I say love is a flower
By Gabriela Valenzuela
Prologue
"It was snow too that fell all Christmas week that year up in the Gauertal, that year they lived in the woodcutter's house with the big square porcelain stove that filled half the room, and they slept on mattresses filled with beech leaves, the time the deserter came with his feet bloody in the snow"... Monica really liked listen to Andrew's voice while he was reading. He usually could find the exact tone of each sentence, even if it was only a description, that made her feel there was a whole story right behind each word. It was not Christmas week and there was no snow in the forest clear where they were, but she felt she would definitely love to live in a house with an old stove and mattresses of leaves as long as they were together.
Fall wind was getting colder but Monica felt perfectly comfortable sat only over the yellow leaves of the trees, laying on Andrew's arms, enjoying the slight changes of color the sunset gave to everything around. It was not very common that both of them had a free day, so they had found it a perfect chance to spend the day all by themselves. They had had a lovely picnic and after long hours of talking, Andrew had offer to read something to her.
"What was this? A catalogue of old books? What was his talent anyway? It was a talent all right but instead of using it, he had traded on it. It was never what he had done, but always what he could do. And he had chosen to make his living with something else instead of a pen or a pencil". Andrew turned to look at Monica and found her looking steadily at him, as if trying to memorize every tiny detail of his face. He smiled at the questioning feeling he could see in his girlfriend's face before he ventured to speak. "What's happening, Angel girl?"
"Nothing". Her voice was quite a whisper, but she didn't stop looking at him attentively. A moment later, she rose her hand and caressed his cheek lightly and slowly. "I like to hear your voice while you're reading".
"Ernest Hemingway really knew what he was writing, don't you think?", Andrew said while he showed her The first forty-nine stories title page.
"I think you really know what you're reading", she answered and pulled him down to kiss him.
"Well, he better knows, Miss Wings!", Tess' voice almost made both Monica and Andrew jump after being caught mid kiss. "Because his next assignment will be about literature...", she quite enjoy the surprised faces of the younger angels, "...and about some other things".
Chapter 1
Andrew stood still looking in surprise at the marble frontispiece with golden letters where he could read "American Ballet Academy". Both Monica and Tess were having trouble in controlling their laughter at his priceless puzzled face. "Tess", the blond angel turned to face his supervisor, "are you sure this is where I'm supposed to be?".
"Positive, Angel boy!", she chuckled from her seat on the red Cadillac.
"You know I love to dance, but this..."
"And who told you that you were supposed to be a ballet dancer? I told you your assignment was about literature. You're their new Drama teacher. I seem to recall you know your Shakespeare quite well".
"Oh, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet!", Monica teased him overacting Juliet's love confession.
"I'll take charge of you later, Angel girl", he said, narrowing his eyes and pinching her nose tenderly. "So, Tess, what should I do?".
"Go ask for Mr. Jonathan Michels. He'll tell you what to do".
"And what about you?".
"Monica and I will be together. We'll actually be just a kind of support for you. Don't worry, you'll see her in the afternoon. I don't think your assignment needs night surveillance", the older angel told him as she saw their hands already intertwined. "The Father and I know you haven't come over your sugar-full days yet".
Both the younger angels blushed at her words and shared an accomplice smile. "Ok", the angel of death finally said, "I'll see you in the afternoon", and leaned down to give Monica a light kiss.
"Have fun, Romeo!", Tess teased him before turning on the car. "And don't break the heart of too many Juliets around there".
About an hour later, Andrew was watching in awe his new group. Instead of the normal blue jeans and T-shirts of other college students, they were all using tights and leotards, but their chat was just the same of any other group of this age. He thanked God for the past assignments where he had been a teacher for he knew he would need all that experience this time. He began calling the roll and stopped at one name: Natalia Rosenberg. His assignment. She was a small brunette young girl, with long dark hair and almond shaped eyes that were already fixed on his face. She seemed rather shy and serious, and blushed deeply when he smiled friendly at her. He used the first part of the class to know them, and so he learned Natalia was the most promising student and the next principal ballerina of the American Ballet for sure. By the end of the class, all the students were pleased with their new teacher and their chat was full of plans for a modern version of Romeo and Juliet for the final performance of the school year, just as Andrew had suggested.
