The Woman in Red Page 6

  Both men laughed and shook their heads. “What is the saying you have in Nord America?” José asked.

  “He couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn,” Griggs said, still laughing. “We could have a target as big as a ship and still he would miss!”

  “What happened then?” Ruthie asked Griggs.

  “Well, yours truly came to the rescue. We wrangled up the horses, just after realizing they were a distraction,” Griggs said with a grin as he wrapped an arm around Ruthie. “My men were able to scare away those Austrian bastards.”

  “Yes, you scared them, right into the surrounding buildings. Some of them even went into the outhouses!” José said, getting control of his laughter. “They thought they could hide in there and fire on us.”

  “Joke was on them, though,” Griggs said. “Still, I always look twice before going into the outhouse.”

  “Bloody Austrians.” Garibaldi sneered. “The outhouses were too good for them.”

  “Why do you hate the Austrians?” I asked.

  “The Austrians have my homeland by the neck, like a chicken being readied for slaughter. They take everything from us, leaving my brethren with scraps not even fit for dogs. To the Austrians we are second-class citizens, at best. If they have their way, all that is good about my home will be destroyed.”

  “Hear! Hear! Death to Austria!” We turned to see Rossetti looking up briefly from his book. “May the devil have pity on their souls, because they will find none with the Italians,” he said before going back to his writing. “Gli stronzi,” he muttered. Assholes.

  “What is he doing?” I asked, motioning toward his notebook.

  “Recording his great memoirs. So that when we have a unified Italy they will know of his sacrifice,” José responded with a half smile. “It’s a bit of an obsession.”

  “Why?”

  José stood up, reaching a hand out to help me. “His one true love is Italy. She is his damsel in distress to be rescued from the dragon. Come, it’s getting cold out here in the open.”

  José led me to his spacious canvas tent, set apart from the others to allow some privacy. To the left sat a neatly made bed. Clothing spilled out of the trunks that rested beside it. To the right was a table surrounded by four chairs, covered with maps and papers. In the center I admired a large oak desk that had thick books piled on it.

  Shortly afterward an attendant arrived with a tea tray. He set it on the table and then slipped away. I watched as José picked a box wrapped in cloth off his desk. As if it were a fragile egg, he slowly unwrapped it. He opened the tin and scooped mate into his gourd, then shook it vigorously.

  “You make mate like a real Brazilian.” I fumbled with my hands, not sure what to do with them.

  “Thank you.” He smiled as he poured a small amount of cool water into the gourd. “I only drink tea and I quite like your yerba mate.”

  “No alcohol?” I asked, watching him pour hot water.

  “No, I find it clouds my judgment too much,” he said with a wave of his hand. “You have heard so much about me. I want to know about Anita.”

  “Anita?” I asked. “Have you forgotten my name already?”

  José blushed. “No, only, in my country, when a girl becomes a woman we add ‘-ita’ to her name. Flora becomes Florita; Anna, Anita; and so on.”

  “And you think my name should be changed?”

  “Well, yes. I have no interest in girls.”

  I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. I could hear the dying activity of the day outside, the jingle of equipment being cleaned up, the hiss of doused fires. José approached me, drawing my attention back to him as he slowly slid an arm around my waist. I could feel him shake ever so slightly as he pulled me closer. The tip of his nose grazed my cheekbone before his lips found mine. I savored everything about him, from the scratch of his beard to the sandalwood scent that engulfed me. Willingly, I let him lead me to his bed.

  José was tender; I could barely feel his fingers as they caressed me, lulling me, making me want to pull him closer to me. I trembled as he expertly undid the buttons of my blouse, his lips never leaving my mouth.

  Afterward, I lay on my back with José’s arm draped over my waist. He slept on his side, softly snoring. Absentmindedly stroking his arm, I listened to the sounds that lingered in the air from the camp outside. The footsteps of the guards crunched through the dry grass. Birds began to sing in an attempt to lure the sun back from its slumber.

