Читать книгу Colette - Michelina Vinter - Страница 7

The next couple of weeks were a combination of joy and sorrow. Colette’s family was showing a supportive united front, but her grandmother was spending more time than usual wiping her eyes. She had claimed her allergies were really bad this time of year. Pierre was telling jokes constantly, and Colette had even heard someone crying in the bathroom a few days earlier. She had to admit that she also had mixed feelings. On the one hand, she was marrying a man who would put most of her male friends to shame. He was so manly. On the other hand, she was going to move halfway around the world and rarely see her family, if she ever saw them again.

Adam had taken care of all the paperwork with the help of Colette’s friend Anne. Everything was ready to go. Rather than have a church wedding, for which they did not have time, they would marry at city hall. The important thing was that she become his wife in time for the long journey back. They would travel by boat to New York and then, after visiting with his family for a few days, they would take the train to San Francisco.

***

When Colette’s father had heard the news, he had almost collapsed. His little girl was going to move halfway around the world, far, far from where he could protect her. There was only one thing he could do, and this would require that all of his contacts work on his behalf quickly.

Time was of the essence. He took Colette aside and told her the family secret. She now needed to know.

So he started. “Honey, you are old enough to understand now. And as you are going away, I need to find a way to protect you even when I am not around. Your mother and I are Freemasons. We do not belong to the same Masonic body because we are of different genders, but we nonetheless have the same brothers and sisters.”

Colette’s mother interrupted. “You know, Colette, Freemasons are present all around the world. They keep their membership secret because of all the persecution they have suffered through history, and most recently in Spain, but they will always welcome and help a brother or sister in need.”

Colette’s father continued the explanation. “It normally takes a long time to gain membership, and the person who wants to join generally has to ask herself. But here we do not have time. I want you to trust me and become a Freemason before you leave. What do you say?”

Colette was taken aback by this revelation. She had had no idea. She knew of Freemasons and their moral values, and she even suspected that she had known some Masons. But her own parents? That was a surprise. She decided on the spot that if her membership would make her father feel better about her leaving, that was the least she could do.

So she agreed. And a few days later, she was initiated into her mother’s lodge. Many rules had been broken, but her parents’ influence had made this possible. She was made aware of the responsibilities that came with the membership and received a small list of women and men who lived in the United States and who would welcome her once she got there. No one was to know that they themselves were Freemasons, and her own membership was to remain a secret. She was given the signs that would help her make contact, and she said good-bye to the women who had welcomed her into the sisterhood just a few hours prior.

***

To Colette’s parents’ dismay, the wedding was a quick event, and their daughter spent her wedding day busily closing up her suitcases rather than being the belle of the ball. In fact, just before the ceremony, Colette’s dad had asked her, “Honey, is this really what you want to do? You are still so young, and you have so much time ahead of you. I am worried you were rushed into this and did not think it through.”

Colette looked at her dad with a brave smile on her face and replied, “I really want to do this. Don’t worry; I will be fine.” And she walked to her seat to wait for the mayor to link her life to Adam’s forever.

***

For the first time in her life, Colette woke up as Mrs. Adam Walker. Her wedding night had been even more surprising than her first kiss. Adam had come to bed, taken off her nightgown along with his own clothes, spread her legs, and plunged into her as if he was diving into the ocean. The initial pain had been so intense that it had taken her breath away. But after a minute or so, the whole process became something that might have been enjoyable if her husband had given her a little more time to warm up to the idea. “There has to be more to it than that,” thought Colette as she waited for her husband to wake up.

Tired of looking at Adam’s sleeping figure, Colette got up and went to the kitchen to take her last breakfast with her family. Grandmamma had been crying. It was obvious. So had her mother and sister, who were wearing sunglasses in the house. The mood was somber, and the breakfast just did not taste the same. It had a bittersweet quality that Colette knew she would never forget. And as she was walking back to her room to get dressed, her grandfather stopped her in the hallway. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his gold pen, the one he always wrote with, the one that had been with him since he had been a very young man.

He handed it to Colette and said, “Here, you take it with you. This way I know you will always have a pen to write with…and to remember me by.”

He kissed her cheek and left without another word. Colette stood there committing to memory the smell of her grandfather’s aftershave. He was such a gentle man, a man of few words. But he was always there to lend a sympathetic ear and offer advice when asked. Colette had known that it would break her heart to say good-bye to her family, but she had not realized how difficult it would really be. And two hours before her departure, she finally felt the overwhelming desperation that came with her decision.

Before she knew it, her travel trunks were in the car and she was standing on the sidewalk kissing everyone good-bye.

Her grandmother managed to hold the tears long enough to whisper in Colette’s ear, “You are the firstborn of my grandchildren. There has always been a special bond between us, Colette. I will always love you the most. But this is our secret.”

Then she kissed her granddaughter’s cheek and walked back into the house.

The rest of the family kissed her in silence, too afraid that words would break the dam that prevented their tears from flowing freely. All the women were wearing sunglasses even though the sky was as gray as their mood. Even Anne, who had come for the occasion, was following this new trend.

She hugged her friend fiercely and said, “That pen your grandfather gave you is also good for writing to your friend. Don’t forget me, and know that I will always be here for you if you need me.”

