2

Aunt Patty and mother were still impatiently waiting for more money to come in, for tickets to the Valentino revival right up until the day before Mr. Dansby would be arriving with the movies to lease to Lilah, which was Friday the first showing of a Valentino movie. Lilah could not understand why there was virtually no response to the flyers sent out and the many flyers they taped up around town, in diners and shops. So far they only had about 15 seats filled and most of these seats were friends and those helping out with the revival. Aunt Patty said she was sure that people were coming but they would just be showing up instead of buying tickets in advanced. She had talked to people all over town who showed interest in the event.
This news did not ease Lilah’s sensitive nerves, and she seemed beside herself with the pessimistic outlook the situation gave. Lily could see the question in her mother’s eyes, how would she pull this off, with her dream of seeing Valentino on screen again, hanging in the balance?
Aunt Patty, gave a free seat to an unenthusiastic Mary, the waitress Mr. Dansby seemed to like and put her up to calling him, and ask for a discount,for about thirty dollars less. He said, he could only afford to knock off about five dollars. Aunt Patty then whispered to Mary to ask if they could pay him after the weekend, to no avail. He told Mary, he was driving to Virginia after dropping the movies off with Lilah to meet with some other clients and he needed the money specifically for this trip. He then said, “If they don’t have the money tell me now before before I waste everybody’s time.” Aunt Patty shook her head after listening from the other side of the phone.
Mary thinking quickly said, "Oh no, I just thought I'd ask is all. You never know how these things are going to turn out," and then she popped her gum into the phone before Patty could grab it and hung it up. She then tilted her head back, rubbed her temple, and closed her eyes in a quiet panic.
As the morning wore into the day, Lilah kept saying she wanted to cry, and maybe they should just call Mr. Dabsy up and tell them it's off. Patty paced the floor, smoking cigarette after cigarette and ignoring Lilah because the idea of Lilah not getting her revival, had Aunt Patty feeling desperate and using every brain cell in her head to figure out a way to get the rest of the cash. Lily knew that besides the worry of her mother’s mental well being, Aunt Patty was upset because she always thought of herself as a conscientious person who did not need charity but it was getting to be just that which she was thinking she did need. Lily felt some responsibility for this since if it weren't for her and her mother, Patty would have the money. The fact was she helped supplement their income to keep their heads above water and that lumped Patty in there next to them.
Lily decided to go for a walk. She wanted to clear her head and get off the emotional roller coaster between her mom and her aunt, which was making her dizzy.

Lily walked the few blocks to the Wicomico River and crossed the bridge where she used to sit when she was a kid, dangling her legs over the side, and watching the various types of fowl gather and swim under her feet. She walked towards the gazebo where she often took her lunch on nice days like this, and noticed an older woman sitting there across from her. She looked up at Lily as she sat down and they exchanged smiles.
The lady, about seventy Lily guessed, had a sweet face under a lace veil that hung from a navy blue hat, made of velvet and navy taffeta bows across the brim and a ribbon surrounding the crown. The blueness in the hat, made the woman's blue eyes swim like two pools of light.
Lily said, "Hi".
"Nice day isn't it?" she said, her voice sounding shaky from that distance, but strong.
Lily nodded. "Yes, it is. I almost didn't wear my jacket, Lily said tugging on the collar of her cream wool waist coat to pull it closer. "It's so nice out."
"What was that? You'll have to come a bit closer if you want my old ears to hear you." She said smiling sweetly and Lily knew it was an invitation.
Lily walked over dutifully and sat down next to her and they both looked out to the calm, serene, half frozen Wicomico River. "I almost didn't wear my jacket." Lily said again.
"Pretty soon it'll be spring and you won't have too. I'm Dee Silva, by the way." She said extending her small hand, covered in a blue cotton glove.
Lily took it with her bare hand, "I'm Lily, and it’s nice to meet you Mrs. Silva."
“Please call me Dee,” she said, and then after turning her attention back to the river she said, "I love spring. It's my favorite time of year."
"Yeah, I do too," Lily answered then sighed deeply, thinking how that would only be half true this year. Without the Valentino movies, it'd take all of spring and most of the summer for her mother to get over the huge failure of the weekend.
