Gloria’s house, Samuel surprised M.J. when he stopped at a renowned Havana joyeria to purchase an engagement ring. The owner—a tall, rotund man wearing a black skullcap—conducted business in English, Spanish and Yiddish with his customers and employees.
M.J. had reacted like a marionette being manipulated by invisible strings when she sat and stared at her hand whenever the jeweler slipped a ring on her tiny hand. He retreated to a back room and returned with a black velvet pouch and took out one with an Old Mine Cut center diamond, flanked by two large marquis diamonds and latticework of forty-two additional diamonds. The instant the ring slid over her knuckle, there was a chorus of sighs of approval from everyone watching the momentous event.
While M.J. admired her ring, Samuel and the owner retreated to a private room in the rear where the man quoted an exorbitant price. They negotiated and manipulated figures until they agreed on an amicable amount for the exquisite piece. Samuel and M.J. left with the ring, and the jeweler secreted the much-sought-after American gold notes in his safe.
Jose Luis, having recovered from his night of frivolity, refused a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. He walked over to his daughter and kissed her cheek.
He reached for M.J.’s left hand and stared at the shimmering diamonds in a platinum setting. “Exquisito, Chica,” he said softly. “I wish your mother could’ve been here tonight.”
Shaking her head, M.J. bit down on her lower lip. “Don’t, Papa. Not tonight. Not when this is one of the happiest days of my life.”
“I’m sorry, Chica . Even after so many years I still miss my Carlotta.”
She hugged him. “I know you do. I miss what little I remember of her. Samuel and I have set a date,” she said in a soft tone, deftly changing the subject.
“When?”
“New Year’s Eve.”
“Why not your birthday, Chica? That way your husband will never forget his wedding anniversary.”
Her dark eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’re right, Papa. That means I’ll become a married woman four days sooner.”
Jose Luis smiled when a dreamy expression softened her delicate features. “You love him, don’t you?”
“So much that it frightens me.” There was a tremor in her voice.
His smile faded. Her cheeks were flushed. “How many glasses of champagne have you had?”
M.J. hoisted her glass. “I lost count after three.”
He eased her fingers from around the stem, placing the wineglass on a nearby table. “Drinking is not going to help you face whatever is bothering you.”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. “Papa. I need to talk to you,” she whispered. “Please come with me.”
Jose Luis followed her as she walked stiffly out of the sala to a small room where Gloria’s visitors waited for an audience with her. Table lamps with colorfully painted globes cast a soft glow in the opulently decorated space. M.J. turned and looked at him with an expression he’d never seen before.
“What’s the matter?”
She took a deep breath. “I’m scared, Papa. I know in my heart that I love Samuel, but I’m so frightened.”
Jose Luis felt a fist of fear squeeze his own heart as he stared at the young woman who’d suddenly appeared so childlike that he yearned to take her in his arms and cradle her as he’d done in the months following her mother’s death.
She’d chosen to wear a fashionable black-and-white midcalf silk evening gown that skimmed over her slender body. Its sophistication matched the wealth of coal-black hair done up in a twist on the nape of her long, graceful neck. The onyx-and-diamond earrings in her pierced lobes were a gift he’d given her for her eighteenth birthday.
“What frightens you, Chica? ”
“I don’t know if I can be a good wife to Samuel.”
“All you have to do is love him, be supportive, and have a lot of patience.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“That’s because it is, my
M.J. had reacted like a marionette being manipulated by invisible strings when she sat and stared at her hand whenever the jeweler slipped a ring on her tiny hand. He retreated to a back room and returned with a black velvet pouch and took out one with an Old Mine Cut center diamond, flanked by two large marquis diamonds and latticework of forty-two additional diamonds. The instant the ring slid over her knuckle, there was a chorus of sighs of approval from everyone watching the momentous event.
While M.J. admired her ring, Samuel and the owner retreated to a private room in the rear where the man quoted an exorbitant price. They negotiated and manipulated figures until they agreed on an amicable amount for the exquisite piece. Samuel and M.J. left with the ring, and the jeweler secreted the much-sought-after American gold notes in his safe.
Jose Luis, having recovered from his night of frivolity, refused a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. He walked over to his daughter and kissed her cheek.
He reached for M.J.’s left hand and stared at the shimmering diamonds in a platinum setting. “Exquisito, Chica,” he said softly. “I wish your mother could’ve been here tonight.”
Shaking her head, M.J. bit down on her lower lip. “Don’t, Papa. Not tonight. Not when this is one of the happiest days of my life.”
“I’m sorry, Chica . Even after so many years I still miss my Carlotta.”
She hugged him. “I know you do. I miss what little I remember of her. Samuel and I have set a date,” she said in a soft tone, deftly changing the subject.
“When?”
“New Year’s Eve.”
“Why not your birthday, Chica? That way your husband will never forget his wedding anniversary.”
Her dark eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’re right, Papa. That means I’ll become a married woman four days sooner.”
Jose Luis smiled when a dreamy expression softened her delicate features. “You love him, don’t you?”
“So much that it frightens me.” There was a tremor in her voice.
His smile faded. Her cheeks were flushed. “How many glasses of champagne have you had?”
M.J. hoisted her glass. “I lost count after three.”
He eased her fingers from around the stem, placing the wineglass on a nearby table. “Drinking is not going to help you face whatever is bothering you.”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. “Papa. I need to talk to you,” she whispered. “Please come with me.”
Jose Luis followed her as she walked stiffly out of the sala to a small room where Gloria’s visitors waited for an audience with her. Table lamps with colorfully painted globes cast a soft glow in the opulently decorated space. M.J. turned and looked at him with an expression he’d never seen before.
“What’s the matter?”
She took a deep breath. “I’m scared, Papa. I know in my heart that I love Samuel, but I’m so frightened.”
Jose Luis felt a fist of fear squeeze his own heart as he stared at the young woman who’d suddenly appeared so childlike that he yearned to take her in his arms and cradle her as he’d done in the months following her mother’s death.
She’d chosen to wear a fashionable black-and-white midcalf silk evening gown that skimmed over her slender body. Its sophistication matched the wealth of coal-black hair done up in a twist on the nape of her long, graceful neck. The onyx-and-diamond earrings in her pierced lobes were a gift he’d given her for her eighteenth birthday.
“What frightens you, Chica? ”
“I don’t know if I can be a good wife to Samuel.”
“All you have to do is love him, be supportive, and have a lot of patience.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“That’s because it is, my
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