The Music Trilogy (44 page)

“You are in full command, Captain. You may proceed at any time."

“
Endaxi.
Okay. We leave now." He gave orders to his crew over a walkie-talkie. Every time he spoke into the gadget, his whiskers got caught in the tiny speaker holes.

Once the crossing through the twenty-mile stretch was over, Captain Haralambos said good day and descended the ladder to his tender.

Faydon stood with his father on the upper deck as the
Aphrodite
approached Sinefaki, the secluded Koulouris island in the heart of the Aegean. There is no blue like the blue of the Aegean, Faydon thought. It is a combination of sky and sea. The Greeks are so proud of it they put the same color on their flag.

“She is beautiful, Father. I don't think I ever realized how beautiful nature really is. Every time I come here, I feel as though I’m coming from one world into another. It’s like a dream.”

“My son, I know you have always liked Sinefaki but now you see it differently, like a man. You always were the quiet and peaceful one, always wanting to help. Even stray cats! I remember one summer, you were a little boy sitting on the patio surrounded by a dozen cats climbing all over you. You had saved them from a terrible fate.”

Faydon remembered the cats. They were all starving. He fed them all.

“I wondered, I’ll be honest with you, I thought to myself, well, how kind he is with all these little friends climbing all over him, but is this kindness good for the one who will run my empire? A good businessman must be ruthless. This thought stayed with me for some years. I should have realized then that you would not follow in my footsteps. Instead, Faydon, you followed your heart. This is good.”

Faydon laughed. How much his father had changed.

“I'm very proud of you, my son. Never give up something you love so deeply, and always fight for what you so greatly believe in.”

Faydon embraced his father. For a moment, he felt like a little boy. He realized how important it was to him to know that his father was proud of him.

“Promise me, Faydon, always do your best and above all be happy. I do have one request though."

“And what is that,
Patera
?"

“Grandchildren," he said. "Many."

“We could both try for twins," a familiar voice behind them said.

They turned to see Penelope with Eric and Bianca. Penelope kissed her father on the cheek. Stefanos wasn’t exactly sure what his daughter meant, but it felt right, too good to interrupt the magic of the moment with a question seeking an explanation.

The five of them bent over the rail and took the salt into their lungs and the sun into their hearts. It really was dreamlike. They all felt it.

The
Aphrodite
pulled up to its moorings at the island.

“What does the name Sinefaki mean?” Bianca asked.

“Little cloud,” Faydon replied.

How appropriate, she thought. Floating on a cloud surrounded by an infinity of blue as far as the eye can see.

Stefanos interrupted their thoughts. "Children, it is still early. Go and enjoy yourselves. Lunch will be served at two o'clock on the veranda.”

Faydon and Penelope decided to show their island to Eric and Bianca and to Adam and Ruth, who had remained fairly secluded in their stateroom for much of the trip. Eleni, Melina and Stefanos opted to go up to the house and relax. Jacques needed to attend to last minute details for Davina’s last European concert in Athens. The others decided to go water skiing, although it took some coaxing to get Jean in the skiing launch and even more to get her into the water.

“We're going in
that
?" Jean asked.

Rodrigo laughed. "Don't be afraid, a
mor
, you will be perfectly safe. I will put a life vest on you. I will definitely have to teach you how to swim. You are missing so many fine things we could do in the water together."

He promptly threw his slalom ski into the water and dove in. He swam to where his brother and future sister-in-law were putting on their skis. The trio was ready. They signaled the driver and the powerful twin engines of the boat started to pull them. They gently rose out of the water behind their tow ropes, Davina between the two del Valle brothers, all on single skis. Their sculpted bodies glistened under the hot summer sun as the cool water flowed off them. They sachéed back and forth off the side of the boat's wake in perfect unison.

Jean watched them in awe and with envy. Seeing them like this together, as if on a stage, reminded her of the gratitude she felt for having these people come into her life. She loved them intensely. Each one held a special place in her heart. Davina was like a sister. Alejandro was special as well. To Jean, he was the epitome of a gentleman, kind and thoughtful, strong and intelligent. And Rodrigo. He had given her life new meaning, an intense desire for living. He had shown her the intimate joys of love, affection and respect between a man and a woman. She would never get enough of this. She wanted to spend her entire life by his side, wanted to grow old with him and have his children. And he wanted the same. Soon she would be at the Koulouris clinic in Athens. Faydon had told her there was hope. He made her believe it.

“Hey, you, beautiful!” Rodrigo yelled from the side of the launch. “You seem deep in thought."

“I wish I could swim. I’m sorry.”

“Would you like to ski?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Good.”

“But, Rodrigo, I can’t swim!”

“That is not important. Come, we will ski together.”

Surely, he’s not serious, she thought.

“Trust me."

“I do but how..."