Before the blond angel left the classroom, a man with dark hair of about 40 years came in. "Hi, you must be Andrew, the new Drama teacher". The angel shook hands with the man. "I'm William White, the choreographer of the company".
"Nice to meet you, William", though actually there was something in him that Andrew didn't like at all.
"I guess we'll be working together this year more than others. I overheard some of the guys saying you suggested to perform Romeo and Juliet".
"Yeah... I wanted it just as an exercise for the class, I didn't mean to interfere in you job...", Andrew felt like he was trying to justify his first day there.
"No, I think it's a great idea", William said. "The ballet hadn't performed it in some years and I haven't decided what we'd be doing. It has to be something they like too, so I must say thanks".
"Great".
"Natalia, can I talk to you?", the choreographer turned to see the girl who had remained in the classroom. "See you later, Andrew".
The angel of death saw them walking away and a sudden feeling of unease made him realize his assignment had something to do with William too.
***
By five o'clock, Andrew walked along the almost desert corridor towards the staff entrance of the Academy. He didn't have a clear idea about what his assignment was yet but only the permanent sensation of something going wrong between Natalia and William. He was doubting about asking Tess for more information as he didn't know for sure what he was supposed to do, when all of a sudden he saw something out of the corner of his eye that made him stop. The door of William's office was slightly open and he could clearly see his figure. He was kissing somebody, quite passionately for what the angel could see, but he couldn't recognize who the woman was. He stared at them trying to get a view of her, but William's words soon gave him the name. "You're so stupid, Natalia".
For one second, the angel of death was sure he had misunderstood. Had William called her stupid? He could not hear a word from the girl, only a tiny sound he guessed was a drowned sob.
"Stop it! Just stop it!", it was William's voice again.
There was silence once more, only broken later by the sound of the man's footsteps when he moved besides a window. The girl walked behind him and then Andrew could see her. He hasn't been wrong, it was Natalia Rosenberg, his student. The ballerina tried to wrap her arms around his waist but the man freed himself quite brusquely. The angel saw her bending her head down and he figured out she was crying. "I love you", Natalia whispered.
There was a sarcastic laughter from William and then again the rude words. "See? I told you you're so stupid".
Knowing he had heard enough, Andrew walked back to his classroom. He wanted to get into the office and hit the man that had dared to treat a young girl like this, but he knew that wasn't God's plan and that wasn't his job either. About half an hour later, he left the school and only a block away he saw William and Natalia once more. They were in his car and she was still crying. The blond angel decided he needed to help her, but before he could reach them, the choreographer turned on the car and soon they were lost in the middle of New York's traffic.
***
Monica was talking animatedly to a small brunette woman when Tess met her that evening at the main entrance of Hillside Hospital in Long Island. The woman was chief of Psychiatrics there and the Irish angel had been assigned to help her as her assistant.
"Hello, baby, how was your day?", Tess asked as she came near her charge.
"Hi, Tess. I want you to meet Dr. Mary Ann Rosenberg".
The dark skinned angel shook hands with her before asking. "Rosenberg? Are you Dr. Richard Rosenberg's wife?".
"Yes", the woman answered. "Do you know him?"
"I'm his new assistant nurse. I just arrived today".
"Oh, well, what a coincidence. We both had new assistants today", she said without noticing Monica and Tess sharing a brief sight. "I'd like to stay, but I must go home now. My daughter should be back from the ABA anytime soon and she will be starving!".
"Your daughter is a ballerina at the ABA, Mary Ann?", the little angel asked.
"Yes, why?".
"Because we have a friend there. Maybe he knows your daughter".
"Yes, it's possible", the woman answered not actually paying much attention while she looked for her car keys on her bag. "I'll see you tomorrow, Monica. It was nice to meet you, Tess". "Nice to meet you too", the older angel answered and they saw her walking out of the hospital. "Andrew is not here yet?", she asked her charge when they were alone.
