CHAPTER 3 - THE OPPORTUNITY
Jacob rose and plucked a blossom from the nearest bush. "For Goldie," he whispered, smiling. He brought the blossom to his nose and sniffed. "Exquisite!" he announced. "So, my friend," he said, resuming his seat and placing the blossom on the table, "you did not come here today to trade old, war stories."
Jose nodded. "I came here today, Jacob, because, well, do you still need your roof repaired?"
Jacob brightened visibly. "Finally, you will fix the roof?" Jose nodded. "So, when do you begin?" Jacob inquired.
Jose shrugged. "When you like, Jacob."
"Today?" pressed Jacob. Jose frowned. "Tomorrow?" asked Jacob. Jose shrugged. Jacob asked, "Tomorrow then. Say, eight in the morning?" Jose nodded. Jacob rose and Jose followed his example. Jacob extended his hand. "We shake on it then. A gentlemen’s agreement." Jose shook Jacob’s hand with gusto.
"There is one thing, Jacob. I must be paid today."
"But, Jose," Jacob laughed, "if I pay you today, tomorrow you may decide instead to go fishing or make love. Then where will I be? The roof repair has waited for six months." Jose nodded in agreement, but made no answer. Jacob looked puzzled.
"So, then, Jose, why, after so long, do you need the money today?" Jose stared down at his toes. "Ha!" said Jacob. "I am supposed to guess. And it is a reason that a manly man does not care to speak about. Hmmmm," he murmured, making a small, slow circle around the young Dominican. "Could it be to buy a new wardrobe? No, I think not. The rope holding up your slacks looks quite dashing." Jose glanced down at his makeshift belt. "Could it be," pursued Jacob, leaning against the table and narrowing his eyes, "to take a trip down the Nile?" Jose looked surprised at the suggestion.
"Or," continued Jacob, quaking inwardly at his own joke, "could it be that you need this money to impress your new mother-in-law?" Jose nodded happily.
Jacob laughed out loud. "Yes, it would not do for Julia to discover that you have been vacationing, shall we say, for the past six months."
"One must remain home to make the family strong," Jose insisted.
"A close-knit family is very nice," agreed Jacob, "but the day comes when you must take a job. How do you put food on the table? Or shoes on your feet? What, my boy, what," persisted Jacob poking his finger at Jose’s chest, "will you do when babies come?"
Jose looked uncomfortable. "I like babies," he said.
Jacob snorted. "But how will you feed them? Or clothe them? Eh! Tell me that?"
Jose drew himself up to his full height. "I will get a job!" he shouted.
"Well," Jacob shouted back, "now you have a job! And it is a good job!" Jacob took out a little notebook and began scribbling. "First, Jose, you will begin with the roof. Next, you will drive the hotel taxi. Guests will be going to and from the airport. Then you will learn about running the hotel. You will fill in on every job until . . . "
Jose interrupted by waving his hands. "No! No! I said the roof! Only the roof!"
Jacob threw up his hands in mock horror. "Oh, my boy, should I mention to my good friend that you choose to have her daughter live in poverty?" Jose made a dreadful face and Jacob clapped him on the shoulder. "My boy, here is a chance for a good life. Think of your bride! She deserves more."
Jose nodded dutifully. "Now you can pay me?"
Jacob clapped a hand to his head. "Mein Gott, Jose! Why do you want this money."
Jose looked sheepish. "The mother-of-my-wife is at my home. She is our guest. She must stay for dinner, but I have no money to buy food."
Jacob smiled. "And it is so important to impress your mother-in-law? Especially this mother-in-law!" He patted Jose on the shoulder. "Well, my boy, why not! But I can do better than money." Jacob started for the lobby so quickly that Jose found himself running to keep up.
"Goldie! Goldie!" the little foreigner shouted as he burst through the double doors. The woman looked up to see her husband hurrying toward her.
"What, Jacob, are we being robbed?"
"Catered!" Jacob announced as they reached the desk. Bowing he presented the blossom to Goldie. "For you, my dear wife," he said to the startled woman. "And now, tell the chef to prepare, immediately, three dinners. Chicken with orange sauce."
He paused just long enough to twinkle his eyes at Goldie. "To go," he added.