“Shh." Rodrigo lifted a finger to his lips. "Just do exactly as I say.”

“Okay,” Jean said nervously. “But why do I have the feeling I’m about to jump out of a plane without a parachute?”

Davina and Alejandro, who held onto the other side of the craft, tried to be supportive. “Well, you never flew before we met either, do you remember?” Davina said, laughing.

“Oh, right,” Jean said, giggling. “Now I can fly!”

“So you don’t need a parachute," Alejandro said.

“Do you know that Rodrigo is Spain's national water skiing champ?"

“Really?” Jean said, impressed.

Rodrigo squeezed her arm. "Come, time for skiing now." He checked Jean's life vest and positioned his skis as Alejandro and Davina helped Jean into the water.

“Now, remember," Davina said, "there's nothing to worry about. If you get some water in you mouth just spit it back out."

Jean rolled her eyes and moaned.

Rodrigo grabbed the towrope with one hand, and with the other, he reached for Jean around the waist and pulled her toward him. "Listen carefully,
querida
. There is absolutely no way that you will go under water. The life vest will keep you afloat. This is what you are going to do: You will put your feet on top of mine and you will hold my arms. Okay?"

Jean started to laugh.

"What is so funny?" Rodrigo asked.

“This is probably my last hour on this earth, or should I say the ocean, but at least I'll die in your arms.”

Rodrigo's eyes locked onto hers. He kissed her gently. "I will never let anything happen to you,
amor mio
, and believe me, I will die before you for I am a selfish Spaniard. I could not bear to live without you.”

Alejandro, at the wheel of the launch, gave the all-ready sign. Rodrigo cradled Jean between his arms, her back against his chest, her feet on his. She put her hands on his arms and held tight. Rodrigo gave a thumbs-up and Alejandro slowly pulled them out of the water. They were up, the two of them together on one pair of skis. "Relax, this is all there is to it. Now do you believe me? Easy, no?"

Jean tried to hold her breath. She wasn't about to answer for fear that even the movement of her jaw muscles might topple her into the water.

The boat pulled them around toward the Koulouris mansion. As the skiers passed in front of the veranda overlooking the tiny bay, those on the patio waved and clapped.

“Wave back to them," Rodrigo said.

“I can’t let go!"

“If you don't, I will."

“Okay, okay," she said, digging her nails deeper into his arm. She slowly lifted a hand and waved. Rodrigo did the same.

“You are getting tired?"

Jean nodded.

“Very well, we will stop then.” He felt Jean's body tighten. "Do not worry, just do exactly what you have been doing. I will let go of the rope and we will slowly descend into the water. Nothing to fear, you will see. Ready?"

Jean nodded again.

Rodrigo signaled to the boat that they were quitting and let go of the handle. As he promised, they slowly glided downward until they were neck deep and floating. Rodrigo held on to Jean for added protection, more for her benefit that for safety's sake.

The launch promptly was at their side and Alejandro helped Jean up out of the water.

"You were marvelous, Jean! Water skiing is very becoming to you. You should do it more often."

Jean smiled, relieved but very excited. "I must admit it was a lot more fun than I expected. I really liked it.”

Rodrigo lifted himself onto the boat as the radio started crackling and Stefanos' voice came over the speaker. "Lunch is ready, children, come join us."

Ouzo and
mezedes
were on the table which had been set up on the veranda under huge umbrellas. There were small bits of cheese, olives, cucumbers and tomatoes, and Greek delicacies--
keftedes, tzatziki, taramosalata,
and pyramids of
dolmades.
The fresh seafood and meats were baked in a brick outdoor country oven. There was red snapper and octopus, as well as lamb and rich pastries and fruits that grew on the island.

The terrace jutted out over the sea overlooking a small beach. In the distance other tiny islands could be seen on the horizon. They were surrounded by olive trees and the bushes whose flower buds were harvested as capers. Flowers were everywhere—jasmine, honeysuckle, hibiscus, geraniums, roses. A gentle breeze from the sea carried the perfumes of the flowers. They feasted in paradise.

“How are you doing?” Penelope asked Davina, helping herself to the stuffed grape leaves.

“Great. You?”

Penelope lowered her voice. “Davina, I think I’m falling in love.”

“Ah ha!”

“What do you mean…ah ha?”

“I mean I noticed.”

“No!”

“Yes.”

“How could you when
I’m
not even sure?”

“Penelope, I’ve known you a long time. You’ve never
really
been interested in any guy, and now…”

“Yeah?”

“Somewhere after Pompeii or Capri, you two are always together.”

“I didn’t realize that.”

“What’s to realize?”

“You’re right. What do I do now?”

“This isn’t a business deal. It’s your heart talking to you. Listen to it. “

“You mean take the guy to bed?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“I think Faydon is…”

“I’ve noticed that too.”

