It's Just Lola (8 page)

“I’m coming, Rosa.  I’m coming.”  Enriqueta looked radiant as she grabbed Lola’s hand.
 
“Please come with me, Lola.  I want you to share my happiness.”  Lola hurr
ied
to keep up with her sister who fairly flew along in her excitement. 

When Enriqueta stopped short at the library door, Lola almost ran into her.  Not wanting to miss anything, she edged past her sister and slipped into a chair by the door, thankful that the only light came from a lamp on the desk.
Her
father and Jacoba
were
staring intently at Enriqueta.  Jacoba
had a cruel smile on her face
; their father was frowning.  From
Enriqueta’s
stricken expression, this was
not
the scene she had expected.

“Enriqueta, come here,” demanded her father.

“Do you see?” said Jacoba with triumph in her voice.

“What were you doing this afternoon?”

“Altering my dress.  I wanted to look my best, and my favorite dress was getting too small.”

“Why?”

“I guess I’m still growing.  I’m barely fifteen, you know.”

Jacoba said something in a low voi
ce that Lola could not hear.  Enrique
shot her a fierce look and she fell silent.

“And why did you wish to look your best tonight?” he asked in a quieter tone.

“Because…” Enriqueta began in a voice that could barely be heard as her cheeks turned bright red.  Then she lifted her chin and started again, more firmly.  “If you must know, because I
’
m expecting a gentleman to call on you this evening.”

“What gentleman?”

Lola was spellbound.  So this was the big secret
.
  She looked from her father to Enriqueta, willing her to answer.  Who could it be?  The girls had not met many gentlemen, and Lola couldn
’
t think of one who might be calling.  Enriqueta was clearly floundering.  She was afraid not to answer her father, yet she knew that the man was supposed to broach the subject of marriage to the family.  Lola could feel her pain and indecision—even without seeing her hands behind her back mercilessly wringing the skirt of her dress.

“I’m waiting
.
”
Enrique’s
face darken
ed
in anger.  Jacoba arched an eyebrow.

“Rudolfo Alvarez is going to call this evening to ask for my hand in marriage.”

Lola’s insides turned to stone.  Rudolfo?  And Enriqueta?  That wasn
’
t possible
.

“How do you know this?”
T
heir father’s voice took on an icy calm.

Enriqueta lifted her chin.
“We
’
ve been visiting in the mornings for some time.”

In the mornings he
’
s out in the fields with Father
.

“In the morning he
’
s
supposed
to be studying the books on agriculture and bookkeeping.  He claims the sun gives him headaches.”  There was a tinge of disgust in their father’s voice.

“He studies during siesta time
.
”
Enriqueta smiled.

But siesta time is our time! 

“But of course you had one of the servants with you.
”  Their father’s voice became even more icy and calm.
 
“
And why hasn
’
t
he
approached me earlier?” 

“Because he was waiting for the exact right moment
.
”

Lola felt a chill
as Enriqueta echoed the words she herself had heard so often. 

“He wants to be careful about his timing.  He says you’re a bit…”  Enriqueta stumbled as she tried to remember the word.

“…a bit volatile
.
” Lola completed the familiar sentence without realizing that she spoke aloud.

“…volatile,” echoed Enriqueta, ignoring her sister.

Jacoba interrupted with words she spat from the top of her throat like an angry cat.  “Look at her!  Ask her who went with her during those visits.  The servants are all working in the mornings.  I know where every one of the servants is every moment of the day.  Ask her who acted as chaperone.  Ask her.” 

At last their father tore his eyes away from Enriqueta and turned his head toward the incessant grating sound of his wife’s voice.  “How is it that you know where each one of the servants is every moment of the day, but you have no idea what the young ladies who are your husband’s children are doing?”  He turned his head back toward Enriqueta.  Jacoba stiffened and her fingers spread and curled.  Lola almost expected to see her nails lengthen. 

“Ask her where she went and what she did during those visits.”
Jacoba spat out the words like venom. 

“Silence, woman
.  This is between me and my daughter.
”
T
heir father
’s
eyes did not leave Enriqueta
.  “Tell me more, Enriqueta.”

“He said you would be expecting his request of my hand.  Why else would you hire an inexperienced young person as distillery master instead of training an experienced worker?”  Enriqueta paused
for
breath
.

“…Because
,” said Lola, staring unseeing in front of her
,
“
he needs a man from an aristocratic family to train as a future son-in-law
,
a son-in-law trained to run the distillery his bride will receive as her dowry.”  Lola rose from her chair with the look of a sleepwalker. 
Enriqueta
’s expression
went
from confusion to horror. 

“But when will you ask him, Beloved Rudolfo?
” Lola took a step forward. 
“I
’
m waiting for the exact right moment, Beloved Lola.
 
