NOTE BY THE ACCOUNT HOLDER: THIS STORY IS NOT MINE!

WRITTEN BY KARLA GREGORY


Anna Maria


Anna Maria, daughter of Don Gregorio Verdugo,

As you walk among the flowers in your garden, the breezes of the night touch your face. The cool wind reminds you of another night when a man of shadows appeared at your window. It was not until he was gone so silently on his errand of mercy that you dared touch the frame that he had touched. The moon was bright on that night also, Anna Maria. Fear had been your constant companion, but now it had been replaced by hope. Hope that took the form of a man whose face you could not see, whose substance blended with the night air. His strength was such that it could not be denied, but as he took the small paper from your hand that night, his gentleness was proved. You knew that he would never harm you. He flew away from you that night, Anna Maria, to preserve your father's life. As you waited on the balcony bathed in the moonlight, your thoughts were not always upon your father's fate, but upon the one who rode the silver white stallion. A passage of time, the smooth rustle of silk, and once again he stood before you, a part of the shadows, a part of your heart. His whispered words of your father's delicate safety while the ransom remained in your hands fell soft upon your ears. Your longed for embrace was simply not to be; a momentary distraction and on the air of the night he floated away, the beating of your heart matching the drumming hooves of his steed. "All is well," you sighed listening to that rhythm in your breast.

The dawn of the next day brought back the uncertainty when one who would be your guide spoke in opposition to Romero. El Zorro told you that you should have listened to Don Diego. Why did you not heed the advice of the one who asked you to trust him upon your balcony that night? You were blinded by your fear for your father and the sly, twisting words of Romero. Promises to Diego were forgotten as you gave heed to Romero's urging and you rode away with him to the bandit's lair. Happiness at seeing your father again soon gave way to fear for your own safety as the bandits released him, but held you hostage against his love.

Did you ever think upon Zorro's words and hear Diego's own words ringing in your ears? "Promise me you will do nothing until I return." Now you could only wait, to see what the passage of time would hold for you as your father and Romero rode to bring the ransom. Did time seem suspended, Anna Maria, as you looked in vain for rescue?

The shadows grew long among the ruins and still neither your father nor the man in black appeared. At last, when hope was all but gone, the shadow of the night became the shadow of your father, and in the fading light of day, all was made clear. Don Romero was the leader of the bandits and it was he who planned the thefts and held your family for ransom. Bravely, for your sake, Zorro faced the bullets of these desperate men and Romero died by the hand of his own kind. Then, held by the knife of Pablo, the false servant, you faced El Zorro thinking you would die. But the kindly Sergeant took Pablo in hand and "gently" laid him to sleep at your feet.

Seeing the man of nights in the sunlight, you could not tear your eyes away. The danger past, your father safe, and using your rescue as an excuse, you boldly kissed the cheek of the man behind the mask. Modesty before so many others forbade more, and El Zorro rode away leaving you with memories of him engraved upon your heart.

And Diego, the one who truly held your best interest in his heart, what do you think of him now? Before you left Monterey, you were able to apologize to him and as the gentleman he is, he accepted graciously. But still your thoughts were only for the man of the shadows. A letter, scented with the fragrance that you wore that night on the balcony was given to the care of Diego. It was not addressed to the handsome young man you left behind in Monterey. It was addressed to another. How often did you think of that letter, wondering what smile found its way to the face behind the mask, what effect your words had upon his heart? Did you compose in your own heart the letter he might have written in return? Did the moon ever look the same again as you gazed upon it in the night, wondering if he was gazing upon it also? Did you wonder if the moon of Spain would hold the same delicate magic as the moon of California?

These things filled your every thought, did they not? Is that not why you decided to return to Monterey instead of traveling on to Spain with your father? What was the dream of Spain when the man of your dreams was here in California? No, you could not go could you, Anna Maria?

