The Last Celtic Angel

by Wallace Jan Ecklof

  Katy and Deanna get into her car and pull out of the driveway and head toward Route 80. “This is pretty important to you isn’t it Mom,” Katy asks.

  “Yes it is, probably the most important thing in our lives right now. I have a chance to prove that I can make it on my own and be able to keep the farm and our horses. So I would say that is pretty high on the priority list, but you and Jonah are the most important people in my life, I hope you know that. I know we have been having our difficulties, but you will be fine, and we will make it, you and I.” Deanna wants her to know that she loves her and will always be there for her.

  “Jonah told me about my Dad, and what he did, I didn’t know, and I never knew that he ever hit you, I’m so sorry.” She has tears in her eyes.

  “Jonah loves you and me, guess you had to know sometime I was just trying to protect you from it; I never meant to deceive you.” She reaches over and grabs her hand and squeezes it.

  Coming up to where the turn off is, they make a u-turn and head for the ranch, Tim is right behind them. Pulling up to the gate, she takes the card out that Jamie gave her and swipes it, the gate swings open, and they drive in heading for the main house. Deanna sees Rubin and he indicates where they should park. He approaches and takes her hand warmly in his, shaking it gently. He then does the same with Katy as she introduces him to her. He greets Tim and Jonah by shaking their hands as well, Deanna explains to them that Rubin can’t speak, that he is a vaquero on the ranch. Rubin smiles at them, and then begins pointing toward a small house that’s detached from the hacienda, and leads them toward it.

  Rosa greets them at the door. “Senora you come, that it is good, and I see that you have brought your family with you. This is your Senor?”

  “No Tim is one of our photographers from the magazine and this is my son Jonah and my daughter Katy. Everyone, this is Rosa, she’s in command here according to our host Mr. Doyle.”

  “Come I have made some refreshment, then you may go down to the riding areas as they are working some of the horses before the girls get here from the school.” Rosa tells them as she invites them in.

  “Thank you Rosa that would be nice I could use some of your fabulous coffee. How about you Tim, Rosa makes the best I have ever had?” He nods his head; Jonah and Katy each grab a donut and some juice looking anxious to go to the barns. After having some small conversation with Rosa, Deanna notices that Tim and the kids are getting antsy to go to the barn. She tells them to go ahead without her as she would like to spend some time with Rosa, if she doesn’t mind.

  Deanna explains to Rosa that there are many questions about the ranch and Jamie that she thinks it would be better answered from her point of view.

  Rosa looks at her thoughtfully before answering, “As you wish Senora, in my country the women often get together over chocolate or coffee and discuss the important things of the village or the rancho. It is good that you come, for you bring a life that has been missing here like the rain brings new life to the land.”

  Deanna wonders what she meant by that, maybe she chose the wrong words and meant to say something else. She fills coffee for the both of them and sits down across from her.

  “Would you like the cream and sugar Senora?”

  “Both would be fine Rosa and please call me Deanna, I want for us to be friends.”

  “Si, I can do that Senora Deanna, it would be nice to have a new friend, sometimes it gets lonely here because I am the only woman right now, and the vaqueros are still looking for the wife. I think I will have to find them some, so I can have company.” She laughs and sits down again. “What is it that you wish to ask of me?”

  “Why don’t you tell me how you came to be here at the ranch? I wish to learn about all of you, so I can write the real story. I think you can help me, Will you do that?” Rosa takes a drink from her coffee cup and sits back in the chair

  “I will tell you how we came here, but I can tell you little of the Patron before us. My Eduardo came here five years ago to try and earn enough money so that we could have a better life, but he was offered only low paying work and sometime the people would not pay him, and because he was afraid of being sent back, they got away with it. So he started to collect the cans from the side of the road to sell to the trash man to earn money. Sometimes he ate very little because he would send us all the money he earned.