Don’t worry, Dearest Lola.  Very soon we
’
ll be together always.”  Lola’s voice got weaker and weaker as she spoke, and she slumped to the floor, senseless. 

A
voice
was
calling her.  She wanted
it
to go away and let her sleep. 
Lola, please don’t leave me.  Please come back.
  It was Enriqueta—and she was crying.  Lola struggled to wake up.  Her sister needed her.  She opened her eyes slowly, then closed them again.  The light hurt.  Lola tried again.  This time it worked.  Enriqueta was bending over her.  As bad as Lola felt, she thought her sister looked even worse.  There were tear stains on her cheeks, and dark circles under her red-rimmed eyes. 

Lola remembered that her beloved Rudolfo
had promised
to wed her sister.  The pain was so intense she let out a soft moan. 
H
er eyelids closed once more
; t
ears leaked unheeded from beneath her closed lids.
 
Lola heard Enriqueta’s sobs and felt her hands brush tears from her face. 

“Please come back to me, Lola.”  The words sounded as though they had been wrenched from Enriqueta’s very soul.  Lola
’s
eyes
fluttered open
.
 
“Thank our Heavenly Father that you
’
re awake.  I was so afraid He wouldn
’
t answer my prayers.”

Lola struggled to sit.  Enriqueta helped her and arranged pillows behind her head.  “I must tell Pilar you
’
re awake and get some broth for you.  You must be very weak.  You
’
ve been lying there for days.  Can I leave you alone for a minute?” 

Lola nodded weakly and dizziness threatened to overcome her. 
C
ould
she really
have been sleeping for days
?
  Enriqueta must be exaggerating.  She must
’
ve dozed off again because she awoke to the feel of a warm teacup being pressed to her lips.  She
sipped
the tea, and her stomach protested.

“It’s too sweet, Enriqueta.  If I drink it
,
I
’
ll throw it up for sure.”

Enriqueta groaned.  She put her mouth close to Lola’s ear and whispered, “Lola, are you with child?” 
Why did she ask?
  Enriqueta tried again.
 
“Did Rudolfo ask you to prove you could love him as a woman loves a man?”  Lola’s eyes widened and she gasped in surprise.  

“That
’
s why you had to let out your dress
.
”  Enriqueta nodded and tears rolled down her cheeks.
 
“Then you must marry him,” said Lola turning her face away so her sister would not see the fresh tears. 

Enriqueta made an impatient sound.
 
“
I don’t think
either one of us will marry him—but that
’
s another story. 
W
e have very little time before Pilar gets here with your chicken broth.  You have to tell me
—are you
with child
?
”

“I don’t think so
.
M
y clothes still fit.”

“Lola, don’t you ever listen?
When was your last monthly?”

“I can’t remember.
..
a long time ago.  I was happy that it didn
’
t come because I
could keep
our special time together.”
 
Knowledge
seeped
like an ooze of horror
into Lola’s mind
and overwhelmed her thoughts.  She wanted to scream, but her throat was closed.  She wanted to beat on her sister, and say it wasn’t true, but her arms wouldn’t move.

“Oh, Lola, I’m so sorry.”
  Enriqueta
put her arms around her sister, and Lola
couldn
’
t hold back her
tears
.
The two girls clung together and sobbed.

“Señorita Lola
,
it’s
wonderful to see you awake
.
”  Pilar bustled into the room
with
a steaming bowl of broth
on a tray
. 
“What’s going on here?  Señorita Enriqueta, you should be happy your sister
’
s awake, instead of making her cry.”
 
Pilar clucked her tongue.  “
G
o take a rest.  You
’
ve been sitting
here
for
two
days straight, and that
’
s not good for you.  Go and have a rest.
  I’ll stay with her.
”

“I
’
ll wait for you
.
”
Lola
waited until Enriqueta left the room before turning to Pilar
. 
“
Why did
Enriqueta sa
y
that neither of us will wed Rudolfo?”

“First things first, dear
.
”
Pilar
smiled as she put the tray in her lap and filled a spoon with broth. 
“
You’ll be pleased to know
that mean rooster that used to chase you around the yard is
now a nice chicken broth.” 

Lola frowned and turned her head.
“I can’t, Pilar.  I
’
ll be sick.”

“I understand.  It happens sometimes when a woman is pregnant.”
 

Reality rolled over Lola again in a wave of despair.
 
“Does everyone know?”

“
No, I’m sure there are people in Lima who haven’t heard—and Señora Juana
’
s in Ecuador, so I don’t think she knows y
et
.
”  

Lola
had to
smile.  “Victoria says ladies don’t get pregnant they get…they are…I forget the word
,
but it
’
s French.”

