Hemingway's Girl (28 page)

When he stepped into the living room, he stopped to look at the roomful of people.
Lulu skipped around touching everything. John talked to Estelle about the guitar when
he saw her looking at it. Mariella showed Eva the paintings on the walls and by the
easel. The scene filled him with an emotion he hadn’t expected. He
felt a lump form in his throat and blinked back tears. He thought that everything
he loved and would love was in this room, and he wanted to freeze the moment forever.

In spite of her happiness, Mariella’s stomach rumbled in nervous anticipation. So
many heartbreaks left her wary of moments of pure happiness.

Mariella watched Gavin as he instructed everyone to fix their plates in the kitchen
and take them out to the living room to eat. Her eyes traveled over his starched white
shirt, ironed pants, and fresh haircut. She could see from his creased forehead and
tidy appearance how important it was to him to make a good impression, and she loved
him for it.

Dinner was delicious. Gavin served roasted chicken, boiled potatoes, and carrots,
and he’d seasoned everything with sea salt he’d picked up at the market. The pie was
unsalvageable, but they were all too full from dinner to contemplate dessert.

When dinner ended, the girls helped Gavin clean the dishes while John patiently answered
Lulu’s questions about his legs. Mariella finally intervened when she asked to see
them, and the rest of the group came to sit in the living room. Eva sat on the couch
next to John’s chair, and Mariella sat at her side. Estelle sat on the floor near
John, while Gavin sat on the floor leaning on Mariella’s legs. Lulu crawled into Gavin’s
lap.

Their talk of the Keys and the Overseas Highway led to a discussion of Mariella’s
trip to Bimini.

“Mama is worried about me,” said Mariella. She reached for Eva’s hand. “She’s worried
about all of the rich men drinking and gambling.”

“I can’t help it,” said Eva.

“I’ll do everything I can to go for a long weekend,” said Gavin.

“I would be so relieved if you did,” said Eva.

Mariella tried to hide her smile. She never could have predicted that the Eva from
the beach would want a soldier to spend a weekend on a faraway island with Mariella
for her protection.

It was quiet for a moment, until Estelle asked John to play something on the guitar.
He said he’d play Satie’s
Gymnopedie No. 1
. It sounded like a lullaby. Gavin leaned in closer to Mariella, and Lulu crawled
into Eva’s lap. When the song ended, the room was silent.

“Where did you learn to play?” asked Eva.

“My mother was a classical pianist,” said John. “She taught me the piano, and I taught
myself guitar from that. I wanted to go to Peabody in Baltimore, but the war came
and I felt called to fight. I thought I’d pursue music when I got home.”

“You still could,” she said.

“I don’t think the Sloppy Joe’s crowd would be interested in classical guitar,” he
said.

“No, but you could give lessons or teach classes.”

“I’d love to do that, but I’m afraid not many could afford a luxury like that now.”

What he said was true. Mariella knew that John hated living off of his parents’ money,
but he had no choice. She saved the awkward moment by requesting another song. Incredibly,
John started playing Ponce’s
Suite.
Mariella shot a look at her mother, cringing at the response she anticipated. Mariella
started to ask John to play something else, but Eva placed her hand on Mariella’s
arm to stop her. She shook her head and smiled.

Estelle watched her mother for a reaction, too, but Eva seemed lost in the music.
When it ended Lulu said, “That’s my daddy’s song.” Mariella was surprised Lulu remembered.

“I’m sorry,” said John. “I hope that didn’t upset you.”

“No, it made me happy,” said Eva. “It might sound silly, but it brought Hal here to
this, and it felt right.”

The room was quiet until Lulu yawned.

Eva stood and picked her up.

“We should probably get going,” said Mariella.

“If you’d like to stay,” said Eva, “I could take the girls home.”

Mariella loved the idea, but she didn’t want her mother walking home alone with the
girls, and she knew she had to wake up early to go to Bimini.

“I’d love to,” she said, “but I should get home to rest before tomorrow.”

“I’ll walk you home,” said Gavin.

As they all started out, Mariella hesitated. She hated to go. The evening had been
so perfect.

Eva put Lulu down and she walked over to kiss John’s cheek. She stared for a moment
at the blanket that hid his missing legs.

“Well, I hope you grow those back,” she said.

Eva buried her face in her hands. Mariella gasped and mouthed an apology to John.
He laughed and shook his head to dismiss the apology.

“Me, too,” he said.

Amid the chaos, Estelle crept over to John.

“Thank you for playing the guitar for us,” she said.

Mariella was moved to see Estelle open up to John. Gavin met her eyes and smiled.