"No, but I think he'll arrive in any minute", she said. "Look, here he comes".
Tess smiled tenderly and shook her head at seeing her charges. The blond angel had just murmured a "Hi" and smiled when he came near Monica, before kissing her lips tenderly and holding her tightly. "I missed you, baby", he whispered into her ear, the words meant to be heard only by that little angel.
"I missed you too", she whispered back feeling perfectly content in his arms.
"Ok, ok, enough!"; Tess said and they pulled apart smiling. "Who wants to get a cup of hot chocolate with me?".
Andrew and Monica followed her obediently hand in hand. "Can I have a moka latte instead, Tess?", the Irish angel asked with the tone of an eight-year- old.
"You're pushing your luck, Angel girl", the supervisor said knowing she had lost the battle of wills with the younger angel.
***
An hour later, the three angels were seated in a cabinet of a nice coffee shop, looking at the crowded street, three empty cups in front of them. Tess and Monica had been talking all the time, one telling the other about their first day with the nice couple of doctors they were working with. Richard Rosenberg was an oncologist and Tess talked about feeling comfortable helping people who face death everyday, not only as patients but also as doctors.
Monica and Andrew were seated together and he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his hand stroking distractedly her arm. The little angel was so excited about her own day at the hospital that she hadn't noticed how awfully quiet the angel of death was. It was Tess, with her experienced eyes, who forced him to talk. "And what about you, Angel boy?". He turned to see her evidently surprised at being taken out of his thoughts. "How was your first day with the ballerinas?", she repeated.
"Fine, Tess, it was fine", he said unenthusiastically.
"Is there something wrong, Andrew?", Monica asked noticing the worry so evident in his eyes.
"No, nothing", but his tone said much more for two angels that knew him quite well.
"Of course, there's something wrong, Angel boy", Tess stated. "You can't fool us so easily".
Monica softly placed a hand over his leg and the other over his cheek to force him to meet her gaze. "What is it, Andrew?", she asked, her dark eyes reflecting both love and worry.
He saw her pure interest and he decided he didn't want to worry her with his suspicions. She had been so happy with her new assignment that he didn't feel fair to spoil that joy of hers. He took her hand and kissed it. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that I'm not absolutely sure about it yet".
"About what?", the older angel asked.
"Don't mind me", he finally said after a moment of silence. He smiled and changed the tone of his voice. "What would you say if we go for a walk? It's not too chilly out there". The blond angel held Monica again and met her still skeptical gaze. A moment later, he was standing at the side of the table, a hand outstretched towards the Irish angel. Monica turned to face Tess for a second and saw her supervisor slightly shaking her head, meaning she also didn't have a clue about what was troubling Andrew.
Some minutes later, the trio was walking on the street watching the windows of the stores, each one thinking on something different.
Tess was trying to get a divine word about the blond angel's assignment, but silence had been her only answer so far.
Andrew was asking himself how a man could tell a woman he loved her and then abused her the way William had done. His mind was still refusing to put the words "I love you" together with "You're so stupid", as he thought he would never get tired of saying the firsts to the little angel he was holding just as he would never, ever dare to say the second ones. He would never hurt her the way William evidently used to hurt Natalia.
But maybe the most troubled mind of the three was Monica's. Andrew had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as soon as they had left the coffee house, and she had wrapped her arm around his waist just as she always did, but something felt wrong. He wasn't as aware of her touching as he normally was, and that simple but meaningful act told her lots. At that moment of the night, she was feeling tears threatening her eyes, and an awful sensation was growing in her heart. Why wasn't he talking to her? Didn't he trust her? Had she made something to get him mad? The Irish angel took a deep breath and then sighed heavily in an attempt to fight back her tears, and held her beloved angel tighter. Her heart plunged to her stomach when she didn't feel him returning the gesture, and made a silent prayer for this being only a bad night. She decided she had to talk to him soon for she didn't want to take this as a rule for the few moments they could spend together.
