When aunt Patty arrived the crowd that had grown large enough to fill the hall they started filing through the door at 6:40. Lilah counted the people as she took their money and then signaled to Dee to tape a sign up that read, “Sold Out: next showing at 9:30”.
Aunt Patty again was dressed in black slacks but with a purple polyester blouse clinging to her torso delicately. It was a simple top but the color alone was very bold and unusual for her.
When she came up to greet Lily who wore a black skirt and leopard print knit top that stretch over her flat chest and arms tightly, Lily saw Phillip come up behind with her. “They’re showing it again?” She said incredulously.
Lily nodded and shrugged. “Mrs. Bright warned us there’s going to be a huge turnout.”
“Well who’s going to play the music for it? Betty’s 80 odd years old, we can’t expect her to stay so late.”
Lily stared at her aunt blankly then offered a helpless shrug.
“That is just like your mother to come up with a hair brained scheme like this out of no where!”Aunt Patty glared over at Lilah, who was laughing and greeting all the people coming through the door. “Look at her, no care in the world…so daft!”
Lily looked around seeking out a familiar face who may be able to save her from aunt Patty’s sudden disproving temperament.
When her eyes glanced at Phillip, his expression was soft but full of concern and he looked at her with an understanding gaze.
“She’s going to have to cancel it. I don’t think anyone would want to sit through a silent without some music, only the die-hards perhaps.”
She was starting to turn, to head in Lilah’s direction when Phillip blurted, “I could probably do it.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“You know how to play the organ?” Aunt Patty said her suspicious nature in full force, and turning back to him.
Phillip nodded. “Yeah, my grandma was a music teacher and she taught me how to play.” He was sheepish and he looked to and from aunt Patty and Lily, then added as an after thought, “Mame.”
“You can play for silents?” she queried further.
He nodded awkwardly, “I suppose so. She would seat me at her organ and have me play the organ for effect when her friends were over as she told stories and even recited poems. My dad said, being raised by her was like being raised in the vaudeville.” Phillip laughed at that but the jest was lost on aunt Patty.
“Well give me an example, Phillip, what will you play? I don’t want you playing the Frost Waltz while the Sheik is snatching his prey off her horse.”
“Well that,” Phillip said, with strained confidence, “I would probably play something like a chase sequence. I don’t know the names for it some are just little numbers she taught me in a few afternoons.”
Aunt Patty still wasn’t sold on the idea.
Phillip sighed, “If you want I can show you.”
After Phillip proved himself on the organ while people were finding their seats, she was convinced that he could handle the silent score and finally not only gave him an ok but a much appreciated hug and smile of thanks.
Lily softly thanked him too and said, “So good of you to help us out.”
Phillip smiled softly and nodded to Lily with a gentle look of acknowledgement. “It’s a pleasure to help you out.” The “you” was emphasized in such a way, Lily looked to aunt Patty who was looking back and forth to her niece and Phillip with an ardent smile.
While The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse brought a pulsing romantic performance from Rudy seducing Lily's thoughts and desires to him, the Sheik exploded on screen and into her imagination he blazed eternally. He, she thought, was a luminescent angel, with devilish pride and all in a role he was dangerous and very sexual. Yet, underneath it all, Lily thought taking him in with an unguarded passion of her own, he showed such a sweet presence and it gleamed through all the intimating gestures and forceful groping. Throughout the film she also had the distinct impression, as if she were enjoying it all along with him, his joy of horseback riding and the desert surroundings where he presided.
Even though, no one, that Lily knew of, fainted when the Sheik reached over and grabbed Diana, pulling her from her saddle to his --- there was a great gasp and then excited “Oh’ from the audience when he did. And Lilah, grabbed Lily’s arm and gave it a squeeze while smiling like a little kid who just saw a magician pull a rabbit out of his hat for the first time.
Lily smiled in excitement, sharing the thrill, her imagination on fire, flames scorching her dreams.
*
Lily curled up to her pillow and tried to ignore the feeling that Rudy was standing over her, just behind her, looking down waiting for her to turn her head to see him and that any moment she would feel him slide in next to her, and wrap a strong arm around her waist, pull her close, and nuzzle his face in the soft curve of her neck.
It was a dream she reminded herself much later, the next morning. The late morning sunlight spilling into the room uninvited and bright with the Sheik playing over and over in her mind, like some broken record on a record player. She desperately wanted to go back to the hall and watch it again and felt it was the only thing she could do to appease her at that moment. If only if she could talk Dean into meeting her at the church before the last film was scheduled to show. Then, she could watch it again, watch him again. Knowing the movie was still there and would be there until tomorrow morning gave Lily a powerful feeling of temptation and even desperation to go get it and maybe run the projector herself, or at least perhaps, get the film and keep it with her always, hidden away like a little treasure of her own. But of course she couldn’t do that, she couldn’t put her mom in such a situation no matter how much she wanted to have it.
