.
After this Adela is hesitant to leave with Stephan but he puts her at ease, saying that all he stole from Laura was a medal and he did it as a prank, promising to return it the next day. As Adela follows him to the beach she gets a text message from Nathan. It says, Don’t forget me. Adela’s eyes well with tears of shame realizing she is breaking her promise on her first night in Carnwell. But the frozen margaritas, the shots of whisky, and the drags from marihuana cigarettes are beginning to take their toll and Adela lets her body do the thinking. Before she realizes it Stephan is naked on top of her. Everything becomes blurry after that. Is she dreaming or does she hear the swishing of a blade in the air? Stephan raising his hand to try to avoid the attack only to have it cut off. And then the handsome demon, face still splattered with Stephan’s blood and dragging his bloodied sword kneels in front of Adela as if she were a queen. “Your kisses are yours, but your tears belong to me.” She faints after this.
Adela wakes up before dawn hoping this has been a hallucination from the drugs and alcohol, but lying next to her is Stephan’s mutilated body. Without even thinking she drags it to the water’s edge where the ocean quickly claims it and then runs in a panic back to her dorm room. And although when she arrives she is wearing nothing but Stephan’s shirt, Laura asks no questions from her, only offers comforting words and helps her to her bed, saying that she needs to rest. When Adela finally falls asleep, Laura proceeds to write in her diary and it is then that the reader realizes Laura is no innocent freshman.
What follows after is a series of ridiculous incidents and the promise of a supernatural love story quickly begins to disintegrate, for the next day, and after suffering such a traumatic experience, Adela dresses in a mini skirt and a low cut top and goes on the prowl again looking for a new lover. She will find him quickly but then again, the Drinker of Tears takes his head. Enter the scene Agent Warden, a police detective with a most peculiar relationship with his mother.
The Drinker of Tears is indeed a ghost, but not one who can walk thru walls. He is of flesh and blood and owes his strange state of “half-dead” to a bargain made with a demon. But he is not the only one. The demon has made similar bargains with others in the area, including Puck, best friend and partner of the Drinker of Tears, who make a life in Carnwell by stealing and selling drugs.