And before Colette could reply, Adam pushed her in the car. And with a coldness that was new to their relationship, he told his wife, “Don’t you think you have made enough of a spectacle of yourself?”

Colette’s anger rose to the occasion. How could her new husband be so insensitive to her pain? How could he even make such a comment when she was doing all she could not to start sobbing like a little child? She had just abandoned her family, broken their hearts, and possibly made the biggest mistake of her life. And as she took one last look at them she saw a tear escape from behind her godmother’s sunglasses. She wished she could wipe that tear away and make the older woman feel better, but she knew it would be a long time before she could kiss her cheeks and hug her again.

***

They traveled to Brest to catch the ship that would take them to America, and once onboard, things seemed to get a little better. Adam relaxed and slowly became his charming self again. Thankfully, neither Adam nor she seemed to be affected by sea sickness. Maybe Colette had overreacted. Adam was able to make her laugh almost constantly. Yes, she would be happy with him.

They spent their days walking on the deck and their nights making love. Even in that department, things had improved. The experience was enjoyable, and falling asleep in Adam’s arms was very reassuring. He must love her. After all, he was always so physical, holding her hand, reaching for her when they crossed other couples on the deck, putting his arms around her shoulders when she looked cold during their evening stroll. He had even requested a table for two, where they took all their meals together, uninterrupted by the other passengers’ discussions.

But sometimes he still had reactions that puzzled and worried her a little. One day, she had been writing a letter to her family to tell them about her wonderful cruise when Adam walked in.

After inquiring about her current activity, he grabbed the piece of paper she had been writing on, tore it into small pieces, and said, “I am your family now, darling. You really should concentrate on me.”

Colette instinctively knew not to reply or even make eye contact. She got up from the desk and walked up to her husband. With a shy little smile, she went on tiptoe and kissed him on the mouth. Adam did not need any more encouragement than that to take his wife to bed, even in the middle of the afternoon.

Even though she was enjoying her husband’s company, Colette could not wait to land on the American continent. She would meet her new brothers and sister, her mother-in-law, and hopefully the father-in-law Adam hardly ever talked about. She suspected the relationship between the two men was tense, but her husband had not shared any of the specifics with her.

***

Finally the big day arrived. They were taken to Ellis Island, where Colette was processed in a flash with her husband’s help. She was shocked to see the long line of immigrants waiting for their fate to be decided while she was being ushered from one office to the next, each time getting closer to the exit point. Indeed, Adam had showed some paperwork and an official-looking card, and that seemed to have been enough to get them out of the immigration building rapidly. She had no idea what the card was. Every time she got close to seeing it, Adam would somehow find a way to obstruct her view. And before she knew it, she was out on the street, ready for her new adventure to begin.

As it was the end of July, New York was really hot and humid. Colette had never thought it possible for the weather to be as inclement as it was in Paris before a summer thunderstorm. But New York was by far the dampest and warmest environment she had ever experienced. And then she saw them. They all looked a little like Adam. They had the same golden hair and blue eyes, the same facial features, and the same broad shoulders. They were obviously all his brothers.

She had painstakingly learned all their names and distinguishing features while she was on the boat.

So she approached the first one and said, “You must be Joe. You are just as Adam described you. I am so pleased to meet you.” And then she said to the next, “And you must be James.” And she continued until she got to the last one. “You must be Peter, the youngest. You have the same name as my little brother. I just know we are going to get along famously,” she said.

And the whole clan was in love with her instantly.

Adam was praised for his choice of bride. Even his father adored her. His sister could not have been happier to finally have a sibling of her own sex even if it was through marriage.

His mother took Colette everywhere. She introduced her to all her friends and even to some of her enemies. She seemed so proud of her new daughter-in-law. All were enthralled with Colette’s personality, looks, homegrown sophistication, sweetness, and accent. She was the toast of the town.

***

One evening, as Colette was getting ready for one of the numerous parties she was attending, she heard a knock on the door. She opened it, and her mother-in-law walked in. She seemed in a hurry. The older woman grabbed her daughter-in-law’s hands and kissed her soundly on the cheeks. Colette was stunned. With extreme rapidity, her mother-in-law had given her the recognition sign, and she was now smiling at her. Colette returned the coded signal and grinned right back. Her mother-in-law was also her sister. Her father had told her she would find Masons everywhere, but she was not expecting to meet one in her husband’s family.

The older woman finally spoke. “Your mother’s letter arrived today. So I was just informed. It did take some time for her to find me, but she did. And I am so glad. Adam knows nothing of my membership, and I think it would be wise if you did not divulge yours to him either.”

The two women talked for a while longer and finally parted so Colette could finish getting ready.

Colette loved her new in-laws at least as much as they did her. She shared secrets with Stephanie, her sister-in-law, and the two young women went together to the symphony, to various stores, and even to the movie theater. And of course, a special bond had developed between Colette and her mother-in-law. Even the dreaded father-in-law had been a sweetheart. They had had a few conversations and had enjoyed reading the paper together every morning at breakfast. She could have stayed with her in-laws forever. But soon it was time to say good-bye again to go west and settle down in Berkeley, California, close to the university, where Adam taught Political Science.