PREVIOUSLY

The clerk raised an eyebrow, “Ah, I don’t see a Téa Delgado here. I have a Roseanne Delgado.”
Todd smiled, “All right, try Manning. Téa Manning. And while you’re at it I want Roseanne’s room too.”
The clerk checked the register and looked up, “T. Manning is in room 23 and Roseanne…Delgado is in 26.”
Todd gave him the fifty and checked his key. 31. He grinned and walked off laughing.

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Late June
New York City…

Samantha Alton walked into her room in the fancy downtown Manhattan hotel that Anton and had booked them into and smiled. Carlotta followed her in and Samantha threw her duffle bag onto the bed.

“What do you think Mija?” asked Carlotta.

“It’s fancy,” said Samantha, “Where are you staying Carlotta?”

Carlotta walked over to an adjacent door and opened it, “In there. Anton has a room across the hall.”

“So, what’s our first stop? I’m ready to go,” grinned Samantha, her voice full of excitement.

“Well, we’ll show you the apartment building that Téa grew up in,” said Carlotta.

Anton hesitantly walked in, “My room is great. How about yours? Are you satisfied?”

“Yeah!” grinned Samantha, “So C’Mon – let’s go! How far away is it?”

“It’s not very far at all. We can walk there,” said Anton.

Samantha grinned and they all left. They walked out of the hotel and onto the busy New York streets. They didn’t walk too far, as Anton had predicted. Samantha caught the sign of the street – Park Avenue. They walked up to a fancy apartment building and Anton talked to the bellhop while Carlotta and Samantha patiently waited. The bellhop gave Anton a key.

Anton walked back over to Carlotta and Samantha, “We are in luck. Téa’s old apartment is vacant.”

“You know my adopted mom, lived in a nice house in Newport, Rhode Island. It was eloquent. Like this building. Eloquent,” said a giddy Samantha.

Carlotta bit her lip.

“Let us go,” said Anton. He put a hand on Samantha’s shoulder and they walked inside. They got in the elevator, and to Samantha’s surprise the elevator went down instead of up. They got out of the elevator and walked down a dimly lit hall pausing in front of a door at the end of the hallway.

“We’re in a basement Anton,” said Samantha putting her hands in her pockets.

“I know Mija,” said Anton softly. He put the key in the door and unlocked it.

Samantha’s expression fell.

Carlotta softly put her hand on Samantha’s shoulder, “Darling, Téa grew up in this apartment. Her father and her family moved here when Téa was four. She lived here until she went to college at NYU.”

“Oh,” said Samantha.

They walked into the apartment.

“It’s so…small…” whispered Samantha looking around, “My walk-in closet is bigger than this. Are you sure Téa grew up here?”

“Yes, Mija. Téa’s family was poor,” said Carlotta gently.

Samantha swallowed and looked around. She really took a good look around.

The living room was the biggest room. The furniture was dingy and worn out. An overhead light lit up the apartment. She walked through a doorway into a tiny kitchen. It had a stove, refrigerator and a sink. They were dirty and grimy as if they hadn’t been cleaned in ages. Samantha slowly walked out as if she were shell-shocked. Anton wanted to go to her – to hold her but Carlotta held him back. Samantha walked into a bathroom that was tiny. It had a shower, toilet and sink. All had limestains. Samantha could feel her body tensing up. She walked out into a bedroom. Only big enough for a bed. Next to that room was another bedroom. Small and tiny. In that room was a small closet. Samantha sniffled and rubbed her nose as she began to feel the tears run down her cheeks. She walked out, back into the living room. Anton and Carlotta stood there – and when Anton finally saw the tear stained cheeks of his daughter, he walked over to her and drew her into a comforting hug.

“Ssscchhh…honey,” he whispered.

“There’s no windows in here Anton. No windows…” muttered Samantha.

“I know. I know,” he said softly. He held his shaking daughter tight in his arms.

Dear Journal,
We’re back now. Back from Téa’s apartment. At first I thought she lived in a really nice place but she didn’t. I’ve never seen poverty like that. So dirty. It was so dirty and so small. I guess what bothered me the most was the fact there were no windows. What a tease to live in a cramped basement apartment of a fancy building. I want my father to buy this building and demolish it. I was appalled to think about how my mother had to live. How poor she was. I never knew poverty like that. I can…understand why did didn’t want to raise me in…that. Tomorrow we are going to visit her old school and hangouts. You know after seeing that apartment, I can see why she was so driven to make a better life for herself – to be a lawyer. I can’t wait to see her again. I’m going to give her a great big hug and hold her tight. She’s come along way since…that apartment. I love her. I really do love her. Now more than ever.

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San Juan
Puerto Rico…

Téa and Roseanne walked down a fairly residential street. A new house was going up and the construction workers were working hard on it. The sun beat down on the island’s residents and Téa could feel the sweat on her brow.

