Rapture's Rendezvous

“The chimney sweep costume will have to be my disguise once again,” she moaned, hating to think of slipping into it another time. But it was the only answer. If she hid herself beneath its looseness and her hair beneath the hat, she could race down the streets without drawing even that first glance from either man or woman. Then even when she entered Ruby's, no heads would turn to stare after her. She would just be another one of the guys … in search of a playmate.

She giggled, thinking about it, even wondering if the whores would come to her, thinking she was a “he.” “If only one would touch me beneath my jacket,” she giggled further. “Wouldn't I surprise her? What a shock would register on that whore's face!”

Trembling from the anticipation of seeing Michael once again, after all these months, Maria finally pulled the last of her clothes on, then her hated shoes that laced up the front. She had no idea how she looked, but she could feel the way each piece hung from her and knew that not even one of Ruby's whores would probably want to draw near her after all. “A man of a six-foot height and lankiness elsewhere surely would be the last thing they would want to take to bed with them,” Maria said, giggling still. “And my clothes. Surely they would know I would have no money with which to pay for bedding up with them.”

Rechecking to see if her hair was beneath her hat, Maria knew that she was ready to sneak from the house. She only hoped that Alberto had been honest with her and had gone to his room to sleep. If he had gone on to Ruby's, then Maria would most surely be headed for trouble. But she had to take that chance. To see Michael would be worth any trouble her brother could create for her. And wouldn't this be her last night of true freedom? Didn't she have to show up at Nathan Hawkins's house the very next morning? A sick feeling rippled at the pit of her stomach just imagining herself having to be in the same room as that terrible man, much less alone with him … on a bed .. . sharing .. . so much more than words with him.

“I mustn't let myself think about that now,” she whispered, tiptoeing to the back door, watching cautiously around her, checking and rechecking for shadows in the room, knowing if she did see any, it would be Alberto, possibly up to his old tricks of sneaking, watching her. But when all stayed silent around her and the only shadows were her own, she opened the back door and crept on outside, carefully reclosing the door behind her.

She let her shoulders slump lazily forward, breath- ing with relief. “Well, I got this far without being discovered,” she said, closing her eyes, wiping her brow with the back of a hand. “Now to proceed further.”

With brisk steps, she moved across the back yard, around to the front, then on down the middle of the street, dreading having to move across the iron bridge, into unfamiliar territory. She dreaded most of all having to push her way through the darkness of the trees that stretched out between her and Ruby's fenced-in yard, where the dogs browsed constantly, sniffing out any strangers who might come snooping about.

The dogs! The thought of their sharp teeth made pin

pricks of fear stab her flesh. She would just have to hope that the dogs would be securely tied … that she would be able to reach the front door without being bitten. But surely Ruby had to secure the dogs for the night's business of men arriving. How else could they get to the house … to pay for the many types of services that Ruby's house offered?

The moon seemed to be playing games this night. First it would be shining brightly, lighting the area all around Maria, then it would suddenly become hidden by gray, fluffy clouds that appeared to be trimmed in white lace as the moon's rays shone at its edges.

Maria shivered in the chill of the night, pulling her jacket more securely around her neck. She watched on all sides of her as she ran toward the tall Indian grasses in the distance. As was the house she had just left, all the houses lining this street were dark. Maria had argued with her Papa about having to go to bed so early. “Eight o'clock, Papa?” she had grumbled. “I am no longer a child who needs to be pacified by enormous amounts of sleep.”

Blowing out the kerosene lamps, her Papa had just ignored her and had crept on into his own bedroom, himself needing all the rest that he could get.

“Boredom is the reason,” Maria whispered to herself, stepping high to avoid a pile of horse-dung lying in the middle of the street. “Sheer boredom. What can my people do but work and sleep?”

She had to wonder how her life would change afier moving into Nathan Hawkins's mansion. She peered into the distance and could see a bright collection of lights and knew that these were being emitted from Nathan Hawkins's windows. Did he have so many electric lights? She had seen her first at Ruby's. “Such a marvelous invention,” she sighed, stopping to listen when she heard the noises that she was fast leaving behind her. The loud guffaws and the tinkling from the pianos at the saloons in Hawkinsville drowned out all other noises.