“Is your mom up yet,” aunt Patty asked after coming into the house.
Lily was sitting at the table, leaning over a cup of coffee, deep in her thoughts but the sound of aunt Patty’s voice brought her back and she managed, “No, she’s still sleeping.”
Aunt Patty came to the table after throwing her jacket over the couch and sat across from Lily. “So, what did you think?”
“I have to see it again. Aunt Patty can you ask Dean to meet me in an hour or so or whenever so we can watch it again?”
“What? The Sheik? Oh dear, Lily, I was talking about Phillip. And Dean told me that he was going to be doing stuff with Phillip pretty much for the the day, anyway.”
Lily’s expression broke into disappointment and she softly said, “Oh. That’s too bad.”
“Lily,” aunt Patty called sweetly, then chuckled softly, “Are you ok?”
Lily looked at her aunt Patty and then with a small smile said, “Yeah, I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed with this whole weekend. With the Valentino movies and the excitement and everything. It’s taking a toll on me I guess.”
“You have that look on your face, the one like your mom has had for the last 30 years and it’s all about Valentino isn’t it?”
Lily nodded slowly. “I can’t stop thinking about him, aunt Patty. It was bad enough the other night with the first movie and now, this … well, I just can’t get him out of my head. He is so intoxicating.”
“But what did you think of Phillip? He took you home remember? I kind of got the feeling that you two were sort of flirting especially when he played for the second movie. I saw you looking at him.”
The idea that she could have been looking at Phillip with Valentino on the screen struck Lily funny and she started laughing. At first it was a slow chuckle but then she gave a hearty good one that left her feeling a bit more relaxed with her thoughts.
Aunt Patty smiled, and said, “Now, Lily, now really, are you going to sit there and act like a love sick puppy over Valentino all afternoon or are you going to tell me what happened on the way home, with Phillip?”
Lily sipped her coffee after muttering quickly, “There is really nothing to tell. I did let him kiss me though. But it was only so I could pretend it was Rudy.”
Aunt Patty gasped. “Lily!”
“Well, he seemed to like it!”
“Actually, you’re right he did like it. Dean called me this morning and told me that he liked it very much that he likes you very much. I think he’s going to ask you out.” Before Lily could dismiss the idea, aunt Patty said, “I suggest you go. Phillip’s heart is actually beating.”
Lily was stung a bit by those words. She knew that Rudy was dead but she hated hearing it used against her feelings for him. She felt that these feelings made her feel more alive then ever and in that respect she felt they had a life of their own.
“Lily,” Patty said, taking her niece’s hand. “I can’t handle this from you. Don’t you remember our talks about your mother? Don’t you remember me comforting you that she wasn’t crazy just because she held a torch for a movie star who’s time had come and gone? Please do this for me. Go out with Phillip. And if you want to think of Valentino when you kiss him, be my guest, it wouldn’t be the first time a woman like yourself kissed a man and pretended it was Valentino!”
*
When Lily dressed that night for the “Son of the Sheik” showing, she took extra care in her appearance and wore a dress she had for over a year that she had bought on the clearance rack at the boutique she worked at and although got a great deal for it never really had the opportunity or daring sense to wear it. Tonight she not only had somewhere to wear it but the courage to do so. It was a red satin dress with a black lace overlay that had sheer petal black lace sleeves and a low neck line. As she stepped into the dressed and zipped the back zipper, it hugged her tightly around the waist, exposing her curves which was surprising because she always felt she really didn‘t have any. Looking in the mirror and glancing herself over, she couldn’t escape the feeling it was Rudy she was dressing for, and with him in mind, she wanted to look as beautiful as she could and totally different from her gawkiness, like a girl dressing up in her mother’s closest but a real flesh and blood woman full of love and romance. She carefully applied mascara, lipstick, and a little blush, something she had done only twice in her life and she brushed her long dark wavy hair around to one shoulder, in one big beautiful curl.
When she came out to the living room to meet Dee and her mother, they both looked dazed looking at Lily as if they couldn’t believe their eyes. Dee finally broke the stunned silence by saying, “Ooo la la, don’t you look stunning Lily.”
Lilah smiled and said, “Oh my gosh Lily, you’re so beautiful. Come here let me look at you.” She held Lily’s hand as she led her towards her and she then gushed. “I can’t believe this is my little girl.”
“Well if there is anyone to make a woman out of any girl, it’s Rudy,” Dee said.
Lily didn’t say anything because she was flushed already and she was worried she could turn red permanently.
When they arrived at the hall, this time aunt Patty was handling the ticket situation and letting everyone in very slowly as she carefully counted each person. The night before, Lilah hadn’t been as careful and there were about 12 people standing around many who finally just sat on the ground to watch the show but it made for a mess when people were trying to get up to go to the rest room.
