Passion Dance: Chapter 04

CHAPTER FOUR

Spain, 1994

“Mi amore, have you called Maria yet?” Ai was anxious of her husband’s answer.
“Si.”
“Gracias! Gracias! Gracias, mi amore,” she pressed her husband tightly to her bosom, for she was a plump woman with traces of her old vivacious figure still etched on the curves of her now aging body. She had a beautiful round face, so captivating was she that she was the prize of the men during their time, as the fairy tales say, ’the fairest of their land’. She always had a warm smile on, making her charm more irresistible than ever. For this very smile, that punctured too many a heart and gave joy and inspiration to more, was she faced with such great difficulty.


In the days when her daughters Erica, Mimi and Maria were still quite young, and her own golden youth still visible and intact, there happened to be a haciendero that fell into the same pit as others have done before him, but that time, he fell harder. He knew his Senora Ai was already married and had three children, but nothing seemed to waver his determination, ’Married or not,’ he thought, ’Ai will be mine, and I will be hers.’ He thought of ways to catch her eye, for he was a young man with quite a handsome face, a special appearance and air that was out of the just ordinary. He knew fairly well he could’ve won any girl he wanted with his boyish looks and inviting grins, but he knew with his whole being that only Ai could suffice the void he had in his heart. He knew their age difference wasn’t that far, he was 23 and she was 25 (for she married at quite a young age, at an early 22), and took up courage to flash those seductive yet not-too-offensive gazes he knew any girl would fall for. He actually did get his hopes high before the world of his dreams came crushing down hard on him, it was the time when he took the initiative to really ask her out. “Senora Ai, may I ask you something?”
“Oh, si, Julio, anything. Call me Ai, I reckon I’m not that old, right?” She had laughed, that warm seductive hearty laugh, that made him think, ’Oh my, I really need to ask her or so help me God, I’ll die trying.’
“Okay, Ai,” he felt quite uncomfortable saying her first name without her rightful title as Senora, the wife of his master, and yet, there lingered in him an undeniable sense of pleasure and intimacy that gave him just more boost of courage, “Uhmm... Would you mind to give me the pleasure to have your presence for dinner in the La Plaza Romantica in the city? I mean, the food would not disappoint your taste, I have befriended the grand kucinero de la Plaza Romantica, he promised to whip up a hell of a menu. And I assure you, the place would be clean as a horse whip,” he was interrupted by Ai laughing her heart out.
“Julio, are you serious? I mean, you really are asking me out, to a date?” She was now laughing uncontrollably she held on to the fence post on her left (for they were standing on the vast pampas of the hacienda, beside one of the oldest barns built on the territory, believed to have been built by Senor Jose Miguel Fransisco del Sancho de la Vega himself, the great predecessor of Senor Juan Paco Basilico de la Vega, father to Senor Teodor Alfonso Salvador de la Vega).
“I am, Ai. Frankly, I have found to like you a lot.”
“Oh my, Julio, Julio, Julio, don’t get me wrong. You really are handsome, and a real catch. Very attractive, and you’ve got that boyish charm, but, it’s just that...”
“What?! Am I just not good enough?”
“No, it’s that I’m already married, see?” She flashed her elegant wedding ring that glistened in the sun and reflected a great luster of colors to the naked eye. “I do love my husband...”
“But, but, senora, I could make you love me even more, just give me a chance...”
“No, I am very sorry, Julio. I love my husband and I love my family, I would do nothing in my will to destroy them. Sorry, Julio... You are attractive, I must say, and quite full of life, but I just cannot risk everything...”
Julio gazed longingly into Ai’s eyes once more, he saw her happiness, her wealth, her love, all just too much for him to replace. He knew she loved her husband, she loved her daughters, but he knew she would love her more if she would only give him a chance. It was a losing battle, that he knew, but there was just something telling him that it was either Ai or no one at all. “I know senora, si, si, I understand fully...”
“No, Julio,” she cupped his face with both her gentle and gracious hands and gazed sympathetically into his eyes, “You are handsome and charming and full of charisma, Julio, you really are. But never, ever, waste your love and energy and youth on me, I am growing old with Teodor, loving him, remaining faithful to him, and serving him with all I am, and all these I know. So promise me to learn to love someone else, believe me, this feeling you feel for me,” and she touched his left chest with her gentle, trembling touch, “is merely an infatuation for you only see my appearance, my face, but you have not even taken time to know me full well. You will find a girl fitting for your love and will be par with you in energy and vitality, that I promise you. Sorry, Julio, sorry...”
Julio bowed his head, dismissing himself in defeat and disappointment; he did not know it would end like that. He thought it could’ve been a good start of a good relationship, intimate even, call it an affair others may. But now, everything fell down. His perseverance didn’t let this failure rain down on his parade though, he knew there would always be next times. He walked away, hands in pockets, contemplating on his next move, when, where, how... It would take time to see what will happen next, and he knew he is ready to take all the time in the world, if only for the chance of love.



“Anything for my love...” Teodor said, gazing into his wife’s wonderful hazelnut eyes and flushed crimson cheeks. ‘Dios, my wife gets prettier day after day...’ he thought.
“Oh Teodor, remaining faithful to you, my husband, my friend, my lover, was worth every single sacrifice a woman could ever have given up. I could never ask for anything more, or even less...” with this, Ai closed her eyes and let Teodor give her passionate kisses that so told her of his devotion and love for her, just as deep, or maybe even deeper, than hers for him. Ai then knew, with all her being, that she did the right thing to remain devoted to her husband, to remain faithful to him even with all those other suitors who offered pleasure with the intensity she may never know, to remain in love with him after all these long years...



Brazil, 1994

“John, so what do you think of dinner in La Coccina el Sao Paolo?” Maria asked him with her fingers fondling the attractive curls of her ebony hair, having worked on them with utmost time and concentration, ‘A little wrong curl goes a long way with the criticizing old women of Brazil’, that she knew.
“Why not, I’ve heard the food’s great there!” John said with a twinkle playing in his eyes.
“Good. Why don’t we take a cab?” carrying her Prada signature gold hand purse, matching her gold high-heeled leglace slip-ins, ivory figure-hugging dress. She pointed out from the glass revolving door a yellow and black checkered cabby, waiting just outside the door.
“Hey, I somehow sense that you’ve got this planned one way or another. What’s next?”
“Oh, just sit back and watch the ride unfold. I promise you, it’s going to be magical...” She giggled and waved to him to follow her to the cab. Somehow, John sensed, Maria has got something colossal planned for him, something big enough to get her quite excited. It intrigued him so, but he knew too well, that he had to wait, the ride just started...

(End of Chapter Four)