Their visit to Sinefaki lasted only twenty-four hours. The next day, most of the group dispersed. They left for Athens aboard Stefanos’ sleek Falcon 50 which lifted off from Sinefaki’s own airstrip. Upon arrival at the Airport in Athens, they bade each other goodbye. Adam Spencer and his crew flew back to the Riviera to pick up the DC-3. Ruth caught a flight to Tel Aviv. Alejandro went to Havana, and Rodrigo, against his better judgment, went home to Madrid to his computer business. Jean was adamant about it, after she finally got the courage to tell him about her illness. She would not let him accompany her to the clinic.

♫

MIAMI

CHAPTER 28

Simon Grady had run out of places to hide. The police were hot on his trail. There was only one place left he could think to go. Gina Thornton would not be happy about it, but he didn't give a damn about that. He knocked on the screen door and Johnny opened it. Gina never told her brother about the incident with the police, so Johnny was quite surprised to see him at the front door.

"Simon! Come in."

"How you doin’, man?”

“Good. You're looking at a college man. University of Miami.”

“You rich yet?”

“Naw. I’m making it, but it’s not easy. I’ve got a job on the side.”

"Yeah? Doing what?"

"Orange Bowl. When there's a concert, I help set up the lights.”

Grady perked up. Now he knew how he would get into the stadium. “I got a favor to ask you, Johnny. I'm kind of hard up for money right now. Do you think they might need someone else around there? At the Orange Bowl? I'll take anything, even for just a week."

"I don't know.”

“Hey, man, you owe me one.”

“Yeah, yeah. Well, I'll see what I can find out. I'm going to see the promoter this afternoon. He wants me to look at blueprints for the layout for the stage lights. I'll ask him."

Better and better, Grady thought. "Great, man. And hey, I have another favor to ask. I don't have a place to stay right now. Would you mind if I crashed here for a couple of nights?"

"I don't think Gina will mind," Johnny said, knowing that she would. But he owed Grady.

“Yeah, I’m sure she won’t.”

Gina and Zeferino arrived to find Grady asleep on the couch.

"Simon’s here,” Johnny said, announcing the obvious.

"I can see that!" Gina snapped. She dragged her brother into the kitchen. "I don't like the idea of that man in my house.”

"He just needs a place to crash for a couple of days.”

"I don't care what he needs. This is a small house, you know."

"He's in a bad way right now. He needs a job."

"Johnny, sometimes you're too nice. He’s
not
coming back here."

Gina would not return to the living room until she heard the screen door slam to signal that Grady had left with her brother for the Orange Bowl.

"What was that all about?" Zeferino asked.

"Simon Grady, an old racing buddy of Johnny's."

"You do not seem to like him very much."

"Let's just say I don't have any use for him."

"Any use for him?"

"You're right, I don't like him very much. I don’t like him at all."

"I think maybe I understand. I too have this feeling that he is not a very good person."

"Would you like to help me make dinner?"

"No. I will make dinner for you. I love to cook. I will prepare a specialty from Brazil, yes?"

"Okay." A smile came back to her lips.

The sound and light company, which had been hired out of Los Angeles to work at the Orange Bowl, needed extra help, and they were using locals to fill those slots to set up for the Davina Walters concert. Simon Grady was hired right away.

This is too easy, he thought, much too easy. He worked with Johnny on the wires. He was good with his hands. When he needed information for his own benefit, he pretended he needed the knowledge because he wanted to be thorough, he wanted to do a good job. When he took a cigarette break alone, he’d take out the picture of Jean and Davina and those two men in Spain. There were bulls in the picture too. All of them but the bulls were smiling.

Johnny knew his sister would be happy to know that he had been promoted. He was the head light man now. It meant a raise. He also had two tickets, gratis, for Gina and Zeferino for the Davina Walters concert. But before he could announce his good news, Zeferino and Gina had news of their own. They were engaged to be married.

“I would like your permission,” Zeferino said to Johnny. “As the man of the family, you must decide.”

“Yeah, sure,” Johnny said. “It’s okay with me.”

Zeferino hugged his future brother-in-law and kissed him on the cheeks.

“Hey, hey!” Johnny tried to wriggle away. “We don’t do that in the States.”

“But I’m happy! In Brazil it means you’re happy.”

“Okay, okay.”

“And now,” Zeferino continued, “I have something to tell both of you. Please sit down.”

They did as they were asked and Zeferino made a quick phone call. He said he had to call a friend to bring the gifts he bought for them. He returned with a bottle of champagne.

“First we open the champagne and put a little music on.”

“The suspense is killing me!” Gina said.

“Patience,” he said into her loving eyes.

Finally, the doorbell rang. “Don’t move,” he ordered and went to the door.

“Johnny, could you give me a hand please!” he called.

Zeferino was trying to bring in a huge bouquet of red roses that wouldn’t quite fit through the door.