When Lily spotted Phillip near aunt Patty, she noticed he was the one handing out the tickets to the patrons at aunt Patty's cue.
He saw her and waved her over to him.
“Hi,” she said, stepping up next to him, careful not to stand in the way of the entrance. She thought he looked nice. He was wearing a dark brown cardigan and dark blue jeans. His hair was neat and he seemed especially happy to see her.
After staring at her for a moment, he said with a nervous breath, “You look amazing.”
“Thanks. I finally was able to wear this. I’ve had it for a long time. I just finally had the guts to wear it tonight.”
“Well, it’s a shame you’ve kept it hidden so long, Lil. You really look swell.”
Lily smiled and looked away feeling a bit shy about the whole matter. Phillip seemed very sweet with her and she wondered if that kiss had meant something to him.
“My uncle Dean is holding us some seats. For you and your mom and Dee and of course Patty. Their right up at the front. Be sure to hold my seat for me ok?”
“Sure. I’ll go now so we won’t lose them.”
Phillip nodded and smiled and it seemed to Lily like she just agreed to somewhat of a date.
During the showing of the Son of the Sheik Lily was barely aware of Phillip taking her hand in his. Her eyes were glued on Rudolph Valentino and she felt herself growing more and more passionate for this movie star of yesteryear. And although she could sense Phillip’s own deep infatuation with her growing all she could think of was Rudy and him taking her in his arms and demanding her love. The Son of the Sheik, was the final nail in the coffin for her innocent mind with regards to romance. She was now completely lovelorn and affected. She was sure her whole being was glowing and heating up by the second, and anyone who looked her way or got too close to her would surely know it.
When Phillip offered to drive her home, she agreed and climbed in his car with the thought of climbing onto Valentino’s horse and as Phillip drove her home she could picture Valentino there in the driver’s seat, turning to smile at her softly and always with that sideways glance to let her know he was thinking of her.
“I don’t want to go home yet,” she heard herself say suddenly.
“Where do you want to go,” Phillip asked. He was sweet with her and eager to be with her. She knew he felt that her calm and dreamy state was about him and for a second she felt a pang of guilt come and then quickly go.
“Anywhere, where we can look up at the stars,” she sighed.
He drove them to lookout point and although it was known as a popular make out place in town he took her there mostly because he didn’t know of any other place, they could look out over the cliff and see the stars hanging over their little town, without getting out of the car. When he put the car in park, he scooted closer to Lily, who looked up at him and pictured Valentino’s face. And when he kissed her, she thought of Rudy kissing her just had the night before. Phillip kissed her hungrily and Lily could sense a little insecurity in his kisses.
When her arms snaked around his neck, bringing him in for even longer kisses, he broke away unsure of the situation. She could tell he was taken aback by Lily, who was so warm and inviting. Then, he whispered in her ear, “I can’t believe your up here with me, Lil. Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home?”
Lily smiled, shook her head delicately and then, pulled him back to her and they kissed again. This time it was a long, passionate kiss with her body pressing up to his. He then hugged her tightly to him, and feeling his body against hers she let her thoughts and love for Rudolph Valentino completely fill her. With her eyes closed she could see it was him who was holding her, and kissing her neck and her lips late into the night and early morning.
*
Thankfully, her mother was still sleeping when she got into her room after 4 a.m. she took off her dress and got under the blankets with just her bra and underwear. Her mind was foggy but she was still able to recognize what she had just done. She had made love for the first time and she had made love to Rudolph Valentino. She knew it wasn’t really him. That it was Phillip but she thought of no one else but Rudy. It surprised her that she was not alarmed with her behavior or even somewhat concerned. It all felt very natural and normal. But there was a voice in her head nagging at her how unnatural and abnormal the whole situation had been and her cavalier mood over the whole matter was equally troubling. But it was a flimsy voice that aired it’s grievances in a tone with static and whispers.
The thought that the movies went back tomorrow filled Lily with a deep sadness. She would no longer have the source for her love soaked dreams. She would have to refer to memories of these movies and her mother’s stash of mementos kept hidden in her room. Lily knew she could find them. Her mother never kept them too far out of reach.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Intro to Part 3
Driving later to the hall with her mother and Dee Silva, who was at the wheel, Lily said, "I can't believe you are calling aunt Patty a lesbian!"
Dee and her mother shared a knowing look.
"I know it's hard to believe Lily but it's true. She has just chosen not to get involved with anyone rather than to become something to gossip about. You know how proud she is."
"But mom, she has never talked about women in that way. She has never reacted to them in weird ways either."
"There is nothing weird about your aunt Patty, Lily. Hell, what's weird is a heterosexual woman not being affected by Rudy Valentino."
At that both Dee and her mom scoffed.
Lily was still arguing with her mom when they pulled up to the hall in the parking lot of the church. They took note that there were about dozen cars parked there already, and it was not even 5:30 yet.
