Lessons In Being A Flapper (20 page)

Bayani arrived soon after I finished getting ready and we were off for a night on the town. It always hit me, every time I left the hotel, how amazing this city was. There were so many dreams coming true and dreams being broken; new relationships springing to life as others crumbled under the stress of living in such a high-paced city. There was so much going on every minute of every day that even if you lived here for your entire life, you’d never be able to experience it all.

We were on our way to somewhere special. I had no idea where this special place was but I was sure I would love it.

“Here we are,” Bayani said, taking me by the hand and leading me up to
a set of massive doors.

“Where are we?” I asked. I knew this place looked familiar but I couldn’t seem to place it. Then it hit me. This was where the Rockette’s were. We were going to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! Ahhh!

“Oh my God! I freaking love you!” I yelled before jumping up and down on the spot and then hanging with my arms around Bayani’s neck and my legs dangling. Since when was he so tall? He laughed and spun me around before depositing me back on the floor.

“I knew you’d like it. Now let’s get inside before the show starts.”

F
or the past few years, the holidays had been the most depressing, unfestive days of the year. It’s weird when you don’t have a big family how much the holidays suck. It’s the time of year when you realize how alone you really are. Even though my mother and I had relatives, they never came around. They’d send a card, but that was the extent of it. Whatever had transpired in the past, when my grandparents were younger and my mother was just a child herself, had stuck. I never once had a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas surrounded by family and friends, laughing and roasting chestnuts. No, for me it was always a sad time of year because I desperately wanted that. I wanted to feel the warmth and love of a big family. I wanted to cook and make dinner for many people. I wanted to feel like I belonged.

I’ve never felt that…until now. Even though there weren’t many of us, Bayani and Marisol
had made my holidays feel joyful. And I appreciated it more than they ever knew.

It’s been hard for me the past few years. The stress of my situation at home made me feel like a burden, like I wasn’t wanted and wasn’t good enough. I understood where the mean-spirited remarks came from. My mother was just as stressed and worn down by life as I was. Maybe even more so, since she had been dealing with all the little things life threw at her much longer than I had. So I couldn’t really blame her for taking it out on me but at the same time I was disappointed that she thought so little of me. Obviously, our family dynamics weren’t the best at the moment. I couldn’t help but hope that a new year would bring about new attitudes for both of us.

T
he next few days were like a snow-filled buzz. The city was covered with the white stuff, which looked rather unpleasant after people had trudged on it and dogs had peed on it. The first day was always the best, when the light flurries of snow landed on sidewalks and cars, covering them in sparkling flakes. If you went outside during a snowstorm, you might be lucky enough to hear silence. It was a very rare feeling. However, after a few days, the snow started to make people mean and aggravated, it got dirty and heavy and people threw their backs out trying to shovel it. It was not a Winter Wonderland any longer.

Luckily there wasn’t a blizzard on New Year’s Eve so all the festivities went forward without a glitch. People came out in droves, decked out in their finest party attire despite the ice-cold chill in the air. Time
s Square was bustling with tourists and locals alike, all waiting for the ball to drop and the New Year to begin. I had never been to New York at all, so being here in December was an extra special treat. Bayani and I left Marisol in her hotel room after she exclaimed that she was “too old” to go gallivanting around the city with a million other people. She said she’d much rather watch the shenanigans from the warmth of her bed with her electric blanket warming her tush and a glass of champagne on the nightstand.

I have to say, I didn’t blame her. If it weren’t for Bayani, I’d probably be inside too. It was far too cold for me out here and so jam-packed that I could barely move my arms without whacking someone
in the face (sorry man-with-a-Santa-hat-and-furry-sweater. I didn’t mean to knock your glasses off and then step on them. Really, I didn’t!)

Bayani and I were huddled together in the crowd as the New Year’s Eve show started. As everyone knows there are some amazing performances on NYE in NYC. Tonight was no exception. We had already danced (or tried to dance) to legends like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and Justin Bieber (was he a legend? Probably not. A Bit too young, I’d reckon). Next up was a special guest that no one seemed to know about. The host of the night, Ronald Seawall, said that this person was a “media phenomenon” with millions of followers worldwide. He also said she’
d be here to ring in the New Year with another legendary guest. Neither Bayani nor I could picture who these two famous people were, but that’s probably because our brains were suffering from some sort of internal frostbite, where your thought process is delayed by the ice forming in your head. Brrr. It was
cold.
So cold that I felt like I was in Antarctica not Times Square. Thank God I wore my long johns. Not exactly the sexiest piece of clothing but definitely the warmest!

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, to count us down to the
New Year, please welcome the dancing Granny, Marisol Silva and legendary diva Mariah Carey!” Ronald Seawall clapped and then helped a decked out Marisol up onto the stage. She looked positively radiant, with her long (faux) fur coat and cute little winter hat. I should have known that Marisol is not one to miss a party. What made me think she was actually staying in is beyond me.

As her image was projected up on the screens in Times Square, Bayani and I cheered. This was probably the most exciting moment of the entire trip!
Imagine our little Marisol ringing in the New Year with a bunch of celebrities!

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…HAPPY NEW YEAR Darlings!” she bellowed with Mariah Carey beside her. The ball dropped and everyone kissed and hugged and emitted sounds of jubilation.

“Happy new Year, babe!” Bayani said, holding me tightly and kissing me like he never kissed me before.  I was so happy at that very moment that I could have burst. Every sad thought from my past was washed away and all I could think of was the here and now. I also couldn’t help wondering if my grandfather and grandmother were celebrating a New Year in heaven too. If they were, I hope they were happy.