  I looked at the man sleeping next to me, my eyes tracing the scars across his chest and neck. The Great Garibaldi, they called him. He was the savior of the people. I couldn’t help but wonder, What happens next? Would I follow him, like the other women who followed their husbands? Would he leave me behind? Surely he knew there couldn’t be much of a future with me. My stomach began to knot as reality set in.

  José stirred, stretching his body alongside mine. He watched me for a few minutes before kissing my shoulder. “You look troubled,” he said, his voice rough from sleep.

  “No,” I lied through my smile.

  He sat up on his elbow, studying me. “You are lying.”

  “No.” I tried to laugh.

  “Oh, now you are lying even more. I can tell when you lie, you get these little wrinkles, right here.” He ran a thumb over my forehead. Stroking my cheek, he watched me. “I’ll let you escape with this little lie, just this once.”

  “And next time?”

  “There won’t be a next time.” He kissed the top of my head. “We will never lie to each other. It will be our one rule.”

  I settled in closer to him. “I promise.”

  “What do you plan on doing today?”

  “I have to work at the hospital. I’ll be there most of the day.”

  “And after that?”

  “I don’t know.” I hesitated. “What are your plans for the day?”

  “Well, a captain’s job is never done. I am sure I will have plenty to do, but I was hoping I’d have another evening with my Anita.”

  The excitement that bubbled in my stomach made my toes curl. “I think that could be arranged.”

  “Oh, you think so?” He playfully pinned me onto my back. “It is so gracious of you to think of me.” He dove for my neck, making me laugh in surprise. His kisses explored my shoulders, breasts, and face. My laughter turned to pleasure as I enjoyed the feeling of the soft bristles of his beard.

  “Tell me I am yours.” He ran his finger around the edge of my jaw.

  I turned his face so that he was forced to look into my eyes. “You are mine, José Garibaldi.”

  He kissed me passionately as he took me again. He whispered in my ear, “You are my treasure, tesoro mio.”

  From that day forward, I snuck away at every opportunity to be with José. We would spend the evenings among his friends as they told stories of their adventures. When José’s sun shone on me, everything felt wonderful. I was warm and blissful. However, when he was gone, I could sorely feel the cold loss of his absence. I determined that I never wanted to be without him.

  We didn’t talk much about our romance or show much affection in public. I was still a married woman. If I was seen with José it would ruin everything that he worked for. Plus, we had a nearly fifteen-year age difference, which would make people talk all the more. When we weren’t together, we went about our business as if nothing was amiss. Both of us were careful to avoid each other in town.

  Occasionally José and I ventured out together, paying visits to my friends the Da Gatos. They were the only people outside of the camp who knew about our relationship. They fondly welcomed us to their home for evening meals.

  However, secrets never remain secrets for very long, especially in a small town like Laguna. We became careless, as most foolish lovers do, paying attention only to each other and not to what the people around us were whispering. We thought we were safe within the camp; it was the one place where we felt we could be open with our relationship. But the whispers seeped from
the camp into the town. People openly talked and still we didn’t notice. I stopped going home for long stretches at a time. It wasn’t until I snuck into my family’s house when I thought no one would be home that I realized exactly how foolish we had been.

  “I didn’t expect you to show your face here again,” Maria said from a corner in the parlor. I jumped, noticing her for the first time.

  “I came to get my things,” I said, making my way to my bedroom.

  “Your things? You’ve been away so much we assumed you moved in with your pirate.” She stood from her chair and walked closer, her black eyes boring into me, her icy hatred freezing me down to my bones.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Only that I gave your things away two days ago. There is nothing left for you here.”

  “You did what?” I asked.

  “I said I gave away all of your things. Well, actually, that’s a lie. I sold them.” She shrugged. “I figured your pirate preferred his puta in better clothing, and Lord knows we could use extra money since you don’t bring home any of your whore earnings.” She set down her sewing and glared at me, a small smile spreading across her face.

  “Earnings?”