Once inside Mrs. Bright said, "I don't know what to do, people have been calling about this movie all day. They want to reserve seats. I told them I couldn't because we don't have seat numbers to do that sort of thing, so I think they are all planning just to show up early."
"Yeah," Lilah said, taking off her black wool coat. "We saw some people out there making a line already." Lilah handed her coat to Lily who threw it over her's and Dee's and took them to the coat closet.
"I think we're going to have to maybe offer another show after." Lilah said.
"You mean show it twice?" Mrs. Bright said. "You'll be here until after midnight."
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Lily said. She liked the idea of sitting through two showings of The Sheik. The Sheik is what brought Rudy worldwide fame. He was a superstar after that and she remembered reading that a bunch of women committed suicide because of "this Sheik" from clippings in her mother's scrapbook. It was the one thing that stuck out when she first learned about Rudolph Valentino, giving the subject something of a cult-like following and loving dark literature, it made Lily curious then. Now, lovestruck, she was fervently curious about The Sheik and what powerful affect it would have over her.
"Yeah, but I think it's the best way to handle it. That way we won't disappoint so many. Last night, I think we turned away about 20 or so people. I felt bad about it."
Mrs. Bright put on her coat and smiled and said, "Just be sure to lock up. I came in this morning and the back door was wide opened."
"Oh wait," Lilah said, before Mrs. Bright left. Mrs. Bright stood in the door way, turned to Lilah's voice, with her hand on the door knob.
"Dee, Patty and I talked about what we want to do with the proceeds, we never thought it'd be such a success and we want to donate it to your orphanage, or I mean to the church's orphanage. We are awful grateful to you for letting us use the hall. We know the experience has been overwhelming."
"Why thanks Lilah, that's very kind of you. This news will make Father Bright very happy. Very happy, indeed."
Lilah smiled warmly, "You're welcome." She said. And as Mrs. Bright left and Lilah turned back to Dee talking about the evening ahead, Lily felt so lucky to have Lilah for a mother in that moment she felt her heart would burst from the sheer force of such prideful emotion.
Dee and her mother shared a knowing look.
"I know it's hard to believe Lily but it's true. She has just chosen not to get involved with anyone rather than to become something to gossip about. You know how proud she is."
"But mom, she has never talked about women in that way. She has never reacted to them in weird ways either."
"There is nothing weird about your aunt Patty, Lily. Hell, what's weird is a heterosexual woman not being affected by Rudy Valentino."
At that both Dee and her mom scoffed.
Lily was still arguing with her mom when they pulled up to the hall in the parking lot of the church. They took note that there were about dozen cars parked there already, and it was not even 5:30 yet.
Once inside Mrs. Bright said, "I don't know what to do, people have been calling about this movie all day. They want to reserve seats. I told them I couldn't because we don't have seat numbers to do that sort of thing, so I think they are all planning just to show up early."
"Yeah," Lilah said, taking off her black wool coat. "We saw some people out there making a line already." Lilah handed her coat to Lily who threw it over her's and Dee's and took them to the coat closet.
"I think we're going to have to maybe offer another show after." Lilah said.
"You mean show it twice?" Mrs. Bright said. "You'll be here until after midnight."
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Lily said. She liked the idea of sitting through two showings of The Sheik. The Sheik is what brought Rudy worldwide fame. He was a superstar after that and she remembered reading that a bunch of women committed suicide because of "this Sheik" from clippings in her mother's scrapbook. It was the one thing that stuck out when she first learned about Rudolph Valentino, giving the subject something of a cult-like following and loving dark literature, it made Lily curious then. Now, lovestruck, she was fervently curious about The Sheik and what powerful affect it would have over her.
"Yeah, but I think it's the best way to handle it. That way we won't disappoint so many. Last night, I think we turned away about 20 or so people. I felt bad about it."
Mrs. Bright put on her coat and smiled and said, "Just be sure to lock up. I came in this morning and the back door was wide opened."
"Oh wait," Lilah said, before Mrs. Bright left. Mrs. Bright stood in the door way, turned to Lilah's voice, with her hand on the door knob.
"Dee, Patty and I talked about what we want to do with the proceeds, we never thought it'd be such a success and we want to donate it to your orphanage, or I mean to the church's orphanage. We are awful grateful to you for letting us use the hall. We know the experience has been overwhelming."
"Why thanks Lilah, that's very kind of you. This news will make Father Bright very happy. Very happy, indeed."
Lilah smiled warmly, "You're welcome." She said. And as Mrs. Bright left and Lilah turned back to Dee talking about the evening ahead, Lily felt so lucky to have Lilah for a mother in that moment she felt her heart would burst from the sheer force of such prideful emotion.
Monday, February 16, 2009
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."
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."