  On one of these days the Patron saw him and asks him if he wished work, Eduardo says, “Si, what kind of work?” Patron tells him that he wished to have him do the yard work and work with the horses. Eduardo, say’s to him “I will work for you if you pay me.” Patron he said, “I’ll pay you for the work you do for me.” Eduardo says he will start the next day because he has to sell his cans. Patron, he agrees to pick him up at the same place early in the morning.

  Patron he is there waiting for Eduardo the next day and takes him to his old farm and Eduardo, he never leaves. The Patron he needs someone to do the work because his Senora was very ill. Patron would hire no one to take care of her, and he would not leave her until she goes with God. The Senora wanted Eduardo to send for Pita and me. By the time Patron got visas she was not with him anymore. Patron and Senor Haskell they buried her together.

  Eduardo says he was very sad and cried mucho; he spoke to no one, until Eduardo thought he would go loco. One day he told Eduardo to come to the house to see him, when he came, he thought the Patron was going to tell him to leave. The Patron he handed Eduardo the permission to bring us to the United States. When I come here, he asked me to take care of the house, I say yes, and we have been with him since.” She explains with tears in her eyes.

  “How long was that before you came to the ranch?”

  She takes a minute to contemplate, “It was six months I think, he asks me would I keep his house, and be the Duena[9] for the girls. I say yes, very quickly, I was proud to do this for him. He asks Eduardo to be his Segundo also.” Deanna can tell she’s telling her something that is very emotional for her.

  “He is like a father to my Pita, and she adores him, as do all of us, even old Tanner loves the Patron. He is a good man Senora; he never asks of us something that he would not do himself. He is for these children a rock upon which they may stand, I believe he would give his life for any of us.” I sense that she is devoted to him, like Rubin.

  “Rosa I know that Jamie got four visas for people, I assume that two of them were for Pita, and you were the other two for Esteban and Rubin?”

  “Si, they were Gauchos[10] in Argentina, and in my country, they are called Vaqueros[11]. They came to work for the polo team, to ride and train the horses. When they got here from their country the Anglo, who owned the team told them they would be the groom not riders. One day he told Rubin to work out a new horse that he had purchased, the horse was wild and when Rubin said first they must work with him, the man ordered him to ride the crazy horse, his pride made him do it. The Diablo horse went crazy with Rubin in the saddle, he tried to ride him down and get control, but he could not. The horse was too strong and threw Rubin and when he landed, he bites off his tongue.

  The man refused to take him to the hospital and ordered him off the property without even paying him, Esteban took him away. They were treated very badly and not paid what was promised and when they went back to the head man he laughed at them and told them to go away, or he would have them arrested. Rubin and Esteban did not know where to go. They were told to go to the Mission of the Virgin, when they get there the Padre he called the Patron.

  When the Patron heard of this, he came and took Rubin to the hospital to see if anything could be done, but it was too late he would never speak again. They said he was very angry, the Patron went to see this man and try to reason with him for the men’s sake, but the man, he was rude to him and ordered him away.

  Eduardo said that the Patron was terrible to behold and shook the man like a dog when the man he try to bully the Patron. The Patron he say to him “I am all the things that men fear in the dark. You w
ill do the right thing now!”

  Eduardo says he looked into Patron’s eyes and believes what he says, so did the fat man. He also tells the pig, if he ever hears of him mistreating his men or horses again he will come back and break him. The man he give him money and he give the crazy horse called Storm too, now the horse loves Patron muy mucho[12].

  He has given us a future, he treats my Eduardo like a brother, and he is sending him to learn Ranch Management and Pita thinks of him as a Grand Papa. He spoils her so, but she listens to him always. The Patron has given us a future as well as Rubin and Esteban.

  They are men again and walk with pride, because the Patron has allowed them to be men not servants. You must understand we come here not looking for handouts, but to earn the right to stay.

  The Patron has given us that chance when no one else cared. He pays more and gives us the roof over our heads. He opens bank accounts for us and Estaban and Rubin, all the vaqueros are given a share of the rancho, which is ours to own. Each will own fifty acres when we become citizens.” Rosa states as she goes and pours more coffee.

