Mitla Pass - Leon Uris [48]
Christmas was coming and so were Penny and Roxy. Tex flew me over to St. Thomas to fetch them. With my screenplay on Judd Schlosberg’s desk, I allowed myself to become excited, to reenter the world. St. Barths wasn’t forever, but I wanted my girls to know the place.
We worked out St. Thomas as a rendezvous because Val’s family had a number of retired Navy friends there who could keep the girls till I arrived. We radioed ahead to get them packed and down to the airport.
I was totally unprepared to see Val when we landed. I thought she would fly part of the way but expected she would vacation in Jamaica, which she loved as a girl.
After an uproarious hello from the girls, Tex showed them around the plane and I went aside with Val. We shook hands and then I kissed her cheek. She didn’t resist, or show any hostility. I hadn’t thought of her much. I hadn’t let myself. I had known my guilt was stuffed down and would erupt, but not till after I’d won my tussle with the screenplay.
Maybe she was expecting me to look like a bearded, rum-soaked beachcomber. I was really tan and fit.
“You look great,” she said.
“Not much to do except stay healthy or go to seed. I ... look—I didn’t expect to see you, Val. Let me catch my breath.”
“Sure. How’s the work coming?”
“I turned in the first draft screenplay a few weeks ago. I should be hearing soon. Sometimes it’s tough to get a message to me. Where are you heading, anyhow?”
“I’m staying on St. Thomas. Mom is going to join me in a few days.”
“Roxy wrote that she had a stroke. How is she doing?”
“Not too badly. This will be her first trip. She’s having a little trouble with—never mind.”
“Well, you give her my love, will you?”
“Sure.”
“Any special instructions about the girls?”
“No. They’re dying to be with you. They’ve missed their dad.”
“I’ve got a good time planned. I have a record player that works most of the time. I plan to run them through an opera and a symphony a day and I’ve got a half-dozen books I want to read to them. Really hit it lucky. I’m not working right now so we’ll do a lot of beaching and bust open lobsters. Don’t laugh but I even sail a little.”
“You? Sail? I’ll bet you’re good.”
“I’m terrible. So, there’s a lot of kids their age. Everyone seems to get along with the language problem. They’ll have a good time.”
I became a little uneasy and looked over to Tex. He gave me a high sign, “Anytime you’re ready, boss.”
“We’ll be back on Friday, the second. I’ll try to radio ahead and let you know.”
“Oh, I meant to tell you. No scuba diving for Penny. She can snorkel but the doctor said he didn’t want any pressure on her head.”
“Yeah ... well, pleasant surprise seeing you. Have yourself a happy holiday and ... look ... would you be interested in taking a hop over and seeing how the other half lives? Tex will run you back when your mom arrives.”
“I’d love to come over,” she whispered.
“Better get in touch with the people you’re staying with ...”
“I mentioned to them and to Mom that there was a chance in a thousand I might wind up in St. Barths. It’s fine with her.”
“Well, then let’s go get you a bag packed. You don’t need much.”
“It’s already packed. It’s in the terminal. Gideon, we’re going to be able to ... ”
I put my arms about her and held her.
FROM THE FIRST MOMENT at St. Barths, my love affair with the island had started. I had pushed myself, beyond myself, out to a supernova called writer’s isolation. But for me, a horny little Jew, no place can be paradise without a woman. Now, it was paradise. The island conquered my girls as it had conquered me.
“Where on earth did you find this record, Gideon?”
“In a back closet, all covered with dust.”
“Seventy-eight RPM’s ... holy cow.”
“It’s the latest thing on St. Barths.”
We danced on the veranda, so tightly.
I saw you last night,
And got that old feeling,
When you came in sight,
I got that old feeling,
The moment you passed by,
I felt