Thursday, February 5, 2009
1
Lily recognized her mother's intense infatuation with Rudolph Valentino at a very young age. Her mother had many mementos of the famous silent screen star and a portrait of him hung over her bed for many years. Perhaps this was what made her father finally leave them , when Lily was just 5 years old. Trying to make love to a woman with a picture of another man's face hanging over the bed would be daunting for any man with any self respect, let alone it being the face of, "The Great Lover. "
But even after her father's abandonment and with them having to move back with her grandma for awhile, (a shrill who constantly needled her daughter, with a ferocious temper that could not be reasoned away), Lily's mother never wavered in her love for Valentino. She would keep Lily up late at night talking about her girlhood days, when she along with aunt Patty would make the hour long walk to town to see his movies. She said, she would just sit there as long as she could, long after the movie ended, hoping it would show again soon after and hoped Patty, being the older sister and boss of the two, would be lulled into staying late. Unlike her mother, aunt Patty was never fixated on Rudolph Valentino, or any man for that matter. She was far too practical a woman for that sort of thing, and so often, she was a rock, providing some stability in their lives. She even got them out of Lily's grandma's house to the duplex, where she also lived. This way they were right next to each other, almost as if in the same house, and Lily could go to her aunt's whenever she wanted and many times did.
Some times Lily wished her dark haired, dark eyed mom, a seamstress, was more like aunt Patty, a bookkeeper with long beautiful, wavy, red hair, usually pulled up in a bun, with green sharp eyes under pointy, thin glasses. But as much as she admired aunt Patty's no nonsense attitude and calming demeanor, Lily truly adored her mother, and on the heels of her 20th birthday acknowledged how hard she worked to keep Lily happy.
She also was mature enough now to understand just how much Rudolph Valentino meant to her mother and could intelligently weigh the possible driving factors behind it. She liked to approach it from this angle. Taking all the emotion out of it, made it seem more manageable and somewhat innocent. She pondered that perhaps her mother didn't so much miss Rudy and long for him, but missed the freedom and newness of being young and longed to recapture a time in her life where everything seemed possible. Maybe that was really the underlying factor for her state, and obviously it didn't help that he was remembered like a myth, a legendary figure enblazend at a point in time for anyone who knew him. Whatever it was, Lily thought, never feeling the wiser on these intellectual jogs, he had her mother, IT had her mother, and she saw from first hand experience how she suffered for it.
Lily wondered if her mother could see his movies again, and actually experience what she experienced so long ago in those darken movie theaters, it would satisfy that some thing within her that had her clinging to a symbol of her past. And perhaps, given the chance she would open herself up to someone new, if she just could quell the desire to see Valentino on screen again. But the chance of catching a Rudy Valentino movie, in Salisbury MD, in 1953 was remote at best. Silents were recognized as something of the past, and it seemed every one's focus was on the future. The era of silents and all that belonged to it, held little interest for them, at least for this community and within her generation.
So, when mother recently came across some information that a man in New York had Valentino movies in his possession, she was willing to help her mother, prepare for and plan a revival. The Valentino revival, for 3 days on Valentine's Day weekend. She even got aunt Patty, who was in the thick of tax season, recruited for this ambitious and enormous project.
"Lily, for goodness sakes keep it up. You still have lots of envelopes to stuff."
When Lily didn't say anything and just continued on to the next flyer her mother said, giving her a quick wink, "Those flyer's won't mail themselves, you know."
Lily rolled her eyes. She knew she told her mom she'd help but this task was tedious. She also felt at this rate she would never be able to taste anything again. Lily licked the envelope after folding the flyer in 3 parts and noticed the eyes of Rudolph piercing out at her. His head was placed squarely in the middle at the top of each sheet which read: "3 Days of the legendary Valentino, Valentine Day's Weekend, twenty-five cents a ticket, at Saint Joseph church of Christ, off Hwy 1."
It also read what movies were showing and when, all were scheduled to show at 7:00 p.m., Friday: the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, Saturday: The Sheik and Sunday: The Son of the Sheik. Even though Lily had never seen a Valentino movie she saw the various pictures and lobby cards for each of these movies at one time or other. Each title of the movies brought back images of Valentino in different poses and costumes. Her favorite of them, was The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Where he looked towards the camera with dark eyes and a hat that had balls on it. His expression was soft yet wild.
Lily also enjoyed seeing her mom so happy, it was fun watching her keep so busy, and working so hard on something she enjoyed. It was as if she was getting ready for her own wedding day. Lily couldn't think of a time she was more excited and jubilant about anything. It was with this excitement, often contagious, she was able to convince the priest's wife, Mrs. Bright to let her use the hall for the event. It was on the promise she would pay for the movies herself, get a projector, find a projectionist, supply the organ music and the organist for it.
