“No more, Philip! We’ve heard this rant too many times before.”
Philip was aghast at the lack of respect from his nephew, whom he had taken under his wing practically since his teenage years.
“Do not interfere, Uncle Philip, and don’t get your colleagues from your club to intervene either. Stay away from Albert and Louise.”
LOUISE AND ALBERT held their baby on a beautiful Southern California afternoon, listening to birds chirping, a few dogs barking, children playing and two women speaking loudly on their way to the Simons company store. In the open kitchen Doña Luciana prepared dinner while the new family rested as Louise breastfed her newborn. Having heard repeatedly about Uncle Philip’s tirades, they had told each other that what he thought and said did not matter.
“I’m afraid he is going to drop dead in the middle of one of his fits,” Louise said. “We can live like normal people, loving each other and loving our baby. All I want is for all of us to be happy—our families, and even Uncle Philip.” Lousie then recited St. Francis of Assisi’s famous prayer:
Make me, O Lord, an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
The ultimate weakness of violence is
that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
PART FOUR
Albert and Louise left Simons after Doña Luciana organized a farewell feast with the help of the women who had assisted in the birth of Keller Oakley Rivers. The Simons workers and their families were invited to eat, drink and say their good-byes with farewell abrazos that communicated their sincere hope that the young family would come back, at least to visit. The Simons residents understood that it was impossible for the young newlyweds and their baby to stay. The Simons company foreman had told Albert that there was no work or housing for his family and that they had to leave soon. Father Charles, the priest from Mount Carmel Church, came to bless Keller and his parents.
Five months after Keller’s birth, Albert and Louise drove out from the Simons company town in Albert’s pickup truck filled with blankets, quilts, baby clothes, freshly baked Mexican pastries, fresh fruits and vegetables and toys made by Simons artisans. Albert and Louise had mixed feelings about leaving Simons, where they had found a place and a people who had accepted them unconditionally.
Sol had informed the Rivers and the Keller families that Albert, Louise and Baby Keller were returning home. They wanted to know in which home they should be welcomed. Sol had talked to both families and suggested, considering Uncle Philip’s visits to his nephew’s home, the newlyweds and child go to the Rivers residence. In that way confrontation between Uncle Philip and Albert would be avoided. Both families were present when they walked into the Rivers’ living room. At first there was a silence, then applause and cooing at the newborn.
Albert with Louise holding their baby stepped to the center of the room, “Thank you, Mother, Father, Mr. and Mrs. Keller, Dame Marie, Gloria, Emily, Sol. We are so happy to be back with family. I want you to know that I am old enough, and Louise is also, to take on the responsibilities of marriage and family. We are very happy and we thank you for your help.”
Applause filled the Rivers’ living room. Ernest stood up to approach Albert, but Allison pulled him back down on the sofa.
At that moment, years of love and care for his eldest daughter rushed to Ernest’s heart as Louise stood before him. A noisy car sped by the house, birds chirped and dogs barked in a neighbor’s backyard. In the Rivers’ living room, Louise confidently gazed into her father’s eyes and sat down next to him, her body ever so close to his. She held her child out to him.
“Father, I want you to meet your grandson.” She placed the smiling infant in his arms. “Keller Oakley Rivers,” she proudly announced.
When the baby was in Ernest’s arms, Allison pulled the blanket down and the baby kicked and looked at her.
“He is beautiful, Louise!”
Allison saw how Louise was so happy and seemingly at peace with her life. Louise did not reflect the horrible circumstances predicted by her parents’ well-intentioned friends. Louise and her baby were the picture of health and happiness.
Allison succeeded, finally, in retrieving her grandson from Ernest and cradled him in her arms and then walked over to Agatha and Oakley, who observed quietly, standing by the fireplace.
Allison cried softly, wiping tears from her face. “Oh, Agatha, he’s so beautiful! Here, take him, please. I’m getting him all wet with my silly crying.”
Everyone laughed. Even Ernest let out a loud laugh that released the fear he had held inside about his daughter and the baby. Agatha took the baby. Oakley, Dame Marie, Emily and Gloria crowded around. In front of the Oakley Rivers’ home on Plymouth Street in Hancock Park, Los Angeles, a panel truck parked in the street. Three men pulled down mowing machines, rakes, shovels, ladders and pruning clippers, equipment to tend to the garden. The men were joyfully shouting orders, kidding each other and chuckling as they started to rake, trim and mow.
Sol walked into the living room while Agatha and Oakley were sitting on the couch, holding their grandchild and chatting with Allison, who held Ernest’s hand. Ernest had regained his composure, and the energy he had spent on worrying had been transformed into tenderness for the beautiful baby boy his daughter had given him. Dame Marie, Gloria, Emily sat at the dining table with Louise and Albert, and watched as Ernest slowly rocked Keller. Life seemed to settle down again. Baby Keller had brought two families closer than they had ever been, and everyone, all the present members of the Rivers and Keller clans, eagerly wanted to do their part to make life as easy as possible for the newlyweds and baby and for each other. For an instant Sol sensed a new harmony that originated in the child and enveloped the families. He almost forgot why he had come. He reached into several of his pockets and finally pulled out two sets of keys he had gotten that morning at the locksmith’s.