  “We have become a family because we have no one else. All my people call him Malo El Hombre[13], He is how you say like a guardian for those who cannot speak or protect themselves from being taken advantage of. Many of my people pray for him, they light candles in his name.” She states with pride.

  “He then made me Mama to all. My friends in my old village still do not believe that God sent us a savior. Senor Jamie has done all this and asks nothing of us except to help him in his quest.

  Did you know that the Patron supports the mission for migrant’s run by the old priest who was a drunkard and lost his way? Many good things he has done, but wants no one to know.

  You must excuse me now I must start the dinner. I will join you on the veranda.” She begins gathering the necessary ingredients for supper, and Deanna walks out to the covered veranda where there is a cool breeze blowing out of the west.

  Concentrating on a bird that singing Deanna suddenly she becomes aware of music coming from the main house, sweet music and a strong voice singing what sounds like a love song. Not recognizing the tune or the artist singing the ballad, she listens closely, trying to get a clue as to the person singing. Rosa comes back and looks at her smiling.

  “Rosa the music and that song is someone singing up at the house or is that a tape or record, I can’t seem to place the melody or the lyrics”

  “Senora that is the Patron, Don Diego is playing the piano. It has been a long time since we have heard him play and sing. He used to write and play music once upon a time.”

  “Don Diego, do you mean Jamie, he’s a musician and sings as well?”

  “Si, Diego is James in Spanish,” Says Rosa. Deanna is thinking, more parts of the puzzle, like the Gordian Knot, it has no beginning nor visible end.

  “Si Senora, he has a beautiful voice and can play wonderfully as you can hear. All the children must learn piano, as well as me. He is very stern about this, when we have the fiesta we hope we can get him to sing for us. I think you will have to come for the fiesta it is a sumamente grande momento[14]. I think Patron will look for you to come.” She smiles mischievously.

  As they listen to the song, Deanna realizes that it is a song about love and keeping faith to that love. Rosa and her stand listening to the sweet melody not saying anything to each other, when it ends, she asks Rosa,

  “He must have loved her very much to write such a song.”

  ‘Si, he loved her more than I could imagine, I only wish that Eduardo could love me so. It is God’s gift to give of one’s self for another like that. Tanner he says the sun shined from their eyes when they gazed upon each other. Old Tanner says they were the only people that loved from the first and forever, he also says that Missy will be waiting at Heaven’s Gate for him. Sometimes that silly old grouch, he says the craziest things, but he knew them the longest.”

  “Rosa who is Tanner, for both you and Jamie has mentioned him a few times, does he work here or just a friend?”

  He is just Tanner; he has been with the Patron since he was a young man I think. You will meet him tonight at the dinner he is out with the vaquero’s now. Rosa turns and goes into the kitchen.

  Rosa leaves Deanna to her thoughts, standing there listening to him playing his music. She thinks to herself could he ever love anyone again with the same sense of intensity that’s represented in that song, she wonders? Suddenly, Deanna feels she has to leave and get out of there.

  Rosa calls to her, “You will find there are many sides to the Patron, and he is a very good man. I tell you this only so you know what kind of man he is; it is not for your story, but for you Senora. His acts of goodness are not things he wants made known, why I do not know. The old Padre of the mission has known him long as has Tanner, maybe it is to them you should go.” She offers as an explanation to me.

  “Is that Father Scanlon, who will be at dinner tonight?”

  “Si, he comes every Friday night and brings T. J.’s Mammacita[15], Eduardo says he has been to Friday dinner since before the Senora passed.”

  “Thank you Rosa, you’ve been wonderful and given me insight into the man and his purpose” Deanna turns to leave once more.