“Who-woo…” came a wolf whistle from an anonymous worker.

Roseanne looked at Téa, “Not me.”

“Can’t be me,” said Téa allowing herself a grin.

“Why not?” said Roseanne.

“Because. It just can’t. I am married after all,” muttered Téa.

“Yeah, right,” said Roseanne, “That’s no excuse.”

Téa approached a construction worker carrying supplies, “Excuse me. I’m looking for José Ramon. Is he here?”

The worker looked up and yelled to a guy on a ladder, “José! She wants you!”

The older man on the ladder grinned and walked down the ladder. He wore a tank top and blue jeans. And he was tan. Very tan.

Roseanne rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

The man grabbed a rag and wiped his hands on it as he approached Téa and Roseanne.

“How may I help you two?” he asked approaching them.

“I’m…Téa Delgado and this is my…sister, Roseanne Delgado…” started Téa holding out her hand.

José took it and looked confused, “Delgado…? Are you Anna’s daughter?”

“Yes,” confirmed Téa.

“Dios! Madre Dios!” said José putting his arms around her and giving her a warm hug. Téa lightly hugged him back.

Roseanne pouted, “What a warm and fuzzy moment.”

José pulled away and left his hands on her arms, “You look remarkably like your mommi.”

“I do?” questioned Téa.

“You have her eyes,” said José lightly, “Anna’s eyes.”

Téa glanced at Roseanne, “Don’t look at me. We have different mothers. You know that.”

José glanced at Roseanne, “Leon. Typical Leon. Always a player. Come, let’s find some shade.”

He walked toward the construction trailer. Téa and Roseanne followed him. They went inside. A fan circulated cool air in the trailer.

“It feels great to be in from the heat,” said Roseanne.

José motioned for them to take seats. He reached into a mini-frig and pulled out some bottled water giving bottles to Téa and Roseanne.

“Gracias,” said Téa.

“What she said,” said Roseanne. They all took satisfying long refreshing drinks.

“This is a pleasant surprise. I remember when you were just a baby…a Nino. Now you are a woman! A beautiful woman. I see a lot of Anna in you,” said José after taking a drink.

“Well, that’s kind of why I’m here. I want you to tell me about my mother. I didn’t know her…very well,” said Téa honestly.

José nodded his head, “I know Anna passed away from cancer. After she left her family. Leon drove her away…”

“He did?” asked Roseanne. Her voice was peaked in curiosity.

“Your father and Anna were fire and ice. They got married only after knowing each other for three months. Anna was so vivacious – so full of life. She knew how to make him smile. I’ll give him that – he would smile for her,” said José.

“Three months?” said Téa, “That’s fast.”

“She was pregnant with your brother,” continued José.

“Oh. I never knew that. My parents got married because they…had too…” muttered Téa.

“Uummm,” said José, “Anna was happy when you came along. She always wanted a little girl.”

Téa rubbed her eyes with her hands, “Really? That’s hard to hear. We were never really close in New York.”

“Oh,” said José.

“How…else do I resemble her?” asked Téa.

“You have her complexion. Her mouth. Her smile,” said José taking another sip of water.

“What was she like as a little girl?” asked Téa.

José grinned, “Full of life. She was always trying to keep up with Fidel and I but she couldn’t really. Only because she was younger. She was a good student in school. And she was a wonderful dancer.”

Téa took a breath as a tear trailed down her cheek.

As José had to get back to work, Téa and Roseanne made arrangements to meet with him and his family later on in the week.

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Later that evening,
The San Marcos Hotel…

Téa sat on the patio of the hotel’s restaurant. She wore her hair loosely around her shoulders. Roseanne had retired to her room. Twilight was on the horizon. A candle was burning on her table along with a pina colada she had ordered. She looked out onto the ocean and let the breeze from her ocean dance through her hair. After enjoying the breeze she quickly surveyed the patio before picking up a journal, missing the stranger sitting in a dark corner who was watching her every move. She started writing.

Dear Journal,
It’s beautiful tonight. The island is beautiful. Roseanne and I met my mother’s brother, José today. He seems nice but I think he’s looking at my mother through rose colored glasses. He says I look a lot like her. I have her eyes, much like how Samantha has mine. He says my mother was full of life. She was smart and loved to dance. I love to dance too. My parents got married because they had too. I think they liked each other but I don’t think they loved each other not how – Todd and I love each other. Maybe that’s the difference. Todd. I miss him. I do. I miss him but when I see him again, I’ll be a stronger person for this experience and I hope he forgives me. I’ll be stronger in every sense of the word. I’ll be stronger…for him.

She put down her journal and smiled.

Todd sipped his drink and watched her every move from the dark corner he was sitting in.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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