"To go?" she asked in surprise. "To go where? There is no . . ."
Jacob cut her off. "Rice, carrots, a salad. Don’t forget the dressing. Warm rolls and butter, yes?" Goldie was speechless. "Tell the chef, Goldie, and, oh, yes, a dessert. Perhaps, the fruit tarts." Goldie picked up the phone and paused. "Appetizers, Jacob. Do you want appetizers?"
Her husband nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Yes! Hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and wine!" He turned toward the kitchen, calling back over his shoulder, "Don’t worry about the wine. I’ll choose the wine."
Jose was left standing at the front desk, nervously digging his bare toes in the rug. He had just succeeded in making some interesting tracks when Jacob stuck his head out of the kitchen. He motioned Jose to follow him. Jose trotted dutifully toward the kitchen.
"Now," said Jacob as he dragged Jose inside. "You will help me take down these dishes." He indicated a box on the shelf behind them. Jose took the dishes down. "See," said Jacob, "they match, but there is not enough of this pattern to use in the dining room."
Jacob began digging about in a cabinet drawer. "Ha!" he announced triumphantly, removing silverware. "Matching place settings, except they don’t match anything else in this hotel." He handed them to Jose. "Give these to the dishwasher," he ordered, "and handle them carefully. They’re yours now." When Jose didn’t move, Jacob shouted, "Hurry, my boy! We still have to find the crystal! And choose the wine!"
Jacob was such a whirlwind of energy that Jose could not keep up. "You are in the way, my boy," Jacob told him. "Go to the washroom and tidy up for dinner. And hurry!"
Twenty minutes later, a clean and tidy Jose found himself installed in the hotel taxi, in the driver’s seat. A uniformed waiter was already in the back seat with the dinners. Jacob paused just long enough to wipe his glasses clean and replace them on his nose. Then he jumped into the passenger seat. "Go!" he shouted. "We must not keep ladies waiting."
Jose turned the key and floored the gas pedal. "We are not moving," he observed.
Jacob eyed Jose with suspicion. "Put your foot on the brake and put the car in gear first," he instructed.
Jose obeyed, pulling away from the hotel with a series of jerks that nearly sent the food flying. He wove happily down the road, screeching tires and scaring chickens, until he came to the run-down shack he called home. He pulled up just before striking the house.
Jose jumped out proudly. He had driven his first car. Jacob leaned over quickly and snatched the keys. The old man emerged, pale and shaken, and leaned on the car. "You are a very scary man," he said to Jose. "Tomorrow, you will begin driving lessons." Jose was about to scamper inside when Jacob stopped him. "Bring in the table and chairs first." Jose nodded and picked up the table. The waiter took the chairs. Jacob stared at the shack. It had neither a front door nor windowpanes. He straightened his tie.
"Gentlemen," he addressed them, "step along. The ladies are waiting."
Picking up the box containing the linen tablecloth and candlesticks, Jacob stepped over a puddle and headed for the doorway. He paused and knocked politely on the doorframe before entering. Maria and Julia were sitting cross-legged on the bare floor, their brightly colored skirts in pools around them, their attention riveted on the small, polished, cowry shells scattered on the floor before them.
Julia was pointing to the pattern the shells made, whispering intently to Maria, who sat with both hands clutching her belly, when Jacob cleared his throat. The women looked up in surprise, Julia recovering first. She began scooping the shells into a pouch on her lap. Maria jumped up.
"Jose, has something happened?"
"I bring dinner!" Jose happily announced, waving the table.
&nb
sp; Julia pulled the strings of her pouch fast, then rose to her feet. Jacob bowed gallantly.
"My dear Julia," he began.
The warmth Julia felt at seeing her old friend couldn’t be expressed in words. Tears welled up behind her eyes, but she successfully fought them off. Jacob, too, was overcome and needed a moment to recover. He turned to Maria, took her hand, and kissed it in a most formal, old-world manner.
"Over there, my boy," Jacob indicated with a wave of his hand. Jose set the table beside the window and Jacob immediately set upon it with the dazzling white, linen tablecloth. Straightening the cloth to his satisfaction, he set up the candlesticks and produced a match. Maria held her breath as the candles caught the flame.