  “Senora Deanna please, mi casa is su casa, as to the man, the more you see only shows how much more there is. To the purpose even we do not know the real purpose or why he feels the way he does about this Rancho or its people. All I ask is that you write from your heart and with the truth. Patron says we are to trust you, we are not as trusting as him, but he believes that you will do the honorable thing. I pray he is correct, there are many that live in the village that wishes him to fail. I trust you, because he does Senora.” Rosa walks up to her and gazes into her eyes and takes hold of Deanna’s hands in hers. “Go with God Senora,” she whispers to her

  She contemplates about that as she strolls to the arenas, she wishes research would dig up a background on him, where did he go to school, how he acquired his wealth? What social circles has he been associated with in the past before coming to Florida, all questions she needs to find out in order to finish this story. She sees Tim coming from the barn area and waits for him in front of the house.

  “Oh Tim, I was looking for you. I thought you were gone, did you get some pictures?”

  “Yea I got about three hundred so far. You know the house and barns, some cowboy working cattle on the other side of the lake and old blacksmith guy out back who is not so friendly.

  Oh yea, I took some of Jonah and that Dyon girl working out a big horse, along with a guy I assume is Doyle. I think I have enough for today. I’ll have them ready for you on Monday.

  “That sounds like a plan; I should have a pretty tight outline by Monday. Could you make me some copies of the one’s with Katy and Jonah, please?” Suddenly remembering Agnes, “Oh, and some of Jamie too. I promised some to Agnes.”

  “Sure no problem the magazine pays for all the pictures anyway.” He smiles and laughs. “Have a nice weekend.” And Tim turns toward his car.

  “Tim, don’t you want to stay for dinner you haven’t met Jamie yet?”

  “No thank you, I really like to meet all my subjects through my camera, if you know what I mean. I have a hot date tonight with one of the new girls in research. Besides I don’t think you need anymore men around tonight. ” Tim chuckles as he heads for his car.

  I like Tim; he knows his business and goes right to it. I can’t wait to see some of the shots he’s taken, and how they will play into the story.

  As Deanna walks from Rosa’s home toward the barns, she can’t help thinking how clean and neat it is. Her kitchen is warm; it radiates love as does she. How wonderful the way she sees things, there are so many corners to this story, what is the real story here?

  Down by the barn Deanna sees Jonah by the paddock fence watching Dyon work out a jumper, as Jamie stands in the center calmly talking her through a series of jumps and transitions. He uses a steady
and reassuring voice that seems to calm both horse and rider. Dyon sits a horse with a natural style and grace. She has perfect equitation as well. She’s a natural rider, Deanna being an equestrian knows it is something that she was born with.

  Jamie is speaking quietly to her as she puts the horse on the correct lead. “Softly, softly now, that’s it, approach the center, find his spot and lean up and over. Stay even with the plane of his neck, not too far now, good girl, excellent. Stretch up when just before you land, look to the next jump, no, with just your head….. Good use your leg to guide him to the jump, squeeze____, perfect. That’s the way we will build power and speed, you’ll see no one will top you at the show if you just keep working like that. Ok, walk him out and cool him down.” Walking from the ring Jamie calls back to her, “Dyon I’ll need your help with the girls today if you don’t mind.”

  Turning to Jonah he says, “Maybe Jonah will help you with D.C?” Jonah literally jumps at the chance.

  “Yes sir, I would love to help, if Dyon wouldn’t mind,” Jonah blurts out awkwardly.

  Deanna notices that Jonah is enthralled watching Dyon ride, he seems smitten with her, and she can’t blame him, she looks like a movie star on or off the horse. Her son she realizes is becoming a young man now and will have to accept.

  Jamie turns to leave the arena when he spies Deanna. Walking up with a smile, he reaches out and takes her hand holding it, but not squeezing.

  “I was wondering if I was going to see you before we had dinner. You look lovely, is everyone co-operating for you?” He inquires in a casual manner.

  Deanna feels she has to apologize to him. “I’m sorry I should have come and said hello to you first, but I’ve been with Rosa talking and having coffee at her cottage. She’s a treasure you must be very glad to have her with you.”

  “Oh yes, I wouldn’t know what I would have done without her. What she lacks in years she makes up for in love.” He replies with that easy smile of his as he shows genuine respect. “She and Eduardo have been my right and left hands here; I really wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what I have without them.”