Lily's mother found the movies through a private vendor from New York, who she heard about when her and aunt Patty went for lunch at the local diner. The new waitress there, told her mom all about this man, when some how Rudy was brought up, which is known to happen often in the presence of Lily's mom. The waitress said, he was driving through to New York and mentioned the films when she expressed interest in him being a film distributor. She had asked him if he had any Gregory Peck movies. He told her no, that he only had silents and "artsy films". Not knowing anything about silents he went through the list and he mentioned Valentino. The waitress only remembered him because he gave her his card and asked her to call him if she was in New York and he would take her out on the town. She gave the card to mother without thinking much of it, and from what aunt Patty said, her mother clung to it all the way home, like a condemned prisoner with day pass.
When Lily's mother called him, he told her he would be glad to bring the Valentino movies to Salisbury and gave her the cost to do so. Apparently he worked with a mostly private clientele (aunt Patty later called it nudie business) instead of popular venues for public consumption. He also said that he came the possession of the Valentino movies when her mother asked him how, "by chance". That when a client of his went into bankruptcy and had to sell off his beloved Valentino collection to pay off his debts. Getting them at a good bargain, he said he included them in the library but hadn't much use for them. So, he told Lily's mother, "I'm not asking for as much as I usually do for the cost of the movies, but to transport them down to the city makes the price a little higher than what you were probably expecting."
Lily's mother told him "it's a deal" in one exuberant breath, guaranteeing the sale, and not really thinking of the cost until she talked it over with aunt Patty.
Aunt Patty said, "He could mail them here at the same cost, I bet he wants to come back to see that waitress. Maybe we can get her to get us a discount." But even with a discount, it was still a lot of cash to come up with in just a few weeks.
Lily had stuffed and licked about 50 envelopes to send out in a mass mailing that still made very little sense to her even after her mother explained it three times. But she did as she was told because she could see the math behind getting one person to buy 1 ticket for each movie, which would be seventy five cents, and if they brought someone with them, which most likely most of them would, it would be a dollar fifty for each flyer sent out. Also, everything seemed to be falling into place. Dean Wilson was not only kind enough to offer his projection skills for this event,(and as a favor for aunt Patty) he was bringing the projector. His father was at one time a cameraman back in the 1920s and was given a projector on the day of his retirement, but aunt Patty always in the know, quipped the senior Mr. Wilson, actually stole the camera because the studio failed to pay for his last two days of work, because he spent them at the bar with friends from the industry. Aunt Patty was responsible for finding the organ music and the organist. She was able to find the organ music through the library but still was looking for someone to play at a low price or even better, just volunteering.
Although, excited for her mother, and the thought if her mother seeing Valentino on the silver screen again, would be good for her, Lily started to approach the event like her aunt approaches everything in life, and that was to be pragmatic about it. She started expecting her mom to find a void where luscious feelings should be and a conclusion that she had built it up all in her head and it was all flights of fantasy, in all these years she fawned over his memory. Lily hoped so. Even though, her mom seemed happy, Lily wanted her mother to find love again, and she felt sorry for her that she never really had a chance at it. Plus she still couldn't grasp the appeal of someone long dead, and it's hold over her. He was certainly cute enough, even quite exquisite to look at and the poems she read from his book, Daydreams, kept in her mother's nightstand, were very sweet and lovely, but this?
"How many do you have left?" Lily's mother asked urgently, putting the phone to her chest to muffle their conversation.
Lily shrugged and counted eight.
"Well hurry, and finish. I want to get them to the post office before they close." She then put the phone back to her ear. "Well, Dean if you could manage to get here in a half hour, I should be ready. Thanks again for giving me a lift. Patty's working late so much these days."
***
"If that silly, gossipy waitress never mentioned that vendor sitting on a gold mine of Valentino movies, we wouldn't be in this mess," aunt Patty muttered under her breath later in the day when she came through the door. She was annoyed and feeling frustrated trying to find someone who not only would play the organ for silent movies, but knew how to. "Look what she's done!" She put her purse on the counter, after taking out a cigarette, lit it, and leaned back, "Your mom is half crazed with that god forsaken Valentino fever!"
Lily giggled. "You sound like grandma."
Aunt Patty, looked insulted at first and still obviously frustrated, then she softened when she looked at Lily and gave a sly, teasing smile, "That's the most horrid thing anyone has ever said to me."
"Grandma was always pretty terrible wasn't she?"
Aunt Patty, nodded, and brushed Lily's bangs out of her eyes. "Some times I think Lilah is the way she is because of that woman. She made our lives a living hell when we were kids. No wonder she escaped into her thoughts of Valentino," she took a drag off her cigarette and then as she breathed out she looked out over Lily's head and said, "He was strong, gorgeous to look at and so sweet. He could be a protector, a lover, a friend. Shield us from all the ugly truths of the world."
"Some times I wish I could go back in time and see what it was like, watching his movies, and liking him like that."
Aunt Patty chuckled as she took a last drag and put out her cigarette, "Don't worry about that, Lil. If your anything like your mother, and you are, you will. And soon enough too."