“If you ever want lessons,” John said, “I’ll teach you for free.”

Estelle beamed and even leaned down to hug him before running out the door.

Eva stepped up to his chair and took his hands.

“Thank you for your patience with them, and for playing for us,” she said. She leaned
down to hug John, and when she stood Mariella saw that John blushed. She thought that
he wasn’t used to so much female attention and that it must feel good for him.

After she kissed John’s burning cheek, Mariella joined Gavin and her family on the
porch. Lulu was almost asleep in Gavin’s
arms, and he told Eva he’d be happy to carry her home and put her to bed.

Mariella trailed Gavin and the girls as they started down the stairs, but turned for
one last wave at John. When she looked back at him, all she could see was his dark
shape in the door with the light behind him. His shoulders sagged, he held his head
in his hands, and he appeared to be crying.

Bimini, Bahamas

The seaplane descended and Mariella felt her stomach in her throat. As excited as
she’d been for her first airplane ride, she quickly learned that flying did not agree
with her. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to get sick, especially
when Ada got sick. Jinny sang songs with the boys, told jokes, and created a general
uproar on board the small aircraft. Pauline sat with her back to them, watching the
water. Mariella could feel her willing the island to come into view.

The silhouette of the island appeared. Mariella held her stomach as the plane dropped
and lifted erratically before making a swift landing in the water. Mariella settled
as the plane drifted toward the dock. She nearly forgot her sickness when she saw
the crew welcoming them. Papa stood on the pilings above them, a bronzed god waving
furiously and pretending to shoot at the boys. They loved the show and bounced up
and down, eager to board the little rowboat. Carlos, Papa’s first mate on board the
Pilar
, brought it out to them. He helped them each down into the boat and they bobbed through
the choppy surf toward the dock.

Hemingway radiated happiness. Never before had Mariella seen him so completely in
his element. He wore only a pair of
fish-blood-splattered pants rolled to the knee. His hand had a bandage from some new
injury, and his face had grown enough stubble to make a respectable beard. His white
teeth flashed at them with every smile.

Pauline was leaning forward at the bow of the ship like a figurehead, looking eager
enough to jump into the water and swim to the dock. As they pulled in, Hemingway helped
them out of the boat. He kissed Pauline passionately and they embraced. Bumby, Patrick,
and Gregory jumped out and bounced around while Papa ruffled their hair and hugged
them. He nodded curtly at Ada, and kissed Jinny. Mariella started to climb out of
the boat on her own when she felt his hand on her arm. He lifted her as if she weighed
nothing.

“Daughter, you have made my vacation.” He put his hands on the sides of her face,
and she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he just gazed at her until Patrick
pulled his arms and dragged him down the pier.

Mariella helped Carlos unload the bags from the boat, then started after the Hemingways,
still flushed from his touch.

A seagull flew across the white sand and out over the surf. Mariella followed its
line to the sandbar about fifty yards offshore. Just past it, the water suddenly became
deep blue-green in a channel. Mariella knew it was teeming with fish swimming north
on the Gulf Stream. The blue of the sky and the water were almost the same, and the
breeze blew the fresh saltwater smell over her. She understood Papa’s euphoria.

She started back to the Compleat Angler—the only “big” hotel on the island. It had
twelve rooms, wraparound porches on each level, and a noisy rum bar. Pauline and Ernest
were in room one, the boys and Ada in room two, and Mariella in room three.
The rest of their friends and staff filled the place like Papa’s subjects traveling
in his court.

Mariella pushed open the door of the dark-paneled room and stepped inside. It smelled
of damp wood and seawater. There were paintings of big fish on the walls, and the
bed and curtains had cream-colored lace overlays. She walked to the window and looked
out over the beach. The sand was white as sugar. It was nearly sunset, and the evening
light warmed the landscape. A large fish leaped out of the waves. The boys saw the
fish, too. They jumped off the deck and ran down to the beach. Ada stood on the deck
yelling after them, but they knew she couldn’t possibly catch them and danced like
shirtless savages in the waves.

Mariella turned back to the room and realized she was without her mother and sisters
for the first time in her life. She’d always longed for this kind of freedom and privacy,
and now she had it. She didn’t know what to make of it.

She hung her dress in the closet and put her bathing suit and beach clothes in the
drawers in the bureau. She peeked into a small bathroom and was happy to see that
it was clean. When she turned back to face the room, she smiled broadly. She ran toward
the bed and leaped onto it, rolling around on the cool, soft comforter. She smiled
at the fan over her on the ceiling.

At last!