Dee heard Lily's strong sigh and keyed into her mood quickly. "Really?" She was careful not to pry but looked at Lily very closely, offering to listen.
"My mom will be tough to live with this spring," Lily said, with another sigh and forced smile. "Let's just put it that way."
"Is she sick?" Dee said cautiously.
"Oh no, it's nothing like that. It’s just that she is going to be really disappointed and it's going to take awhile for her to get over it." Talking about it only made Lily feel worse because she had to confront the impossible truth, and that was the Valentino revival was going to be a bust.
"I can't see how a disappointment of anything, other than health could cause any one to mope around all through spring. Maybe you're making too much out of it," she said her tone kind and without judgement. “If she has good health, and has such a lovely girl for a daughter, what on earth can keep her down?”
"Rudolph Valentino." Lily said with a matter-of-fact tone, and then laughed at the sound of it.
"Who?" Dee gasped, her eyes and face filled with shock.
"Rudolph Valentino. He was a popular silent screen star back in the twenties." Lily took Dee's silence and awe struck expression as confusion and blurted, "You haven't heard of him huh? Maybe that's why we're not getting any luck selling these tickets, my mom was so sure that if we showed his films again we would make pocketfuls of cash, but it's not the cash she wants you see, it's to see him again-"
"Rudolph Valentino," Dee Silva repeated softly to herself, letting the words rest on her lips lovingly, her expression warming as her eyes grew dreamy. "Now there’s a name I haven't heard in while."
"Oh, so you have heard of him?"
"Heard of him?" Dee laughed, then said with ferocious joy. "Oh my dear, I loved that man with ever fiber in my being! We all did!"
“We?”
"Yes, we as in all us flappers from the 20s. Of course I've heard of him!" She thought back and confided, "I was in my 40s at the time, so he was a bit younger than me, but I was newly divorced, going through a really bad time, and a girlfriend of mine took me to see Blood and Sand. She guaranteed me it get my mind off my heartache and once I saw that face, those eyes, that smile --- I never looked back!"
"You sound like my mom. She’s the same way. Well, if we get the money by the time Mr. Dabsy comes tomorrow, there will be a seat waiting for you. I know my mom won't mind, especially since you share the same feelings for him that she does. It’ll be a joy in itself for her to meet you."
"I would love to see Rudy on the screen again. How much did you say you need?"
"About twenty-five dollars. If we could just find someone to lend it to us, my aunt Patty thinks we'll be able to pay it back from the receipts from those that just show up. She really thinks there will be a good crowd and enough to pay for the movies but the guy who is leasing the movies to my mom, wants it tomorrow when he shows up.”
"That’s typical. It’s good business to get it up front. So, twenty-five bucks huh?” Dee said thinking on the matter. "You know, I think I can help. I have a little bit of money stashed away for a rainy day, and since Rudy passed away, it always seems a little like a rainy day to me." She then smiled such a warm smile, Lily felt some strange loving energy from Dee, like she did from her mom when she talked of Rudolph Valentino, she thought then if that was part of the Rudy magic that held his fans so closely to him even so long after his death.
"I can't wait to tell my mom. Will you come with me now to go tell her?"
Dee nodded, "I'd love to!"
On the walk to Lily's house, Lily noticed how quiet Dee had become after a few more words on the revival, what movies they were showing, what time and that sort of thing. Lily noticed her expression was one of enchantment, radiating from her complexion and making her look dozens of years younger. It was also a look she saw frequently all through her life and she couldn’t help but wonder about this look of love. She always thought James Dean was cute and so she tried to muster up the same passion she sensed in Dee and her mom for Valentino but couldn't. James Dean was also extremely good looking, sexy and talented but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't connect those feelings to anything so intimate.

When they arrived, Lily quickly introduced her mom and Aunt Patty to Dee and said, feeling especially triumphant, "She’s going to help us!"
"Help us? How?" Lilah said drying her hands if in a dish towel after coming from the kitchen.
"Dee wants to see our Rudy Valentino revival this weekend but understands we don't have all the money to do so, so she's lending it to us!"
Dee smiled, as she shook Lilah’s extended hand and then, corrected Lily, "No, I'm giving it to you. Consider it a donation."
Lilah gasped, "Oh that's just wonderful but please let us pay you back!"