As she left the house, she called out, without looking back, "Tell your mom to come over when she gets back! I need to talk to her."
But even after her father's abandonment and with them having to move back with her grandma for awhile, (a shrill who constantly needled her daughter, with a ferocious temper that could not be reasoned away), Lily's mother never wavered in her love for Valentino. She would keep Lily up late at night talking about her girlhood days, when she along with aunt Patty would make the hour long walk to town to see his movies. She said, she would just sit there as long as she could, long after the movie ended, hoping it would show again soon after and hoped Patty, being the older sister and boss of the two, would be lulled into staying late. Unlike her mother, aunt Patty was never fixated on Rudolph Valentino, or any man for that matter. She was far too practical a woman for that sort of thing, and so often, she was a rock, providing some stability in their lives. She even got them out of Lily's grandma's house to the duplex, where she also lived. This way they were right next to each other, almost as if in the same house, and Lily could go to her aunt's whenever she wanted and many times did.
Some times Lily wished her dark haired, dark eyed mom, a seamstress, was more like aunt Patty, a bookkeeper with long beautiful, wavy, red hair, usually pulled up in a bun, with green sharp eyes under pointy, thin glasses. But as much as she admired aunt Patty's no nonsense attitude and calming demeanor, Lily truly adored her mother, and on the heels of her 20th birthday acknowledged how hard she worked to keep Lily happy.
She also was mature enough now to understand just how much Rudolph Valentino meant to her mother and could intelligently weigh the possible driving factors behind it. She liked to approach it from this angle. Taking all the emotion out of it, made it seem more manageable and somewhat innocent. She pondered that perhaps her mother didn't so much miss Rudy and long for him, but missed the freedom and newness of being young and longed to recapture a time in her life where everything seemed possible. Maybe that was really the underlying factor for her state, and obviously it didn't help that he was remembered like a myth, a legendary figure enblazend at a point in time for anyone who knew him. Whatever it was, Lily thought, never feeling the wiser on these intellectual jogs, he had her mother, IT had her mother, and she saw from first hand experience how she suffered for it.
Lily wondered if her mother could see his movies again, and actually experience what she experienced so long ago in those darken movie theaters, it would satisfy that some thing within her that had her clinging to a symbol of her past. And perhaps, given the chance she would open herself up to someone new, if she just could quell the desire to see Valentino on screen again. But the chance of catching a Rudy Valentino movie, in Salisbury MD, in 1953 was remote at best. Silents were recognized as something of the past, and it seemed every one's focus was on the future. The era of silents and all that belonged to it, held little interest for them, at least for this community and within her generation.
So, when mother recently came across some information that a man in New York had Valentino movies in his possession, she was willing to help her mother, prepare for and plan a revival. The Valentino revival, for 3 days on Valentine's Day weekend. She even got aunt Patty, who was in the thick of tax season, recruited for this ambitious and enormous project.
"Lily, for goodness sakes keep it up. You still have lots of envelopes to stuff."
When Lily didn't say anything and just continued on to the next flyer her mother said, giving her a quick wink, "Those flyer's won't mail themselves, you know."
Lily rolled her eyes. She knew she told her mom she'd help but this task was tedious. She also felt at this rate she would never be able to taste anything again. Lily licked the envelope after folding the flyer in 3 parts and noticed the eyes of Rudolph piercing out at her. His head was placed squarely in the middle at the top of each sheet which read: "3 Days of the legendary Valentino, Valentine Day's Weekend, twenty-five cents a ticket, at Saint Joseph church of Christ, off Hwy 1."
It also read what movies were showing and when, all were scheduled to show at 7:00 p.m., Friday: the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, Saturday: The Sheik and Sunday: The Son of the Sheik. Even though Lily had never seen a Valentino movie she saw the various pictures and lobby cards for each of these movies at one time or other. Each title of the movies brought back images of Valentino in different poses and costumes. Her favorite of them, was The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Where he looked towards the camera with dark eyes and a hat that had balls on it. His expression was soft yet wild.
Lily also enjoyed seeing her mom so happy, it was fun watching her keep so busy, and working so hard on something she enjoyed. It was as if she was getting ready for her own wedding day. Lily couldn't think of a time she was more excited and jubilant about anything. It was with this excitement, often contagious, she was able to convince the priest's wife, Mrs. Bright to let her use the hall for the event. It was on the promise she would pay for the movies herself, get a projector, find a projectionist, supply the organ music and the organist for it.