She was glad to be moving in another direction . . . one that would take her away from the town of Hawkinsville The town itself, and its deviltry of saloons and loose women, made the Italian people seem to fear even to wander the streets when night fell in its total blackness.

“But maybe I can change all these things for my people,” she thought to herself, moving on toward the iron bridge. “Marrying Nathan Hawkins gives me a bitter taste in my mouth, but I have to remember what I might be able to accomplish by being Mrs. Nathan Hawkins.”

Pulling her hat lower on her head, Maria moved onto the iron bridge, now hearing a faintness of bull frogs croaking and crickets serenading their mates. It was as though she was entering another world when she stepped from the bridge onto the mossy ground, then on into the thigh-high Indian grass. It was so thick, not even a path had been made by all those who Maria knew had to move through it to go to Ruby's house. The only other way would be to travel across too much of Nathan Hawkins's private estate grounds.

The only thing that Maria couldn't understand was how the men traveled by horseback? Or did they leave the horses at Hawkinsville and travel by foot as she was doing? But then she remembered Ruby's fancy horse and carriage. There had to be a road that Maria hadn't noticed. Had Michael taken that road? Was he now living somewhere besides this place she remembered having been called Saint Louis? Her heart raced, thinking to see him soon. Oh, how she would ache to run to him … to fall into his arms … to let him carry her away to a wonderland of love. But she had to remember the dangers… her Papa… her Alberto

The sounds of dogs barking grew near as Maria made her way into the thickness of brush beneath the towering oak trees. The trees’ limbs were whipping around her as the wind seemed to increase in strength, making Maria even more aware of the chill of the night.

She trembled, continuing to move beneath the limbs that hung low, scraping her face, almost knocking her hat from her head. She held onto her hat, lifting her legs high, then tensed when an owl above her let out a loud screech. Her heart pounded and her knees weakened, and she felt so isolated from the world … the only world she had ever known … a world guided by brother and father….

“Finally,” she said, sighing. She reached upward and touched the fence, then recoiled when one of Ruby's dogs raced toward her. Its eyes were two sparkling stars as the moon reflected into them, and its teeth bared in long white points as it continued to have a fit of barking.

“Please,” Maria whispered, stepping away from the fence. Now what was she to do? If Ruby let the dogs run loose, how could Maria move on to the front door of the house? And once there, would Ruby recognize her in such a garb? Would she even recognize her at all? They had only met. . . that. . . once.

A sound of footsteps approaching made Maria stiffen She covered her mouth with her hands, barely breathing. She watched in the direction of the continuing sound, then gulped back words that wouldn't surface when she saw a large, burly Negro moving toward her, carrying a rifle.

He stopped and bent down over the dog, taking it by the collar, talking in soft, soothing tones. Then when he had succeeded at calming the dog, he looked Maria's way, frowning. “Wha’ cha’ doin’ ‘round Ruby's place?” he said in a throaty voice. His plaid shirt and dark pants revealed muscles trying to protrude from each. Maria hadn't ever seen such a large person in all her life. But the gentleness of his facial features calmed her insides. His dark eyes were focused on her, waiting.

“I'd … like … to see … Ruby“ she stammered,

moving toward the fence.

“What's a whitefolk woman want with Ruby?” he asked, moving toward the fence, now resting the rifle on his left shoulder.

“How did you . . . know I'm a woman . . . ?” she gasped, eyes wide.

The Negro laughed throatily. “Ain't nevah seen hair as long on a white man befoh,” he said, pointing. “An’ yore voice ain't that of a white man neither.”

Maria reached upward, discovering her hat was missing. “Oh,” she said, blushing. Her eyes traveled around her, seeing the hat on the ground at her feet. She stooped to pick it up, hearing the dog growling once again. She hurried to stand in an upright position again.