by Lisa B
Sorry that the chapters have been slow in coming. Life is just too much right
now. The balance is
tipped so easily and my mind is filled with so many things that there’s
been little to no room for
imagination.
With all of the debate over what will happen to Jax now that Brenda is on
the countdown to
extinction, I say who cares. Let what will happen…happen. In the end,
we will all probably still be
watching GH.
But if you haven’t done it lately…tell your father, mother,
sister, brother, lover, friend that you love
them. Appreciate every moment ‘cause you never know what twist life
will bring. It’s the little things
that stick in your mind like a hole in the toe of a sneaker worn to the
beach.
Lisa B
Song credit One of Us....Joan Osborne
Chapter 117
Jax couldn’t lodge Brenda from his thoughts or Jerry from his heart.
The world had tilted on its axis
and Jax couldn’t remember which way was up.
Eduardo gnawed at his lower lip. Sweat mingled with fear left a salty taste
in his mouth. One hand
gripping the steering wheel, he rummaged through the box of CDs on the floor
between them. Music
relaxed him and right now he needed something.
His fingers fumbled across a cracked jewel case. Flipping up the lid, he
popped the shining disc into
the player. A haunting voice wafted through the air mesmerizing them.
If God had a name
What would it be and would you call it to his face
If you were faced with him in all his Glory
What would you ask if you had just one question
And yeah, yeah, God it is great
Yeah, yeah, God it is good
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on a bus
Trying to make his way home
Rage bellowed from the depth’s of Eduardo’s soul. Religion was
as much a part of his upbringing
has the bullfights on a Sunday afternoon. Spain scarred by the blemish of
The Inquisition still
remained a bastion of Christianity. Summers spent in Avila reminded him of
a gentler time. The soft
murmur of whispered prayers bonded the fabric of his childhood. His
mother’s rosary beads were
never far from her side. The mysticism of the ages shrouded him in Avila.
Long into the night, when
the last vestige of summer sunshine was lost in darkness, his mother spoke
of the wonders of the
church. Warm days were spent traveling the cobblestone streets of Toledo
and Avila. His mother
pulled them from the hot sun into the cool depths of the churches of old.
While his mother spoke of God, his father trained him in business. Eduardo
was lost to both. His
mind strayed to the exotic beat of the Flamenco and the sweet bouquet of
sangria. As the family
traveled south towards the coast, they stopped in Cordoba and Granada. The
fire of Moorish blood
awakened in his heart and he’d slip out at night. He walked the streets
of the city tantalized by the
songs and the girls and the freedom of youth. Lost were teachings of the
nuns and the ethics of his
father. Eduardo turned his back on the past and found ways to enjoy the thrill
of the moment.
If God had a face
What would it look like and would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like Heaven, and in Jesus and the Saints
And all the profits
And yeah, yeah, God it is great
Yeah, yeah, God it is good
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah
Eduardo had ceased to believe in the mysteries of the church and God. He
paid lip service to the
beliefs his parents instilled in him. He traveled to Monaco or Paris and
Rome whenever the
opportunity arose. The life of the dashing young heir suited him. He showed
his face long enough to
keep his father from grumbling and left before his mother could find him
a bride.
Fear possessed him when his father died. He was the rock…the anchor
that kept the family from
drifting to sea. Eduardo loved him. He never understood how much until it
was too late to tell him.
The weight of the family rested on his shoulders and the strain was unbearable.
Then fate gave him
Isabella. His sister was a natural. She loved the business with a passion
equal to their father’s. And
so their destinies were decided. Eduardo would front the company and Isabella
would do what she
did best run it.
Eduardo turned his back on the faith that had been the center of his life
from birth. His hidden life of
gambling and carousing consumed his time leaving Isabella to carry the family
burdens alone. His
mother blessed her fortune of having a devoted his son who protected the
family. She never guessed
that it was her daughter carrying the load. Even when Remi tried to take
over Romero International,
his mother chose not to see the truth. In her eyes, Eduardo was head of the
family…the rock…the
anchor.
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on a bus
Trying to make his way home
Trying to make his way home
Way back to heaven all alone
Nobody calling on the phone
Except the Pope maybe from Rome
The twist of life had brought him here…to an endless vista of sand and
solitude. And an awakening
of beliefs long buried because they disrupted the flow of his life. Eduardo
understood the prayers
whispered before crawling into bed. Life was more than the thrill of the
moment. It was a string of
happenings. There was the time he put a frog in Isabella’s bed. She
was five and screamed until the
walls shook. Making fun of the gangly stages of her youth until she ran from
the room, her eyes
glistening with tears. Laughing at their limited dancing abilities even with
the best instructors. Holding
her as she sobbed at their father’s funeral.
Isabella was a piece of him. To never see her again was unthinkable. Yet,
the thought remained with
him. Her quick wit and consuming fire were a treasure. He prayed for strength.
Strength to do what
was right. Strength to accept what he couldn’t change. He prayed with
the depth of conviction he
hadn’t felt in many years. His prayers were answered.
**************************************************
Isabella huddled into the back corner of the car. Every thing had happened
so quickly. She couldn’t
fathom that after the days and weeks of isolation she was free. The giggle
started low. Isabella
clasped her hand over her mouth to stop it. It bubbled and perked until she
could not longer contain
it. Within moments, she was laughing uncontrollably. Tears streamed down
her face.
As quickly as the ordeal had started it had ended. Her captor sat bound in the front seat of the car.
Jerry strained his neck to catch a glimpse of Isabella in the rearview mirror.
“Isabella?”
Her laughter hit a crescendo and ebbed to a hiccuping sob.
Hands firmly gripping the steering wheel, Jerry’s eyes darted. Glancing
in first the left mirror and then
the right, he pulled the car off the road and slammed on the brakes. Startled
by the action, Remi and
Isabella fell to the floor.
Pushing the door open, Jerry jumped out of the car.
“Isabella, are you all right?” he questioned as he lifted her from the backseat.
She nodded her head yes.
Leaning against the side of the car, Jerry cradled her in his arms.
“Don’t cry. Every thing will be just
fine. Please…please don’t cry.” He felt her shoulders shake
beneath his grasp. Her face remained
buried in the crook of his neck.
Remi inched his way up from the floor back on to the seat. Perspiration soaked
his brow and he
struggled to unfix the tape from his face. Panting, he inhaled deeply to
calm his racing heart. That’s
when he noticed the door. Slowly, he slid along the seat with his gazed focused
on Jerry. But Jerry
Jacks was too busy fretting over his wife to pay attention to what Remi was
doing.
A cloud formed in the distance. Remi saw it first. Then Jerry noticed.
“What the hell is that?” he brushed the tears away from
Isabella’s eyes before nudging her back into
the car. “We better get the hell out of here.”
Sliding into the front seat, Jerry growled at Remi. His fingers grasped the
keys dangling from the
ignition. He turned them. The engine sputtered, wheezed and stopped. Eyes
focused on the
approaching cloud of dust, Jerry cursed under his breath before turning the
key a second time.
Isabella edged forward, placing a hand on Jerry’s shoulder. “Take your time.”
He fell back against the seat. Closing his eyes, he wondered how all this
had ever happened.
Inhaling deeply, he grasped the keys firmly and turned. The engine danced
to life. Slapping the car
in to drive, he debated which way to go.
“Who do you think it is?” Isabella whispered in his ear.
“I don’t know and at this point I don’t care. But we’re getting the hell out of here.”
The car lurched forward aiming them towards uncertainty but damned it they
wouldn’t go out
kicking.