You returned with a new acquaintance, Don Ricardo, and found an old acquaintance in Don Diego, who had remained in Monterey. You and I know that you were only waiting to see if El Zorro would magically appear as you entertained the two would be suitors. You coyly sidestepped their advances even as you enjoyed their attention. They soon found that their rival was one who was a legend, one whose face was never seen, but one who had stolen your heart. You disapproved of Ricardo's practical jokes, but somehow you seemed to enjoy Diego's discomfiture when the Roman general accused him of stealing his horse. Your laughter turned Diego's anger aside and the friendly rivalry for your affections began again. Then came the payroll robbery that was not a joke and the man in black who was not a dream.

As you followed Ricardo and Zorro as they chased the bandidos, had you no thought for your own safety? I suspect not. Fortunately, the bandidos had been dispatched by the time you arrived. How convenient it was that your horse ran away wasn't it, Anna Maria?

You should perhaps have your uncle's vaqueros see to his training? With Ricardo having to stay with the bandidos, it was only fitting that Zorro should take you back into town was it not? The picture formed by Zorro upon his great, white stallion with his black cape flowing all around him took your breath away. He very gallantly agreed to take you home and lifted you effortlessly upon Phantom's back with his arms around you to keep you from falling. You wished the ride to last forever, but alas, it was not to be. That night as you fell asleep, you could still feel his arms around you and you could still hear his voice as he spoke. He said nothing improper, nothing a true gentleman would not have said and you hung upon his every word. The powerful stallion beneath you brought you all too soon to the edge of town where Zorro could not enter.

As Zorro effortlessly set you down upon the ground, you felt the strength in his arms and could not find it within yourself to leave them. He too was reluctant to release you, but other travelers were coming up the road and he had to take his leave from you. In one fluid movement, he mounted his horse and bowed grandly, then he rode away, leaving you to watch him go. Your heart longed to ride away with him.

In the days that followed, Diego and Ricardo kept you amused with their rivalry. You knew that only Zorro held your heart and never encouraged your two suitors. But Ricardo would not take no for an answer, and Diego would not let his rival gain the upper hand, so they were your constant companions. You were very patient with Ricardo's foolishness, Anna Maria. Why was that? Was it flattering to have two such handsome young men vying for your attention? Was that why you continued to receive Ricardo? Or perhaps was it to keep Diego at bay? You knew of his deep feelings for you and were not willing to encourage them. During the time of your father's crisis, his was the voice of reason and yet you did not heed him. When he thought his hacienda burned to the ground, he was very reluctant to leave you even though he must. You felt the strong attraction that he had for you then, but turned him aside, holding yourself only for El Zorro.

Was it a relief to you that Ricardo was there to deflect Diego's intensity? As long as Diego felt that he had a rival, his attention was divided between you and Ricardo, giving you many opportunities for amusement at their expense.

"Let them keep themselves occupied with each other," you thought, "there is only room in my heart for Zorro."

But strangely, Zorro stayed apart from you. He appeared at the garrison to save Ricardo from hanging by the commandanté, but you only caught a glimpse of him there. He gallantly paused to salute you, but then was over the wall and gone before the soldiers came to their senses and tried to capture him. He maneuvered Ricardo into fighting his duel at dawn among the ruins, when only the two of them were there to settle a question of honor. You marveled at Ricardo's humility as he declared that Zorro was indeed a man of honor. This made you admire the man in black more than ever before.

Then came Ricardo's scheme of offering amnesty to Zorro if he would turn himself in to the Governor. The Governor was pleased to make the offer, reasoning that he could rid himself of a problem and solve a mystery all at once.

And you, Anna Maria, you could not have been happier. You felt that you knew in your heart that Zorro would come to the church and let himself be unmasked, placing himself at the mercy of the Governor. You felt that he would do it all for you. But what made you think so, Anna Maria? In all of your encounters, had he ever expressed the wish to be free of his mask; to be as other men? Could you read a man so clearly, having been with him so very few precious moments? Oh, how close you were to being right, Anna Maria.

But there you were with Ricardo in front of the church, waiting for the Angeles to sound, waiting for Zorro to come riding in on his silver stallion. Others watched with anticipation, but you watched with hope. The Governor was waiting, the amnesty document was ready, and it was only moments until the bell should ring. You held your breath. Then suddenly, the bells were ringing, and with each tone your heart began to shrink. The silence after the bells quieted was almost too much for you. This time, you held your breath in sorrow. Then one by one the people began to walk away shaking their heads. You heard, as though very far away, the Governor saying that there would be no amnesty for Zorro, that there was still a price on his head. Your heart was so heavy.