The waiter tugged at Jose’s sleeve and the two men left the room, returning almost immediately with the cartons of china, silverware, napkins, and crystal. The waiter unpacked the items and quickly placed them in individual settings around the table. Jose stood there in the flickering candlelight and stared. This was much more than he'd ever hoped for. He shot a glance at Julia, who appeared properly impressed. And well she should be, he thought.
The waiter interrupted Jose's thoughts by tugging again at his sleeve. Another trip to the car produced the wine bottle and food containers. The waiter presented the wine and corkscrew to Jacob, then set about unwrapping the delicious tray of hors d’oeuvres. Jacob solemnly offered his arm to his very old and dear friend. Julia regally placed her well-manicured hand on Jacob’s arm and allowed him to escort her to her seat. Jacob nodded to Jose to do the same for Maria, but Jose returned an uncomprehending stare. The waiter nudged him gently.
Jose stumbled forward and, almost as an afterthought, offered his arm to his new bride. Maria, stunned by the wonder of the moment, responded as if in a dream. She took her husband’s arm and he seated her where Jacob indicated. Finally, Jose sank down into his own seat.
Jacob set upon the wine and, in a twinkling, had it uncorked. With a flourish, he poured a small amount of the pale liquid into one of the crystal wineglasses and offered it to Julia for her approval. The new mother-in-law accepted the glass with a nod and the candlelight danced on her golden earrings. She raised it, sniffed delicately at the aroma, then took a tiny sip. She nodded to Jacob, who handed the bottle to the waiter to pour. Then the waiter took up the tray of appetizers, offering first choice to the ladies and then on to Jose.
The old man took a seat beside Julia and the two sat together for several moments, heads almost touching. Jose noted they seemed to communicate with few words. Then a single tear escaped, pushing its way past Julia's thick, dark lashes to make a path down her cheek. Jacob gently reached out his forefinger and caught the tear on his fingertip. He held this up for her inspection and then patted Julia’s hand. She gave him a long, sorrowful look before speaking.
"We are not fated to meet again. I saw this in the shells. Do you understand?" She gazed at him meaningfully. The old man nodded. "I ask you to take care of my daughter and her new family." She clasped his hand and looked straight into his eyes. "Will you do this for me?" she implored.
Jacob nodded again. "As you have done for me," he replied.
Julia sighed and sat back in her chair. She raised her glass. "A toast to the newly weds," she proposed in a strong voice. Everyone raised a glass. As Jose drank, he noticed the waiter standing at attention in the background. Jose quickly snatched up a wineglass from the carton and, filling it, offered it to the man. "Drink with us, my friend. Share in our happiness this evening." The waiter glanced at Jacob, who nodded consent. The young man accepted the glass and smiled.
"To the newly weds! And to good friends everywhere," he added as they raised their glasses in salute before drinking.
Jose was merrily sipping wine when Jacob interrupted with an announcement. "Jose is now employed at the hotel. He will have a good and steady job." Jacob smiled at the ladies and Maria began to weep at the news. Jacob then rose and said his goodbyes. "Goldie will be needing me," he apologized.
Jose, slightly tipsy from the wine and his moment of triumph, jumped up and hugged Jacob, then he hugged the waiter. He began mumbling his thanks, but the old gentleman cut him short.
"Tomorrow, my boy. Tomorrow you will fix the roof."
Jose was happily nodding in agreement when Jacob added, "Tomorrow, at 8:30, be at the hotel, yes?" Jose began to frown. "My boy, if you dine," Jacob said indicating the feast with a sweep of his hand, "you must pay the piper! If you do not arrive in good time, I will call for you," he warned sternly.
The old man took Julia’s hand and kissed it. "I leave you to your family," he said. Jacob caught the waiter’s eye. The waiter scooped up the serving trays and they headed for the door. Jacob bundled himself into the front passenger seat and the waiter got behind the wheel.
"You drive, yes?" inquired Jacob. The young man nodded happily. He turned the key with gusto. "Gently, gently, my boy," cautioned Jacob. The car tore away from the house and careened back down the road at a frightening speed. Jose, Maria, and Julia had turned out to wave goodbye and, when the car disappeared in the distance, Jose and the two women turned and went back inside.