By Gabriela Valenzuela
Prologue
"It was snow too that fell all Christmas week that year up in the Gauertal, that year they lived in the woodcutter's house with the big square porcelain stove that filled half the room, and they slept on mattresses filled with beech leaves, the time the deserter came with his feet bloody in the snow"... Monica really liked listen to Andrew's voice while he was reading. He usually could find the exact tone of each sentence, even if it was only a description, that made her feel there was a whole story right behind each word. It was not Christmas week and there was no snow in the forest clear where they were, but she felt she would definitely love to live in a house with an old stove and mattresses of leaves as long as they were together.
Fall wind was getting colder but Monica felt perfectly comfortable sat only over the yellow leaves of the trees, laying on Andrew's arms, enjoying the slight changes of color the sunset gave to everything around. It was not very common that both of them had a free day, so they had found it a perfect chance to spend the day all by themselves. They had had a lovely picnic and after long hours of talking, Andrew had offer to read something to her.
"What was this? A catalogue of old books? What was his talent anyway? It was a talent all right but instead of using it, he had traded on it. It was never what he had done, but always what he could do. And he had chosen to make his living with something else instead of a pen or a pencil". Andrew turned to look at Monica and found her looking steadily at him, as if trying to memorize every tiny detail of his face. He smiled at the questioning feeling he could see in his girlfriend's face before he ventured to speak. "What's happening, Angel girl?"
"Nothing". Her voice was quite a whisper, but she didn't stop looking at him attentively. A moment later, she rose her hand and caressed his cheek lightly and slowly. "I like to hear your voice while you're reading".
"Ernest Hemingway really knew what he was writing, don't you think?", Andrew said while he showed her The first forty-nine stories title page.
"I think you really know what you're reading", she answered and pulled him down to kiss him.
"Well, he better knows, Miss Wings!", Tess' voice almost made both Monica and Andrew jump after being caught mid kiss. "Because his next assignment will be about literature...", she quite enjoy the surprised faces of the younger angels, "...and about some other things".
Chapter 1
Andrew stood still looking in surprise at the marble frontispiece with golden letters where he could read "American Ballet Academy". Both Monica and Tess were having trouble in controlling their laughter at his priceless puzzled face. "Tess", the blond angel turned to face his supervisor, "are you sure this is where I'm supposed to be?".
"Positive, Angel boy!", she chuckled from her seat on the red Cadillac.
"You know I love to dance, but this..."
"And who told you that you were supposed to be a ballet dancer? I told you your assignment was about literature. You're their new Drama teacher. I seem to recall you know your Shakespeare quite well".
"Oh, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet!", Monica teased him overacting Juliet's love confession.
"I'll take charge of you later, Angel girl", he said, narrowing his eyes and pinching her nose tenderly. "So, Tess, what should I do?".
"Go ask for Mr. Jonathan Michels. He'll tell you what to do".
"And what about you?".
"Monica and I will be together. We'll actually be just a kind of support for you. Don't worry, you'll see her in the afternoon. I don't think your assignment needs night surveillance", the older angel told him as she saw their hands already intertwined. "The Father and I know you haven't come over your sugar-full days yet".
Both the younger angels blushed at her words and shared an accomplice smile. "Ok", the angel of death finally said, "I'll see you in the afternoon", and leaned down to give Monica a light kiss.
"Have fun, Romeo!", Tess teased him before turning on the car. "And don't break the heart of too many Juliets around there".
About an hour later, Andrew was watching in awe his new group. Instead of the normal blue jeans and T-shirts of other college students, they were all using tights and leotards, but their chat was just the same of any other group of this age. He thanked God for the past assignments where he had been a teacher for he knew he would need all that experience this time. He began calling the roll and stopped at one name: Natalia Rosenberg. His assignment. She was a small brunette young girl, with long dark hair and almond shaped eyes that were already fixed on his face. She seemed rather shy and serious, and blushed deeply when he smiled friendly at her. He used the first part of the class to know them, and so he learned Natalia was the most promising student and the next principal ballerina of the American Ballet for sure. By the end of the class, all the students were pleased with their new teacher and their chat was full of plans for a modern version of Romeo and Juliet for the final performance of the school year, just as Andrew had suggested.