“Oakley, las llaves.” Sol placed the keys in the middle of the dining table.
Oakley nodded toward his son. “These are for you, Albert.”
“The little cottage at the back of the garden … the one we used for storage and once in a while the workers would stay there … You know which one, son. Sol and several crews from Ernest’s and our company have turned it into a bungalow: two bedrooms, a big bathroom, a kitchen and a living room with a view of the little forest. It’s for Louise, Keller and you for as long as you need it. The workers made the furniture. When they were told it was for the both of you, they worked so hard to get it ready. They really care for the both of you. They love you.” Oakley paused, choked up, looked around for someone else to speak up.
“We don’t want you to go away!” Emily called out.
“At least not very far away, Louise.” Gloria smiled, then went to hug her sister.
STARS, THE MILKY Way, appeared like a sheet of diamonds across the Los Angeles night sky. Allison and Agatha had worked hard to make the transition from the Simons company town to Hancock Park smooth for Albert, Louise and Keller. With Louise’s consent, they had arranged a home visit by an ob
stetrician/gynecologist and a general practitioner to examine Louise and the baby on a regular basis. Louise and her mother had previously communicated by way of Sol. The day had finally come, the move happened, medical arrangements were agreed upon by all parties concerned. While Albert and Louise were moving into their new cottage, their mothers stayed up late talking about Louise and Albert, how they had come together, how they had fallen in love.
Agatha and Allison sat at the kitchen table with a pot of tea and an assortment of Jewish pastry from Cantor’s Deli that Allison had bought that day. A second set of candles burned brightly.
“These burn too fast. They’re expensive, too,” Agatha complained.
“The candelabras are gorgeous.”
“Sol gave them to me. He found them in the river. He says the two pieces are very old.”
“What would we do without him? Sol is so good with the children.”
“You don’t have to speak so softly. Everyone is sound asleep. They can’t hear us from the kitchen. Haven’t we had this conversation before? Déjà vu. I know we talked about this several times before, Allison.”
“It’s good that we can openly discuss these family matters, don’t you think?”
“Why? Are we guilty of something? Is it our fault this happened?”
“Well, Agatha, I think that I’ve said this before—it’s mainly my fault. Remember, it was me who asked you to allow Albert to tutor Louise. I kept insisting because he was, he is, the best. I pushed them together, and I kept them together even when it became obvious they were attracted to each other. I did nothing to stop it when I knew they were lovers. At first, I stupidly thought it was cute, and then when I heard Dame Marie, Gloria and Emily talking secretly, giggling about what Albert and Louise were doing, I didn’t know what to do. I just prayed they were going to be fine. But it was Uncle Philip who silenced me. He blamed all that happened on Albert, and if I stopped the relationship, I would be saying that he was right all along, that Albert corrupted Louise, that he took advantage of her innocence, seduced and raped her. … “
“Don’t say those things, Allison! Don’t even think it! If you make that statement in public, people will believe it. It’ll make the situation worse than what it is. Already the gossip is ugly. Your Uncle Philip just keeps feeding the fire. Public gossip will move on. People will eventually stop talking. Public memory is short. They’ll forget. Albert and Louise are our children and they did nothing wrong. They simply fell in love. It’s not your fault, not mine—it’s Cupid’s. Stop punishing yourself, and, for God’s sake, don’t make such crazy exaggerated statements, and don’t use the word rape in any way to describe their relationship! Please don’t ever say that again, Allison, never again.”
That night Agatha and Allison came even closer together than they had been. When the sun came up, they had an unspoken plan. Agatha and Allison knew exactly how each would respond to the public gossip about their children, to the harsh criticism about their parenting and to the many well-intentioned suggestions on how to solve the problem, resolve the shame or how to eliminate the reminder of the children’s sinful behavior. Some friends suggested, not to them directly, that the family should disinherit Albert and Louise, kick them out of the house and force them to make their own way. If they’re old enough to make babies, they’re old enough to take care of themselves. The criticisms of Louise were more of pity, of feeling sorry for her. Some women saw her as a victim of infatuation, in love with love, and others regarded her as a young innocent girl deflowered by a monster. The men attacked Albert as the cause of the newlyweds’ ruin and shame.
“If it was my sister, I would strip, beat and tar the guy.”
“Shaming my daughter would mean big trouble for the spoiled rich brat.”
Calmly and patiently, Agatha and Allison listened to indirect references and to direct complaints about Albert. The response from Los Angeles’ famous and wealthy was derisive. Nevertheless, Agatha and Allison spoke openly of how proud they were of Albert, Louise and Keller. They were ecstatic about the beautiful baby boy given them. As parents and grandparents, they promised the ladies of the various philanthropic clubs that the newlyweds’ life would be easy and comfortable.