Dee shook her head and took out her check book, from her purse. "No, I want to give this to you since you are going through all this trouble of doing something so wonderful for Rudy. Don't deny me this pleasure."
Lilah nodded graciously, her eyes clouding over with emotion, with relief, "Please come sit down in the kitchen and have a cup of tea. I can’t even begin to thank you enough for this, you are truly a life saver!"
As Dee filled out the check, Lilah fussed over her with a cup of tea and a cookie from the many cookies on the baking sheet she had just brought out of the oven. She rambled on dizzyingly about the hardship of the putting together this revival. "It's all due to the fact I thought for sure people would buy tickets ahead of time. But I guess nowadays people just plain show up. I've never done one of these before, so I wasn't sure what to expect and I think that my lack of experience played a lot into my frustration."
"Well, no need to worry about that anymore, Lilah. Just make sure to save a seat for me," Dee said with a wink.
Lilah sat down next to Dee after sliding Lily's cup of tea to her. "Oh absolutely, front row or anywhere you like!"
Lilah's face looked like it would crack under the pressure of her smile, she was so happy. And throughout the day and into the early evening, Dee and Lilah shared all their memories of Valentino and the era of flappers and silent movies. They were giggling like school girls often and then almost on the verge of tears at other times, and as she rolled along with them down this memory Lane, Lily felt it was a very magical time and was quite taken with it.
Dee continued to impress Lily and her mom throughout the afternoon, with her sharp memory. She recalled each movie she saw Valentino in and with ease explained the tiniest details of those days with an unbelievable precision. But even more amazing to Lily was her own mother's disclosure of her sad childhood, something she rarely spoke of, as well as the intense loneliness she felt growing up. "I was a foster kid my mother took in when I was about 4 years old. I never felt like I belonged, and if it wasn't for my big sister I don't know what I would have done. Before I knew it though I was married and pregnant. At first it was OK but then he changed and he was away all the time. I could always smell liquor and women's perfume on him, when he came home after leaving me at home with a baby all day.”
Even though, Lily knew all these things, mostly thanks to her aunt Patty, she understood the unspoken rule that they were never to discuss them openly and never should be. To hear it pouring out of her, to a total stranger Lily could hardly keep her mouth from hanging open and again had to wonder if all this was something to do with Rudolph Valentino that so many things were being unlocked by rekindling the flame of his spirit.
Soon after though she forgot all about what her mother said because Dee began to tell them something intriguing both of them. She said in the late 1920s after Rudy passed away, she went to visit a school girl friend in New York and during this visit she found out her friend was in touch with a physic or what the physic likened to be called, a "spiritual advisor". This spiritual advisor had traveled to Nice and with pictures to prove it, she met Natasha Rambova, Rudolph Valentino's at one time estranged ex-wife. Natasha consulted with this psychic, as well as many others, to reach Rudy and make contact.
Lily saw then her aunt Patty look over suspiciously from where she sat, with a bunch of papers in her lap. Lily knew that this would not sit well with her.
"Did she contact him," Lily asked intently.
"Yeah, I asked her myself. I asked my friend for her number and I went to see her. She told me –“
Patty suddenly appeared at the table and said gently. “I think we better call it a night. It’s getting late and we have a big day tomorrow.”
“But Aunt Patty she was just about to tell us –“
"I agree,” Dee said, patting Lily's hand and stood up laughing, “All this talk of Rudy again, I feel like I'm 40 years younger. I could probably talk about him all night and that is just not a good idea for an old broad like me."
"Lily, will you walk Mrs. Silva home? The chevy is in the shop this weekend, or I'd give her a lift." Aunt Patty said kindly, than Lily ever heard her sound.
"Oh thank you again Dee," Lilah said, standing up with her and helping her put her coat over her shoulders. "I can't wait until tomorrow can you?" Lilah then again overcome with excitement, threw her arms around Dee and gave her a gentle hug.

Once on the porch, Lily buttoned up her coat, “It's pretty dark already, are you sure you don't want me to get someone to drive us?"
"No, it's ok. It's a lovely evening and I love to walk when I get the chance. Besides I'm just a few blocks away." Dee said, pointing them in the direction of her house.
As they took to the sidewalk, Lily busting at the seams with her previous question that remained unanswered, asked, “So, what did you find out from that spiritual advisor?"