Before the blond angel left the classroom, a man with dark hair of about 40 years came in. "Hi, you must be Andrew, the new Drama teacher". The angel shook hands with the man. "I'm William White, the choreographer of the company".
"Nice to meet you, William", though actually there was something in him that Andrew didn't like at all.
"I guess we'll be working together this year more than others. I overheard some of the guys saying you suggested to perform Romeo and Juliet".
"Yeah... I wanted it just as an exercise for the class, I didn't mean to interfere in you job...", Andrew felt like he was trying to justify his first day there.
"No, I think it's a great idea", William said. "The ballet hadn't performed it in some years and I haven't decided what we'd be doing. It has to be something they like too, so I must say thanks".
"Great".
"Natalia, can I talk to you?", the choreographer turned to see the girl who had remained in the classroom. "See you later, Andrew".
The angel of death saw them walking away and a sudden feeling of unease made him realize his assignment had something to do with William too.
***
By five o'clock, Andrew walked along the almost desert corridor towards the staff entrance of the Academy. He didn't have a clear idea about what his assignment was yet but only the permanent sensation of something going wrong between Natalia and William. He was doubting about asking Tess for more information as he didn't know for sure what he was supposed to do, when all of a sudden he saw something out of the corner of his eye that made him stop. The door of William's office was slightly open and he could clearly see his figure. He was kissing somebody, quite passionately for what the angel could see, but he couldn't recognize who the woman was. He stared at them trying to get a view of her, but William's words soon gave him the name. "You're so stupid, Natalia".
For one second, the angel of death was sure he had misunderstood. Had William called her stupid? He could not hear a word from the girl, only a tiny sound he guessed was a drowned sob.
"Stop it! Just stop it!", it was William's voice again.
There was silence once more, only broken later by the sound of the man's footsteps when he moved besides a window. The girl walked behind him and then Andrew could see her. He hasn't been wrong, it was Natalia Rosenberg, his student. The ballerina tried to wrap her arms around his waist but the man freed himself quite brusquely. The angel saw her bending her head down and he figured out she was crying. "I love you", Natalia whispered.
There was a sarcastic laughter from William and then again the rude words. "See? I told you you're so stupid".
Knowing he had heard enough, Andrew walked back to his classroom. He wanted to get into the office and hit the man that had dared to treat a young girl like this, but he knew that wasn't God's plan and that wasn't his job either. About half an hour later, he left the school and only a block away he saw William and Natalia once more. They were in his car and she was still crying. The blond angel decided he needed to help her, but before he could reach them, the choreographer turned on the car and soon they were lost in the middle of New York's traffic.
***
Monica was talking animatedly to a small brunette woman when Tess met her that evening at the main entrance of Hillside Hospital in Long Island. The woman was chief of Psychiatrics there and the Irish angel had been assigned to help her as her assistant.
"Hello, baby, how was your day?", Tess asked as she came near her charge.
"Hi, Tess. I want you to meet Dr. Mary Ann Rosenberg".
The dark skinned angel shook hands with her before asking. "Rosenberg? Are you Dr. Richard Rosenberg's wife?".
"Yes", the woman answered. "Do you know him?"
"I'm his new assistant nurse. I just arrived today".
"Oh, well, what a coincidence. We both had new assistants today", she said without noticing Monica and Tess sharing a brief sight. "I'd like to stay, but I must go home now. My daughter should be back from the ABA anytime soon and she will be starving!".
"Your daughter is a ballerina at the ABA, Mary Ann?", the little angel asked.
"Yes, why?".
"Because we have a friend there. Maybe he knows your daughter".
"Yes, it's possible", the woman answered not actually paying much attention while she looked for her car keys on her bag. "I'll see you tomorrow, Monica. It was nice to meet you, Tess". "Nice to meet you too", the older angel answered and they saw her walking out of the hospital. "Andrew is not here yet?", she asked her charge when they were alone.