Pilar laughed so hard she had to put the broth on the table to keep from spilling it.  “Lola my innocent lamb, ladies get just as pregnant as anyone else when a man plants his seed in them—even French ladies.”
Pilar
picked up the spoon again
.  “You take your broth and I
’
ll explain what Enriqueta meant by nei
ther of you marrying Rudolfo.” 
Obediently
Lola
opened her mouth and swallowed
a
spoonful of broth.  Her stomach churned, but the feeling soon faded to insignificance as she listened to Pilar.
 
“When you swooned your father realized what had happened.  He grabbed his horse whip and stormed out
to find Rudolfo.”

“Did he…?”  Lola
was too afraid of the possible answer to finish the question
.

“…beat him to death?  No.  Rudolfo was gone
—and so was your father’s favorite mare
. 
T
he men said that they saw Rudolfo riding away
just after
siesta.”

“Then he never meant to marry either one of us, did he?” Lola beg
a
n to sob again.  “Why?”

“Who knows
?
” Pilar wiped
the tears from
Lola’s face.  “M
any m
en have appetites so powerful that the
y
can
’
t control them.  I
’
ve known that for many years.”  She brought another spoonful of broth to Lola’s mouth.  “It could be that Rudolfo couldn
’
t control his lust. 
Or
something else entirely
, like
a way to get back at your father.”

“
Get back at Papa for what? 
I thought Papa liked him
.
  Why else would he train him as distillery master?  Rudolfo said Papa wanted him for a son-in-law.”

“Rudolfo said a lot of things,” said Pilar
.
“
Juan
told me
your father called him a lazy wastrel
—in front of the men.  Juan said that Rudolfo turned white with anger, but
t
he next day he acted like nothing had happened.”
  The spoon clinked against the bowl. 
“Well, look at this
, t
he broth is all gone.  Now just try to sip the tea and then get some rest.  It
’
ll take time f
or your body to gain strength
.”

“Was I really asleep for days?”

“Yes, Lamb, it
’
s been
two
long days.  Your poor sister never left your side.  Poor lambs the both of you.”  Pilar gathered up the tray, promising to return later with more food. 
“Your father tossed me the keys as he left, and I intend to feed you two all sorts of good things.  There’s nothing like good food to get a body moving again.” 

At the thought of food Lola’s stomach reminded her that it was still queasy.  She lay down to quiet it and was soon in a natural, though restless, sleep.

“Lola!  Don’t leave me again!”

Lola’s eyes flew open
and her
breath came out in a whoosh as her sister landed on top of her.  Her hands came up almost automatically and began tickling—a defense she had learned years ago when she realized she
’
d never be able to best Enriqueta in any physical struggle.  The two wriggled and squirmed on the narrow bed until Enriqueta slid off and landed in a giggling heap on the floor.

“
Don’t
frighten me like that
,
”
Enriqueta said
when she got her breath back.

“I was just asleep
.
 
Can’t I ever
sleep again as long as I live?”
I
t felt so good to be friends with Enriqueta again—in spite of everything.
 
“Pilar told me that Rudolfo ran away.” 

“
He slithered away
like the snake that he is to crawl under a rock somewhere.
  Papa’s still out turning over rocks looking for him.
” 

“He’s been looking for
two
days?” 

“Yes, but I have to go and tell Pilar you’re awake before I say any more.” 
Lola felt ambivalent about
her father finding
Rudolfo. 

“Pilar
’
s spoiling you terribly,” Enriqueta said when she returned with two bowls of thick meaty stew and large slabs of fresh bread.  “She made me promise not to talk unless you were eating—so pick up your spoon and start.”  Lola complied.

“Father was livid.  He offered a big reward to anyone who brought back Rudolfo.
  W
hen he got back
to the house,
he was really worried to see you still senseless.  Pilar had brought smelling salts, but that did no good.  Father picked you up as easily as he would lift saddle to horse, and he carried you upstairs.  He told me to stay with you and not to come out again.”  Her voice quivered, and she paused before continuing.
 
“He said he
’
d never been so disappointed in anyone of his own blood.”  The two girls embraced for mutual comfort.  Enriqueta wiped her eyes and resumed her narrative.
 
“Pilar said he shoved food into his mouth as he changed and packed his saddlebags.  He said not to expect him until we see him.”

“And he’s not back yet?” 

Enriqueta shook her head.  “But he took Roberto to do for him on the road.”

“Is Pilar worried?”
Pilar
was
the ultimate source of wisdom in the house. 

“No.  She says it could take a few more days.
  He’s going to the Alvarez plantation, wherever that is.
”

A high
-
pitched scream made the girls jump.  Enriqueta ran through the door.  Lola followed more slowly.  She still felt a little
wobbly
. 
She looked over the balustrade and saw Juan standing near the front door supporting Rosa.  Pilar and Dolores came running from the kitchen.

“What happened?”
  Enriqueta was already down the stairs and was bringing a chair for Rosa.