Time passed.Time passed. She grew more mature and became less in demand. And then she became pregnant. "My uncle wanted me to do something about it. He said it would ruin my looks and that I still had another good year to earn money before I became too old to get top dollar." But she refused and when she caught him trying to drug her food, she ran away. She told the priest what had happened and took half her money -- almost a thousand dollars -- and then went to the bank of England. Her account trustee understood -- she told him everything once he explained he knew about the British man's preferences and his special concern for her -- and offered to have her flown to England; he was sure the writer would take her in, no matter what it cost his image and honor. She declined and asked only that a ticket be purchased for the island ferry to Mindanao as well as a bus ticket for the trip to the village of her mother's family. He readily agreed and made the arrangements and personally saw her to the midnight sailing. Her mother had told her family everything about her daughter and the money regularly wired to them. Her mother still was cold to her, almost as if she were a stranger, or a neighbor not well known who had come to stay with them. Many of the others were uneasy about her. Her grandmother, however, was merely pleased that both her granddaughters were near and soon she would see her great-grandchild (which she predicted would be a girl) and didn't give a damn about any of the circumstances, except to be glad they were better now. "Helluva woman, your grandmother." "She told me, 'I am old and I know that in the end, all that matters is to love and be gentle and as happy-making as you can.' This is beautiful, no?" This time I could only nod. Alicia had grown quite precociously -- "She already had a better body than I did and she was not yet twelve!" -- but Livinia's mother was a dragon lady and kept a tight leash on her beautiful baby. Alicia was not going to end up like Livinia. "She did not know that Alicia already learned much when they lived in the old house." I waited for more, but it wasn't forthcoming. I didn't ask. When she wanted to tell me more, she would. But I was damn curious about that. Her grandmother quietly told her some exercises to do -- breathing and pushing and relaxing exercise -- that she said would help when the time came. |