T
he following day I landed back in San Francisco. As much as I loved my stay in New York, I couldn’t wait to be in the comfort of my own home with Clara curled up by the TV. A cup of hot chocolate and a good book were all I needed to complete my fantasy scenario.

Oh, and Bayani, too of course. He would be sitting on the couch with me, possibly reading a book of his own and looking super-sexy with glasses and a whiskey.
I wondered if he wore glasses. If not, I’d buy him a cheap pair just so he could look nerdy and sexy and intellectual.

Despite wanting to jump right into my fantasy scenario, m
y first order of business when I returned was to pick up Clara from Jeanette’s.  Bayani, Marisol and I all took the same flight back and upon returning were ambushed by paparazzi. It was a very surreal moment and one that I don’t wish to repeat. I honestly thought that all the fanfare would dissipate once we left NYC, but apparently once something goes viral, it never really goes away. There’s a lesson there somewhere, kids. Be careful what you do or say because with the internet you just might be regretting it, like, forever.

Anyway, I didn’t regret our little escapade but I did have a few questions for Marisol that needed answering. I’d catch up with her later after we were all settled
in from the trip, right now, I had more pressing things to do – like see my dog.

When I arrived at Jeanette’s a little while later, I was happy to see that her yard was fenced in and the neighborhood seemed nice enough. At least I didn’
t have to worry about Clara getting loose or running amuck while I was away.

“Girl
, am I glad to see you!” Jeanette said, hugging me briefly before ushering me inside. “That dog of yours is the devil, I tell you! Behind that adorable face lays the mind of a demon!”

Uh-oh. This didn’
t sound good. I hope Clara hasn’t done anything too bad but you never knew with a young puppy, did you? What if she had finally turned into her human counterpart and started using Jeanette’s makeup and designer wardrobe? I really, really hoped not. Though it might be good for
America’s Got Talent,
it definitely wouldn’t be good for my friendship with this spicy stylist I’d grown to love. I think she valued clothes and accessories more than life. Seriously.

Jeanette was still rattling on but I caught snippets of “bad dog” and “tore”. Yikes!

“So basically she tore open every Christmas present under the tree because she could smell a box of Christmas treats for herself! What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?” We both looked at Clara expectantly, but she just thumped her tail on Jeanette’s polished wood floor and then walked away to tinkle under the tree. Oh, the Christmas cheer continued. That dog, I’ll tell you. She’s something else.

Obviously, Clara wasn’t welcome any more at Jeanette’s so we made a hasty departure and ventured home. It felt so good to be able to walk down the street without seventeen million
layers of clothes on. That’s one thing I really loved about San Fran -- the fact that you could walk around in January without a coat if you wanted.

When we got close to my house, I was attacked by a very jolly
, red-cheeked postman. News had spread that I was back, it seemed.

“Oh Miss Autumn! How I miss you! You have good time in Big City, Yes? You enjoy time with new love?
You make whoopee?” Esteban said in fast-paced broken English that I could barely keep up with.

I eventually pried him off of me and said that Yes, I had a good time and Yes, I spent time with Bayani. I purposely didn’t answer his question about making whoopee as I didn’t think my postman need
ed to know about my love life.  That would just be
way
too weird.

After that, Clara and I had a nice little catch up, where she spent her time licking me to death and I offered her some belly rubs as an apology for being away so long. It was a win-win situation. I got a bath and she got her tummy scratched.
All’s well that ends well, right?

By the time I had caught up with everything at home – including a large pile of mail that must have been from more than a month ago – it was night and I was extremely sleepy. My conversation with Marisol would have to wait until tomorrow because sleep was beckoning and I needed to heed the call.

T
he following morning I awoke with a start. I was so used to waking up in The Plaza with all its activity and delicious breakfast buffet aromas that waking up at home in my sleigh bed was a new sensation.  I felt something heavy on my feet and upon inspecting what it was found that it was my sweet little baby, Clara. I didn’t move my feet and instead decided to watch her sleep. She was so precious as she dreamed and wiggled, chasing after some invisible ball or cat. I wondered if she had four legs in her dreams.

After a few minutes she awoke and crawled over to me, nuzzling in my neck and enveloping me with her unique puppy smell. Even though she was getting older – and bigger – she was still such a gentle dog. She pawed at me until I scratched her ears and then jumped off the bed, ready and eager to go for her morning walk.

“OK, OK. I’m coming. I’m not a morning person, you should know that by now!” I said. I assumed that Jeanette had been treating my dog to some extra-early morning jogs. Well, that wasn’t going to happen here. I was going to stand my ground, get my coffee and then take her out. It was barely even bright out yet!

“Hey! What did you just do? Did you pee on my carpet? Bad girl!” Obviously I stood my ground for all of two seconds and already I had to give in. Housetraining pets is a bitch, isn’t it?
You can’t even get a minute to make your coffee before they’re weeing on the walls or in your favorite planter.

Outside the birds were just getting up and chirping away noisily. Very few houses were lit but those that were looked warm and cozy. The air was a little nippy, but comfortable and not even close to as cold as it was in New York. Since we hadn’t been walking in a while, I
decided to take Clara down to the shore and clear my thoughts. I had so much on my mind. I wanted to know why Marisol told me that Sophie was her great-granddaughter when she really wasn’t. I wanted to know why Marisol never spoke of her husband or had any photos of him around the house. I wanted to resign from my job and find something I loved. Wait where did that come from? Did I really mean that? I was beyond fortunate to have a job to begin with but if I was truly honest with myself, I wasn’t happy with it. As much as I liked fashion and the 1920s, I hated the job and found most of the people to be snooty. The only genuine people who worked there were Bayani and Jeanette.