”Jesus H. Christ, Gina is going to kill you,” Johnny said. “You must have spent a fortune!”

“It is only once that a man gets married, and when you are in love, nothing is good enough for your woman,
si
?”

They managed to get the dozens of red roses through the door.

“Now you go sit too,
amigo,
” Zeferino told Johnny.

“Wait ‘till you see this, you’re gonna flip,” Johnny told his sister.

Zeferino came into the living room carrying the bouquet. It was so large it hid most of his body. “Oh, Zeferino, they’re gorgeous! But why did you have to go and spend so much money?”

“Okay, it is time,” Zeferino said. “First, my love, the roses truly are beautiful, but nothing compared to your beauty.”

Gina blushed. She still wasn’t used to his compliments but she did so enjoy them. He made her feel that she was important, not only for him but for herself as well.

Zeferino handed Johnny an envelope. “I hope you will make good use of it, my friend.”

The envelope held two thousand dollars in cash and a receipt for the balance of Johnny’s tuition at the University of Miami. It was all paid for.

Johnny stammered a thank you.

“I don’t understand,” Gina said. “Have you hit the lottery or something?”

“Or something. That is what I have to tell you. Come, there is a gift waiting for you outside, Gina.”

“Zeferino, please tell me what is going on first,” Gina said, beginning to fear something, something she wanted no part of.

“Very well. I will tell you. When I first came to Miami, I met Johnny at the university housing office. I hoped that maybe someone there could help me look for an apartment, something inexpensive, something a student, a foreign student, could afford, someone who did not have much money. To my luck, Johnny was there and he overheard my conversation and offered me his house for a small fee. You see, I wanted so much to be like everybody else, just another face in the crowd, as they say, and that is exactly what happened. We became friends. And, Gina, you and I fell in love. You fell in love with me, with my heart and not my wealth.”

“Are you trying to tell us that you are rich?” Gina asked.

“I believe you say filthy, yes? Please now, let me
finally
give you your present, Gina, for our engagement, yes?” He pulled them both by their arms off the couch.

Outside was a yellow Dino Ferrari, wrapped with a big red bow on top of the roof.

“My love, please accept this key,” he said, putting it in Gina’s hand. “It is yours.”

The Thorntons just stood there staring. Zeferino gently pushed Gina toward the driver’s side. He took the keys from her hand and opened the door. “Go on,” he prompted her.

Inside on the driver’s seat was another red rose tied to a small yellow box. He had it specially made to match the car. She gently caressed the leather of the seat until her long manicured fingers touched the soft velvet box. She carefully opened it and caught her breath. Inside was a heart shaped ruby surrounded by yellow diamonds.

Zeferino took the ring and placed it on her finger and kissed the stone.

“Oh, Zeferino, is all this really true?”

“Yes,
querida.”

“I don’t know what to say. You have done so much for me, given me so much, but I have nothing to give you.”

“You are wrong, Gina. You have given me your love! I am truly sorry I had to pretend all this time, but so many times people loved me but I found out they did not really love me; they loved my wealth. You see, I was falling in love with you and I wanted you to fall in love with me,” he said slapping his chest with his hands. “Do you understand now why I had to play this silly charade? Believe me, I am sorry, but I had to be sure of your feelings. Will you forgive me?”

“Oh, Zeferino, there is nothing to forgive, and I do understand, and I do love you very much. I just don’t know what to say. I’m a little stunned. I hope I’m not upsetting you.”

“Of course not, but I have one demand.”

“What is that?”

“That you enjoy everything I can offer you, and that you love me until the day I die, yes?”

She had come to realize in the past moments that she could now afford everything she had ever dreamed of. She had come into money, a lot of money, but she had also come into love. She had fallen in love with a man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He was the real wealth and the most important thing in her life, not his riches. “Alright, but only if you love me until the day I die.”

“I accept,” he said and hugged her.

“Listen, you two,” Johnny tried to interrupt them. “I’ve got tickets for you for the Davina Walters concert.”

“Good!” Zeferino said. “I wouldn’t miss it. Davina and I have known each other since we were kids.”

“You know her?”

“Yes. She has been to my house in Brazil. My father has always been a fan of hers. You know, my father is in the construction business in Brazil. He always needs engineers. He has businesses all over the world. Believe me, he will be very impressed to have an expert who has set up the lighting for a Davina Walters concert.”

“What kind of buildings?”

“Big ones, sky scrappers, entire neighborhoods for new cities. You see, Brazil has so much virgin territory that the need is great.”

Zeferino thought it would be appropriate to tell Davina in person about his engagement after the concert.

“What will I wear?” Gina fretted.

“Let’s go drive in your new car and buy you a dress, one to match the ring perhaps?”

Gina could not keep the corners of her mouth from rising. In the back of her mind she was just starting to feel the power money could buy.

♫