"I got the distinct impression your aunt Patty would rather I not talk about such things."
Lily knew this was true but coaxed Dee by saying, "Oh Aunt Patty is a practical woman. She doesn't like anything she can't see, touch, or hear. My mom and I are different. We both have Indian blood and we are a bit of mystics at heart."
Dee smiled and said, "You sure do take after your mother, Lily. Both dark beauties. Rudy's type."
Lily blushed at the thought and wondered why she would. She guessed it was because she still felt so much like a gawky kid. Her thin long limbs and flat chest did not give any indication of a "beauty" although her hair was long and dark like her mom's and her eyes were large and brown, again just like her mother's as well as her heart shaped face.
"The spiritual advisor said that Rudy is a gate keeper."
"A gate keeper?"
Dee nodded. "Natasha doesn't believe in heaven so she didn't include any of these readings in her book where she talked about communicating with Rudy which pretty much discredited this physic immediately, in those known circles and why she came back to New York. But I know she worked with her on contacting Rudy, and she was really good. When I went to see her she brought up all kinds of things from my past. Stuff no one would know about. And I know that some people think they can get that information some how but this, well it just was different."
Lily stayed quiet wanting to hear more and hiding her skepticism.
"She knew all about my divorce how hard it was on me, and what was even more stunning is she told me he was dead when I didn't even know he was. I argued with her about that for an hour and left angry because she wouldn't accept that he wasn't and that he was still with that bimbo secretary who he left me for and was about to have a child with her. But there was no convincing her and I left thinking she was so wrong but the very next day I found out that he was dead! That he died a few days before in a train accident along with his new bride and unborn baby. They were killed instantly when that train hit them.” Then, she said after giving it a second thought, “That jackass was probably trying to out run the damn thing."
"What does she mean a gate keeper?” Lily asked.
“He manages the gates of heaven, and every so often she said, he may intervene.”
“Intervene?”
Dee nodded slowly. “Yes, that’s what she told me. And I have taken everything she has said to me, including what she said about Rudy, as gospel."
"So what else did she say about him?”
"He visits people who need him and who know him, and he’ll guide them but it is under very special circumstances and I can’t really remember all of what it involved. Something about having something of his or something like that... I just remember when I asked her if I could try to contact him on my own, she said it'd bring me no satisfaction and only anger and frustration. So, I asked her if she could help me contact him but she said, only if you are desperately needing help otherwise, she wasn’t in the business of wasting people's time. And so, I never really had anything that seemed desperate enough so I never, " Dee shrugged, " … wasted her time."
When they got to Dee's house, Lily gave her a quick hug and told her how thankful she was that she met her that day. They, then, planned to meet at 6:30 the next day and Dee would drive them to them to revival together.
On the walk home, Lily was glad Patty had stopped Dee from telling her mother about Rudy being a gate keeper and sometimes reaching out from the great beyond to help people. She found, even with Dee's unwavering support in this psychic who could contact Rudy, it was all a bit far fetched and the thought of her mother getting wind of it, just made her cringe. Aunt Patty truly was her mom's protector and thankfully, shielded her from Dee’s words knowing they could prove to be a challenge for all of them.

Friday night, the first night of the revival, for the Four Horseman and the Apocalypse had Lilah and Aunt Patty turning people away almost an hour before the start time of 7. Lilah was stunned to see such a good turn out and so was Mrs. Bright who had stuck around to see how it went. Lily knew she did not expect such a showing of support either and had a feeling she stuck around to sooth over Lilah's possible hurt feelings. Little did Mrs. Bright know though, Lilah although hoping for a good crowd, for all the work and effort put into this weekend, could really careless. As long as she got to see Rudy on screen again, the woman was positively beside herself with happiness and had been in a dreamy, almost ecstatic state all day.