“After all, they’re in love, they’re married, they have a delightful baby boy and they make us happy. They’re a family and they bring joy to our families. There is no shame in what they did.”
Agatha and Allison continued to communicate their feelings with words and to make generous donations to philanthropies in the names of Albert, Louise and Keller Rivers. Not one organization turned the funds down. A few groups were shocked by the source of the money, but after looking at the checks, they quickly accepted and immediately sent flowers and greeting cards to “Mr. and Mrs. Albert Rivers and Family.” The gossip and criticism soon subsided. But Uncle Philip’s ill will not only did not cease, it increased. Overt threats were made by Uncle Philip and his comrades in the Southern California Aryan Club.
WHILE ALBERT, LOUISE and Keller lived comfortably in their cozy cottage, the family designed and had built on the east side of the river a large house with views of downtown. After a year’s wait for construction to be finished, the family’s second celebration took place, this one in the new house in Boyle Heights. The photographer flashed the lamp and asked Albert and Louise to hold their positions once again. Dressed in a tuxedo, Albert stood tall and proud of his wife, Louise, who was wearing a white wedding dress that Allison and Agatha had helped select. Agatha and Allison insisted on having the wedding for family and friends. Of course, in her eldest daughter’s wedding, Allison wanted to be involved in every aspect of the planning. She was excited about the ceremony, the menu and the guest list.
Albert and Louise went along with their mothers’ plan, although they had told them that a public wedding was not necessary. They were already married. Nonetheless, the mothers insisted. Albert and Louise worried that their mothers did not believe them. Louise brought out the marriage certificate, held it up for everyone to see and got Emily and Gloria to verify that they had been witnesses. Dame Marie said she, too, was present at City Hall, where a justice of the peace had performed the ceremony.
“Yes, we know you’re legally married, but we want a more traditional ceremony. Please don’t refuse us this simple request. We want a wedding.”
It was no use resisting Agatha and Allison. They had made up their minds.
“Fine, we’ll go through another wedding, but Albert and I have one request. We want the ceremony to take place in our new house. We want family and friends to share it with us, share our delight in the house, the views and the sunset.”
Louise walked out to the long balcony that ran across the entire second floor of the house overlooking the river and beyond to Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The house was built by Sun Construction on one of the highest and largest lots in Boyle Heights. It had a view of the First Street bridge, the Sun Construction Boyle Heights Yard and Keller Construction Company on the river, the old Abelardo and Toypurina Ríos house and farther upriver the River Mother’s imposing ever-changing abode glimmering in the setting sun. After the mothers took in the view, they agreed to have the wedding at Albert and Louise Rivers’ new residence.
From the time Oakley and Ernest had approved the purchase of the lot and completed drafting the plans for the house, Agatha and Allison had started shopping for furniture, appliances, linens, rugs, curtains and drapes, dishware, silverware, a complete nursery and more of what, in their opinion, a perfect home needed for a young family. They had purchased or ordered furniture from the most expensive home design stores in the city. Louise accompanied the mothers, often unwillingly.
“This is your house, Louise … “
“Yes, it’s a little unclear to me whose house you’re talking about.”
“Oh, Louise, your mother and I are only trying to help.”
“We want you to pick out the furniture. Those rooms need to be decorated, furnished with the best. Y
ou make a selection, and we’ll show you what we like. What do you want in the baby’s room?”
The mothers had made a prior selection of items before they had even taken Louise to the stores. They were obsessed with creating the perfect house. They had learned from decorating their own houses which amenities to have and which to reject. The mothers just wanted their children to be happy, but this was a way of participating in their children’s happiness.
Oakley and Ernest had doubled the crews, and in a little more than eight months, thanks to good weather and dedicated workers, they hammered in the last nail, tightened the last bolt, painted the exterior and interior. With exceeding pride, Oakley and Ernest finally placed the keys in Albert and Louise’s hands. As if carefully planned down to the minute, the furniture started to arrive—along with the two mothers, who helped direct where the pieces would be placed in each room of the three-story home. Louise, holding the baby, raised her eyebrows to her husband in capitulation to her mother and mother-in-law.
It took three days for all the furniture to arrive and be perfectly situated in the rooms. When the last deliveryman left the house, the mothers stood in the middle of the living room and complimented Louise on making what they considered excellent up-to-date selections of fine furnishings. The interior of the house was magnificent, rich in rare woods, expensive furniture, rugs and lamps. In all aspects of design, decoration and architecture, it was the best that money and the mothers could buy. The exterior and the landscaping equaled the interior in expense and beauty. With a Sun Construction crew, Sol designed, excavated and constructed a patio and swimming pool, surrounded by pergolas and gardens similar to those at Il Castelluccio that Albert and Louise had always enjoyed visiting. One evening Albert, Louise and Baby Keller were relaxing on the back porch, engrossed in the splendid sunset over Los Angeles and beyond to the Santa Monica shore.
River of Angels Page 27