"No, but I think he'll arrive in any minute", she said. "Look, here he comes".
Tess smiled tenderly and shook her head at seeing her charges. The blond angel had just murmured a "Hi" and smiled when he came near Monica, before kissing her lips tenderly and holding her tightly. "I missed you, baby", he whispered into her ear, the words meant to be heard only by that little angel.
"I missed you too", she whispered back feeling perfectly content in his arms.
"Ok, ok, enough!"; Tess said and they pulled apart smiling. "Who wants to get a cup of hot chocolate with me?".
Andrew and Monica followed her obediently hand in hand. "Can I have a moka latte instead, Tess?", the Irish angel asked with the tone of an eight-year- old.
"You're pushing your luck, Angel girl", the supervisor said knowing she had lost the battle of wills with the younger angel.
***
An hour later, the three angels were seated in a cabinet of a nice coffee shop, looking at the crowded street, three empty cups in front of them. Tess and Monica had been talking all the time, one telling the other about their first day with the nice couple of doctors they were working with. Richard Rosenberg was an oncologist and Tess talked about feeling comfortable helping people who face death everyday, not only as patients but also as doctors.
Monica and Andrew were seated together and he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his hand stroking distractedly her arm. The little angel was so excited about her own day at the hospital that she hadn't noticed how awfully quiet the angel of death was. It was Tess, with her experienced eyes, who forced him to talk. "And what about you, Angel boy?". He turned to see her evidently surprised at being taken out of his thoughts. "How was your first day with the ballerinas?", she repeated.
"Fine, Tess, it was fine", he said unenthusiastically.
"Is there something wrong, Andrew?", Monica asked noticing the worry so evident in his eyes.
"No, nothing", but his tone said much more for two angels that knew him quite well.
"Of course, there's something wrong, Angel boy", Tess stated. "You can't fool us so easily".
Monica softly placed a hand over his leg and the other over his cheek to force him to meet her gaze. "What is it, Andrew?", she asked, her dark eyes reflecting both love and worry.
He saw her pure interest and he decided he didn't want to worry her with his suspicions. She had been so happy with her new assignment that he didn't feel fair to spoil that joy of hers. He took her hand and kissed it. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that I'm not absolutely sure about it yet".
"About what?", the older angel asked.
"Don't mind me", he finally said after a moment of silence. He smiled and changed the tone of his voice. "What would you say if we go for a walk? It's not too chilly out there". The blond angel held Monica again and met her still skeptical gaze. A moment later, he was standing at the side of the table, a hand outstretched towards the Irish angel. Monica turned to face Tess for a second and saw her supervisor slightly shaking her head, meaning she also didn't have a clue about what was troubling Andrew.
Some minutes later, the trio was walking on the street watching the windows of the stores, each one thinking on something different.
Tess was trying to get a divine word about the blond angel's assignment, but silence had been her only answer so far.
Andrew was asking himself how a man could tell a woman he loved her and then abused her the way William had done. His mind was still refusing to put the words "I love you" together with "You're so stupid", as he thought he would never get tired of saying the firsts to the little angel he was holding just as he would never, ever dare to say the second ones. He would never hurt her the way William evidently used to hurt Natalia.
But maybe the most troubled mind of the three was Monica's. Andrew had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as soon as they had left the coffee house, and she had wrapped her arm around his waist just as she always did, but something felt wrong. He wasn't as aware of her touching as he normally was, and that simple but meaningful act told her lots. At that moment of the night, she was feeling tears threatening her eyes, and an awful sensation was growing in her heart. Why wasn't he talking to her? Didn't he trust her? Had she made something to get him mad? The Irish angel took a deep breath and then sighed heavily in an attempt to fight back her tears, and held her beloved angel tighter. Her heart plunged to her stomach when she didn't feel him returning the gesture, and made a silent prayer for this being only a bad night. She decided she had to talk to him soon for she didn't want to take this as a rule for the few moments they could spend together.