Lilah beamed through the success of the opening night and was radiant in her pretty black dress that hugged her waist and then filled out at her knees with waves of ruffles, the red lacy top connected was fitted and gave her buxom torso a bit leaner albiet bustier look, which she covered in a polyester latin black shawl. Lily had never seen her mother so dressed up, and seemed exasperated pointing out how pretty she looked. Usually she wore simple black skirts and cream colored tops with her black, salt and pepper, long hair pulled up in a twist. It was the first time Lily ever saw her mom wear her hair down, curled around her shoulders and secured with bobby pins to pull from her face. It was also the first time she ever saw her in black pumps, giving her 5'2 frame a boost. Lily, on the urgency of her mother, dressed in a gray straight skirt and pink almost off the shoulders cashmere sweater that she bought at a discount from the boutique she worked at as a cashier during the week. Aunt Patty was dressed in white shirt and black slacks. Lilah tried to get her to dress in something more festive but aunt Patty was still at the time concerning herself with money matters, and dealing with Mr. Dansby that she shrugged off her sister's pleas. Dee Silva was also dressed quite fashionably in a violet simple suit that had a purple lacy fringe around the collar swooping over her shoulders and meeting in the middle of her collar with a pretty silver and purple gem stone broach. She also wore a small pretty purple hat, that hugged the top of her head, and framed the side of her face, with an imitation purple flower.
As patrons began filing into the hall and taking their seats, Dee mingled with them, introducing herself. She was having a good time, enjoying herself as she recognized faces and thanked people for coming. Dee seemed impressed with the turn out but not overly surprised about it. It seemed to Lily that she didn't really expect anything different. "Rudy draws people, like a moth to a flame", Lily remembered her saying earlier that day.
At seven when most the hall was full and everyone was seated waiting for the show to start, Lilah went to the front of the audience and thanked everyone for coming and then, reminded them that Saturday they would be showing the Sheik, and Sunday the Son of the Sheik, to which brought cheers and some whistles from the audience. Lilah then introduced Dee for "helping get this off the ground" and introduced the organist, Betty an 80 year old resident of Salisbury and then, Dean the projectionist all to which the audience dutifully applauded. Then, she shouted enthusiastically to Dean, "Ok Dean, roll it!" As the lights went down, Lilah took her seat between Lily and Dee.
On the other side of Lily was her aunt Patty and next to her aunt Patty was Dean's nephew visiting from Baltimore. He was probably a couple of years older than her and had blond hair and a kind and friendly face. He was charming but had a shy way about him as if he felt it was more important to be respectful than overtly friendly. Aunt Patty had introduced him to her earlier, as Phillip and as he leaned forward to shake her hand, he grabbed it loosely and shook it as if he was shaking sand out of his shoe.
When the movie began Lily found herself watching the expressions of those around her. She was very much curious about their reactions, especially her mother's who looked up at the screen as if she was waiting for someone to come out and wave to her, but as soon as Rudolph Valentino entered the scene, Lily's curiosity about anyone including her mother came to an immediate and sudden stop. There was only one thing that held her interest from that point on and that was the man himself.

"So, what did you think?" Lilah said turning to her daughter, her eyes puffy and cheeks red from crying.
People were getting out of their seats and filing out the doors while Dee blew her nose in her hanky and aunt Patty started rumpaging in her purse for a smoke.
"I --" Lily began but was interupted by her aunt Patty.
"Phillip's going to drive us home and he has to come back to help Dean pack up, we have to get going."
"I'm driving with Dee," Lilah said.
"Ok we'll meet you at home," aunt Patty said, grabbing onto Lily's arm and pulling her out of the seat. Phillip was already standing throwing his coat over his arm and the three of them made their way to the door.
Aunt Patty had Lily sit in between Phillip and her in the front seat. The car was cold and Phillip said he had to give it some extra time to warm up and if they wouldn't mind waiting a couple of minutes. It was an old car and shook for those first few minutes it was started.
Lily realized she was shivering, but it wasn't from the cold she had been shivering for hours.
"Ok, ready," Phillip said, smiling at Lily and aunt Patty.
They nodded and aunt Patty finally found her gloves in her purse and pulled them over her hands.
On the drive home, aunt Patty asked Lily what she thought of the movie. Before she could answer Phillip interupted, blurting out his thoughts under the impression, aunt Patty was talking to him.
"Well, personally, I think we've come along way from those old days."
Aunt Patty agreed.
"I mean all those place cards. That had to have got on people's nerves back then."
Aunt Patty said, "Well, that wasn't such a problem but trying to figure out some times what was going on was hard. I'm glad in this day and age, things can be explained better."