  “Well, yes. Everyone says that you are a well-cared-for woman now that you are the whore of Senhor Garibaldi. Some even say he passes you around in order to raise money for the cause.” She took a step closer to me. “Our mother is sick with embarrassment. Papai would be ashamed if he could see you now.”

  I clenched my fists. “How can you say such things?”

  “How can I? How could you? You have made a fool of this family. You are a married woman, Anna, and you’ve taken up with a pirate! Mother can never show her face in town again!”

  “Don’t forget that it was my husband who left me.” I pointed a finger at her. “He’s gone! He’s never coming back. I have a right to my own life.”

  “Are those the lies your Garibaldi told you to get you into his bed?”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “José has not lied to me. I chose his bed. I chose to be with him. We don’t lie to each other.”

  Maria laughed. “Give it time, sister. He’ll be lying to you soon enough. If you were a good wife you would have followed your husband.” I opened my mouth to protest, but Maria raised her hand, silencing me. “You made a vow before God. A sacred vow that you have broken. You are a disgrace.”

  “What about Fernando’s vow?” I hissed. Maria looked stung when I brought up her ex-husband. “I’m sure he’s not thinking about his vows now that he has taken up with a new woman. You know, the younger, prettier one. Tell me, how many children does he have?”

  Maria’s face turned scarlet. I opened my mouth to speak again but stopped when we heard the slamming of a door. In unison, we turned to our mother, whose red-rimmed eyes stood out against her ashen face. She walked up to me in silence. I raised my chin as she regarded me. In one smooth motion, she reached up and slapped me across the face.

  The sting radiated from my cheek and into my jaw. “I wish I could trade you for one of my dead sons. You should have been the child that died, not your brothers.”

  Eight

  I rushed from my mother’s home to the Farrapos camp. At the sight of José the tears that I had been fighting since I left my family spilled out and onto his chest, creating a large wet spot. “Anita, tesoro mio, are you all right?”

  He pulled me away by my shoulders. I shook my head no.

  “Let’s go somewhere private and you can tell me what happened.”

  I couldn’t speak, it hurt too much. A lump had stopped up my throat. It wrapped its tendrils around my voice, making any attempt to speak painful. José led me to his tent, stopping only once to whisper to his servant. He pulled me in close, wrapping his large arms around me. “Tell me, who has made my beautiful Anita cry?”

  The knot of hurt deep in my chest clenched at me. José kissed the top of my head. “You are safe,” he whispered over and over. The stranglehold on my voice melted. Slowly the words came out. Broken at first, but as I began to feel better, they flowed. I told him everything that had happened between my family and me.

  “I’m sorry,” he said as he stroked my hair. “I suppose this was bound to happen. The truth always has a way of making itself known, and we were foolish.” He sighed. “Anita, to many I am a pirate. I have no riches. I have no house. All I can offer you is a life of hardship and poverty. Every choice that I make has to be about how I can get back to my homeland. How I can serve my people. I chose this life and I can’t force you to make the same decision.”

  I lifted my head from his lap to stare at him in a bit of disbelief. “A life of hardship with you is better than a thousand lives filled with wealth.” I cupped his cheek in my hand, feeling the soft bristles of his beard. “I have already made my choice.”

  He rested his forehead against mine. “Is it even possible to love someone as much as I love you?”

  I laughed through my tears. “I certainly hope so.”

  He wiped the tears from my cheek with a stroke of his thumb. Gently he pulled me to him. The smell of him, the sandalwood and sea, pushed away the remaining thoughts of my family. His soft lips were on mine, coaxing me away from my sorrow. His spell was broken when the servant appeared in the tent.

  “Perdoe-me, senhor. I have the hot water that you requested.”

  “Thank you, Pablo. Also, Anita and I will be dining in my tent alone tonight. Please have some dinner brought to us.”

  “Sim, senhor.” He left with a bow.

  José kissed my forehead. “Rest. This is your home now.” I watched as he prepared the tea for us.

  “I should be the one preparing our tea.”