Then one of Ricardo's jokes turned on him, and as the round little woman clung to his waist, you found release in the laughter that would have been tears in another place. You pushed your disappointment into the deep recesses of your heart for the moment and chose laughter instead. Then Ricardo cried Zorro's name and as you looked around you saw him riding towards you. In a moment, he had swept you off of your feet, and the two of you rode out of town leaving everyone, including Ricardo, with mouths open in surprise. Zorro never slackened the stallion's pace until you were well away from Monterey. Again you found yourself within those strong arms, held tightly against his warm chest, your heart beating with the rhythm of the drumming hooves of his steed. When at last he pulled Phantom to a stop and let you to the ground, for a moment you could not catch your balance or your breath. But then he was there to put his arms around you and steady you.

Once again your deep disappointment came welling to the surface. You asked him if he wished to remain an outlaw. Did you listen carefully to his answer? He said, "At the present, I must." It was not something he wished to do, it was something he had to do.

Your response did not make it seem as if you heard all that he said with those few words. So he tried again by saying, "I cannot let down those people who believe in me. Can you understand that?" Could you not hear what that statement cost him, Anna Maria? Did you not see what was in his eyes? You said you needed time to think. When you asked if you would ever see his face, he responded in the most gentle of tones that you only had to look about you. Yes, Anna Maria look about you, ... always look about you. Have you seen him and not known it? Have your eyes met his and you passed him by? How long will you hear those words ring in your ears, never knowing...?

As the soldiers came nearer and nearer, Zorro embraced you so close that you could scarcely breathe. You gave yourself to his embrace, knowing it could be your last. But, as Zorro held you, he said, "Adios, Anna Maria. We will meet again." Hope renewed itself in your heart.

Then he was gone.

I am The One Who Watches, Anna Maria. I am not at liberty to tell you all that I know. But know this, the one you know as Zorro is a man; a man who loves deeply. But he is a man of honor and of duty and of sacrifice. He became El Zorro to fight tyranny and to see that justice prevails for all of the people of California. He belongs to all Californians, not to just one. Not even to himself. As long as there is a need for Zorro, then he will ride the winds of the night. If this makes him an outlaw in the eyes of the government, then that is what he will be.

The man behind the mask has no less integrity than Zorro, no less love for the people. Have you looked at the people through the eyes of this man, Anna Maria? You know of his deeds in Monterey, what do you know of his deeds in Los Angeles? Do you know of the peons he has rescued, the vaqueros he has saved from injustice? Do you know of his fight against a malevolent commandanté bent on gaining only riches and power for himself? Have you heard of his fight against the man known as the Eagle who would have taken over California and put you and your family in peril of your lives for the loyalty you bear the king? If you do not know these things, then take what I have said here and seek out the answers for yourself. Then perhaps you will understand the man behind the mask and know who he is even without knowing his name.

I see now that you have walked to the top of the hill that overlooks the Verdugo hacienda. All the world is bathed in moonlight. Like the phantom of his namesake, the white horse comes to greet you. You found him tied to the gate one morning with a note attached to his bridle. "Keep him for me until I return." was written there. There was no signature, but none was necessary. The note is now carefully preserved between the pages of your diary. You spend a great deal of time together, you and this Phantom. You both look upon the moon and wonder where he is and what he is doing. You stroke the stallion's neck and remember the man of shadows, listening for the rustle of a silk cape, looking for that wonderful smile, waiting for his arms to embrace you once more, . . . waiting for a kiss like the first one.

When will he return? I cannot say. I do not know the future, I only watch the present and comment upon the past. But Anna Maria, when he returns, will he find the same woman that he left? Or will he find someone who has grown as he has grown, who loves the people with the same love as he? Who will Anna Maria be when Zorro returns upon the winds of the night?

The One Who Watches