Lily decided not to share her thoughts. Phillip and aunt Patty seemed fond of finding in each other the same opinion. But if they were curious enough to let her answer, she would have told them precisely what she was feeling and that it was a magical experience. Not only was it a good story and a movie that could still stand on its own today, Valentino was in the purest sense of the definition, the gentleman all women longed for in life. As she watched him, she could not get over how gentle he could be and yet so passionate, so commanding yet so innocent, and all the while balancing these intense emotions with such ease. He was masterful and gave his entire performance its own astonishing, romantic heartbeat.
When Lilah finally got in about an hour later, Lily was already already heading to bed.
Aunt Patty decided to wait for her to make sure she got home ok, and as Lilah came bursting through the door she was practically in hysterics, calling out to aunt Patty saying, "I know why we didn't get any phone calls from the flyers!"
"Why?" Aunt Patty asked standing up from the divan.
She held up the flyer in front of Patty's face and said with a laugh, "Look what I did. I transposed two numbers in my phone number! Dee figured it out when she was talking to a group of people and asked why no one bought tickets ahead of time, since it turned out to be such a popular event, she assumed we would have had some inquiries. And someone said, it's because the number on the flyer gave a nonservice message!"
Aunt Patty gasped taking the flyer out of her sister's hand, "Oh my god, Lilah. I can't believe I didn't catch that!" And Lily knew that would bother Patty for a long time to come. "I thought I looked over everything!"
Lily continued towards her bedroom to tired to talk about the craziness of these last few days. Once inside her room she threw her nightgown over her shoulders and and crawled into bed, the cool covers enveloped her like the comfort of a pair of strong, loving arms. Her head was full of brilliance and romance as she looked to the moon shining through her window like the eye of god. She finally understood the magic of Rudolph Valentino -- she thought to herself, feeling enchanted, then chuckled a bit thinking, or as her gran liked to call it "that god forsaken Valentino fever!"

The next morning, Lily woke to a house filled with the smell of bacon and pancakes. She stretched her limbs once out of bed, feeling charmed from the night before. A warmth so tender over her heart felt peculiar. Once she wrapped her robe around her and tied it in place, she slipped her slippers over her feet and walked to the kitchen where she found her mother in front of the stove, flipping a pancake in the sunny lit room. It was not a usual sight and the humming coming from her wasn't usual either.
"Good morning," Lily said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and taking a chair at the kitchen table. She felt an excited start run through her body, leaving her whimsical spirit full of hope.
"You liked him, didn't you?" Lilah said, turning finally, with a pan in hand, and filling the room with her own sunny glow.
Lily blushed, nodding slightly. She had so much to say on the matter, but words failed her, she was thinking only of Rudy's seductive tango dancing through her consciousness.
Lilah smiled slyly walking over to where her daughter sat and plopped the pancake on to the plate in front of her. "Now, you know."
Lily again turned red and murmured, looking away from the plate. "I don't even think I can eat." The thought of food, left her throat tight.
Lilah chuckled and turned back placing the pan back on the stove, then tipped the bowl with pancake batter over the pan. "You better. We have quite a day ahead. You need to keep up your strength; we don't want you fainting or anything like that."
This message did not get lost with Lily. She knew women were known to faint in theaters because of Rudy, especially over the movie, The Sheik. And it hit her funny thinking of it then. Just yesterday the thought of such a thing seemed so ridiculous, so impossible and she had concluded it all was chalked up to urban legend, brought about by dreamy females laying flowery thoughts on their romantic inclinations.
Lilah turned her head back and said, "So, indulge me. What exactly do you think of him?"
"He's amazing," Lily offered freely and softly. "I've never seen anything like him. He is so romantic."
Lilah beamed with her daughter's words and nodded, revealing, "It is so good to hear you say that. I wasn't really worried, you are a lot like me half Indian and full of daydreams. But one never knows."
Lily cut into the pancake with her fork after dousing it with maple syrup and said before putting it in her mouth. "Why isn't aunt Patty affected like this? She absolutely had no reaction last night to him. Her and Phillip were droning on how silents were confusing and difficult to follow."
Lilah turned off the stove and put the pan in the sink, grabbing a plate of bacon and a plate for herself she joined her daughter at the table and before picking up her fork, said casually but her tone factual, "It's time you know dear, your aunt Patty is a lesbian. Now finish your breakfast."