Raquel's Abel (12 page)

“Taa-daa,” I exclaimed as I entered the room, modeling the dress by pulling out the skirts and doing the sharpest turns I could with my bad ankle.

“It too beautiful.” Maria Elena stood up and clapped.

“I do believe that my granddaughter takes after Victoria’s side of the family.”

Was she saying that I resembled Queen Victoria? I didn’t want to argue about that right now as I enjoyed the dress I’d been able to fit into.

“You will looking good dancing in that dress,” Maria Elena assured me.

“Thank you,” I giggled. “I’m thinking I’d like to go shopping.”

“I coming with you, Señorita Raquel?”

“That’s a great idea.” I’d never looked forward to buying clothes before. Of course I’d still be shopping in the big women’s department, but at least this time I wouldn’t wear the biggest size in the entire store.

Grandmother raised both of her hands in a fan-like gesture. “Raquel, you look so lovely. I wish I could find my old jewelry for you to wear with that outfit.”

“Jewelry?” I didn’t recall any jewelry my grandmother had.

“Yes, you know there were so many things that the Romanovs had. My mother had us sew many of our jewels into our corsets when we were leaving the palace. I have many pieces. I just don’t seem to be able to find them.”

“Grandmother, you couldn’t possibly have jewelry from the Russian royal family!”

“And why not? My mother was very fond of that Fabergé man. Carl, I think was his name.”

“Please don’t keep this nonsense up,” I pleaded. The thought of there being things in the house from the Romanovs who’d been murdered and chopped into tiny pieces made me shiver.

My grandmother looked back at the television. “It isn’t nonsense. One day you’ll see.”

Exasperated, I turned to Maria Elena. “Let’s go shopping after lunch.”

I walked back upstairs without saying anything else to my grandmother.

That afternoon, Maria Elena helped me pick out a few new outfits. The thrill was the kind of feeling only an obese person could understand. I was able to get “normal clothes” now. I picked out several regular button-down blouses—even got some shorts. It was, the first time I’d worn anything like that since I was a child.

As I was checking out, I noticed that Maria Elena was empty-handed. She deserved something, so I decided to get a few things for her, also.

I went with her to the non-big women’s department and enjoyed looking at the kinds of things I could be wearing in a year or so.

Maria Elena picked out a few colorful sundresses and shorts, and I was glad to buy them for her. She really seemed to care for my grandmother.

Afterwards, we stopped in a sandwich shop for a bite to eat. Of course, I had to remove the bread and simply nibble on the vegetables and lean meat. This was a good time to ask her about her child.

“Maria Elena, I remember what you told me.”

“I glad you have the operation, Señorita.” She could be very coy when she wanted to.

“I am too, but…”

“You already looking very beautiful.”

“About the child you had in Ecuador.”

She laid her sandwich down and looked down at her hands.

“How old is he?”

“He was very beautiful.” Her lips trembled.

Maybe I shouldn’t have asked, but if she had a child I wanted her to know she was welcome to bring him here.

“He live only a few weeks.”

“I’m so sorry.” I should have respected her attempt to keep it private.

“It was very long time ago, but I still thinking about his beautiful little face.” She pressed her lips together. “I gave him a lot of love. I don’t know why he die.”

“What did the doctors say?”

“They don’t know, but we not having much money.”

That was odd. I could have sworn Maria Elena told me her father owned a chain of department stores in the town she lived in. Of course, the baby was dead, and there was nothing anybody could do.

That afternoon, Regina came over, and I couldn’t resist modeling my new clothes. Maria Elena got in on the action, and paraded around in the things I’d gotten for her. Grandmother had a kind word for each item we’d purchased and let us know how much the color and style did for us. Regina, however, remained quiet during our fashion show.

Finally, when I came to sit next to her, I asked. “How’s Barry?”

“He’s all right. He’s still crazy about me,” she said a little too defensively.

“Glad to hear that.” Her bright yellow outfit with matching visor made her dark hair look darker and shinier.

“What have you been doing to keep yourself busy?” That was always a mystery to me. She never had a hobby or an interest, so I had no idea how she kept herself busy.

“Well, I’ve been meeting with lawyers about the divorce. It seems Carter isn’t going along with what I want.”

“Maybe you should get a job or something, you know, to keep yourself busy.”

“No!” She shot at me. “Besides, Barry wants me to stay with his kids sometimes.”

I didn’t say anything, but I couldn’t imagine Regina babysitting.

“They’re all right kids, but they want so much attention.”

I didn’t say anything. No one had ever paid any attention to Regina when she was a child, so I imagine she had no idea how to treat those kids.

We talked for a little while longer, but she was so involved in herself she didn’t want to hear about my success with the surgery or how much weight I was losing.

After a while, she left and as I watched her leave, I wondered how long this thing with Barry would last and what Carter would do to her in the divorce. To the rest of the world, it probably appeared that she deserved what she got, but I knew better. My mother dying when she was so young and my father withholding love had really taken a toll on her. When would she rise above it?

I enjoyed reading about Teddy Roosevelt’s father as much as I did about the 26
^th
president himself. Although wealthy, the first Theodore Roosevelt staunchly believed in helping the underprivileged. For me, what made writing a biography interesting was reading about the people around my subject, and if possible, their enemies and critics. To understand a character, I needed to understand his environment and the dynamics in which he was raised.

I was beginning to understand what made my subject tick, so I was on my way to actually starting the biography. Now I had to determine how I would start the book. Should I start with his childhood or should I start with him after his presidency and have him reminisce about his life? I sat back in my chair and stared at the blank screen in front of me.

“Good afternoon,” Abel’s voice broke the stillness.

I felt my face break out in a big smile. “You could knock.”

“Yes, you are right, but it isn’t a ghost’s habit to knock. It tends to scare people.”

“Etiquette for ghosts,” I said with a grin.

He wore another one of my father’s smoking jackets, with dark green paisleys running through it. He stepped toward me and stood erect with his hands clasped in front of him. “I have come to invite you to picnic with me.”

“Picnic?” I couldn’t imagine picnicking with a ghost.

“I would be honored if you would accept my invitation.”

He was so charming. “Of course I will.”

“Then I would be delighted if you would join me in the meadow behind the old tennis courts.” He had a satisfied grin on his face that made his thin blond mustache more prominent.

“When?”

“Tomorrow at 1:00, and don’t bring a thing.”

That made me really curious. What would a ghost serve for lunch?

The next day I felt as if I were a teenager going on her first date. Actually, I hadn’t been out on that many dates—a few, but not with someone I was really attracted to. My cast had finally been taken off and with the weight I’d lost, I was much more sure-footed.