Lily's mother found the movies through a private vendor from New York, who she heard about when her and aunt Patty went for lunch at the local diner. The new waitress there, told her mom all about this man, when some how Rudy was brought up, which is known to happen often in the presence of Lily's mom. The waitress said, he was driving through to New York and mentioned the films when she expressed interest in him being a film distributor. She had asked him if he had any Gregory Peck movies. He told her no, that he only had silents and "artsy films". Not knowing anything about silents he went through the list and he mentioned Valentino. The waitress only remembered him because he gave her his card and asked her to call him if she was in New York and he would take her out on the town. She gave the card to mother without thinking much of it, and from what aunt Patty said, her mother clung to it all the way home, like a condemned prisoner with day pass.
When Lily's mother called him, he told her he would be glad to bring the Valentino movies to Salisbury and gave her the cost to do so. Apparently he worked with a mostly private clientele (aunt Patty later called it nudie business) instead of popular venues for public consumption. He also said that he came the possession of the Valentino movies when her mother asked him how, "by chance". That when a client of his went into bankruptcy and had to sell off his beloved Valentino collection to pay off his debts. Getting them at a good bargain, he said he included them in the library but hadn't much use for them. So, he told Lily's mother, "I'm not asking for as much as I usually do for the cost of the movies, but to transport them down to the city makes the price a little higher than what you were probably expecting."
Lily's mother told him "it's a deal" in one exuberant breath, guaranteeing the sale, and not really thinking of the cost until she talked it over with aunt Patty.
Aunt Patty said, "He could mail them here at the same cost, I bet he wants to come back to see that waitress. Maybe we can get her to get us a discount." But even with a discount, it was still a lot of cash to come up with in just a few weeks.
Lily had stuffed and licked about 50 envelopes to send out in a mass mailing that still made very little sense to her even after her mother explained it three times. But she did as she was told because she could see the math behind getting one person to buy 1 ticket for each movie, which would be seventy five cents, and if they brought someone with them, which most likely most of them would, it would be a dollar fifty for each flyer sent out. Also, everything seemed to be falling into place. Dean Wilson was not only kind enough to offer his projection skills for this event,(and as a favor for aunt Patty) he was bringing the projector. His father was at one time a cameraman back in the 1920s and was given a projector on the day of his retirement, but aunt Patty always in the know, quipped the senior Mr. Wilson, actually stole the camera because the studio failed to pay for his last two days of work, because he spent them at the bar with friends from the industry. Aunt Patty was responsible for finding the organ music and the organist. She was able to find the organ music through the library but still was looking for someone to play at a low price or even better, just volunteering.
Although, excited for her mother, and the thought if her mother seeing Valentino on the silver screen again, would be good for her, Lily started to approach the event like her aunt approaches everything in life, and that was to be pragmatic about it. She started expecting her mom to find a void where luscious feelings should be and a conclusion that she had built it up all in her head and it was all flights of fantasy, in all these years she fawned over his memory. Lily hoped so. Even though, her mom seemed happy, Lily wanted her mother to find love again, and she felt sorry for her that she never really had a chance at it. Plus she still couldn't grasp the appeal of someone long dead, and it's hold over her. He was certainly cute enough, even quite exquisite to look at and the poems she read from his book, Daydreams, kept in her mother's nightstand, were very sweet and lovely, but this?
"How many do you have left?" Lily's mother asked urgently, putting the phone to her chest to muffle their conversation.
Lily shrugged and counted eight.
"Well hurry, and finish. I want to get them to the post office before they close." She then put the phone back to her ear. "Well, Dean if you could manage to get here in a half hour, I should be ready. Thanks again for giving me a lift. Patty's working late so much these days."
***
"If that silly, gossipy waitress never mentioned that vendor sitting on a gold mine of Valentino movies, we wouldn't be in this mess," aunt Patty muttered under her breath later in the day when she came through the door. She was annoyed and feeling frustrated trying to find someone who not only would play the organ for silent movies, but knew how to. "Look what she's done!" She put her purse on the counter, after taking out a cigarette, lit it, and leaned back, "Your mom is half crazed with that god forsaken Valentino fever!"
Lily giggled. "You sound like grandma."
Aunt Patty, looked insulted at first and still obviously frustrated, then she softened when she looked at Lily and gave a sly, teasing smile, "That's the most horrid thing anyone has ever said to me."
"Grandma was always pretty terrible wasn't she?"
Aunt Patty, nodded, and brushed Lily's bangs out of her eyes. "Some times I think Lilah is the way she is because of that woman. She made our lives a living hell when we were kids. No wonder she escaped into her thoughts of Valentino," she took a drag off her cigarette and then as she breathed out she looked out over Lily's head and said, "He was strong, gorgeous to look at and so sweet. He could be a protector, a lover, a friend. Shield us from all the ugly truths of the world."
"Some times I wish I could go back in time and see what it was like, watching his movies, and liking him like that."
Aunt Patty chuckled as she took a last drag and put out her cigarette, "Don't worry about that, Lil. If your anything like your mother, and you are, you will. And soon enough too."
As she left the house, she called out, without looking back, "Tell your mom to come over when she gets back! I need to talk to her."
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