  José shrugged. “It makes no difference to me. Plus, I am old and set in my ways, and I like my mate prepared a certain way.” He winked as he handed me the gourd. “Now if you will excuse me, I have some work to attend to.” José sat down at his desk, reading letters and signing documents. Sitting on what was now our bed, I sipped the tea as I played with a thread that stuck out from the blanket and I contemplated my new future.

  To be tied to a soldier meant that I would have a life of perpetually waiting for death. José’s mortality was as tangible as the gourd I held in my hand. I thought back to the day Manoel left. The prospect of following him around Brazil had sickened me. I would have been trading my small cage in Laguna for a smaller cage, but with wheels.

  But I was willing to tie myself to this man. I’d follow him to places that I couldn’t even imagine. Why did this feel like freedom? Or was it just that I couldn’t see the bars?

  José looked up at me, flashing a soft smile before bending back over his papers.

  There were no bars, and if this man were to die, I vowed right then and there that I would die at his side with him. As his equal.

  A meek voice took my attention from my thoughts. “Hello?” I looked up at the sound of Ruthie announcing herself at the entrance to our tent, in a plain green dress that made her dark skin and hair glow. “I heard what happened with your family. I am very sorry.”

  José crinkled his forehead in confusion, but I turned to him with a half smile. “Laguna is a small town. News travels fast.”

  Ruthie held out a pile of goods. “I brought you these. They’re clothes that I was able to get from the other women around camp. Things that a number of us don’t mind parting with. There is spare fabric so that you can make some things for yourself. If you’d like.”

  “Thank you,” I said, rising to accept the bundle.

  “Oh, I almost forgot! I also brought you some thread and a few needles.” She reached into her pocket and pulled the items out. “It’s not much.”

  “It’s wonderful. Thank you.” I carried everything over to the bed and surveyed my new treasures, looking up to see José smiling at me. I knew I was at peace with my decision.

  * * *

  As the days progressed, I chose to stay in camp rather than venture
into town. The fact that I was openly with José was freely discussed in the streets and I had no desire to face the accusing stares. My position at the hospital had been terminated via a letter from the nuns. José’s temper flared as he read it to me. “How can they disrespect you like this?”

  I took the letter from him and threw it into the fire. “People will say what they want. But it makes no difference to me.” I slipped my arms around his waist. “They aren’t the ones who have to live with the consequences of my decisions.”

  On a particularly sunny day I found myself feeling restless. I wandered through the Farrapos’ camp, absentmindedly picking at a piece of sweet bread.

  The camp was a hive of activity. Not just the men, who were busy with the tasks associated with maintaining an army, but the women as well. Many followed their men from camp to camp to tend to them. A group of women clustered together, their heavily painted faces cracked as they laughed and flirted with the men who passed by them. I couldn’t help but watch them as they jiggled and fell over themselves to gain attention.

  “Anita.” I turned to find Ruthie approaching me, holding a basket with wet laundry to her wide hip. “I hope the cloth I gave you was helpful.” She wiped some stray black hairs from her face that had escaped her ponytail.

  “Yes, it was. Thank you very much.”

  She smiled up at me. “Walk with me. I’ll give you a small tour on our way back to the officers’ quarters.” Once we were away from the women, she turned to me. “Don’t let yourself be seen around women like that.”

  “I wasn’t very close to them. I didn’t think.”

  “It doesn’t matter. They are putas,” she hissed. “They find their way into camps like maggots. All they want is a warm meal and a warm body. Stay by the other wives, it’s safer.” I looked at the women over my shoulder. We weren’t all that different. I was reliant on someone else for my well-being too. Only, someone had deemed me respectable.

  We were quiet as we walked through the busy camp. I watched as Ruthie greeted everyone she passed. No one seemed to care about her relationship like they did with José and me. They smiled and waved back at her, the respect Griggs commanded echoing in their movements. “Are you married to Griggs?” I slapped my hand over my mouth. “I’m sorry, that was too intrusive.”