The Disappearance.

“I’m interested in your background Rosa. Obviously, you must have had a fun experience growing up and so did I.”

“I was born in this city but obviously my family back in history were of Spanish origin and located in California before it became a part of the USA. My parents were marvellous to me and my siblings as we grew up, but our home culture was conservative, and we identified with our original roots. Still do! So, it was difficult for me at Elementary and High School where English was the norm and I had to live between two cultures. I was also conscious of my slim build and was a late bloomer into womanhood which added to my insecurities. I do not feel insecure now and am quite confident of my goals, history and worth. Now what about you?”

Dan considered this for a while as they settled on the towels to sunbake.

“Well, there’s not a lot to tell. My father had an accounting practice in a small town that employed a lot of people as we served a wide rural community for consultancy tax and audits of business, industries, and farming complexes. He was hoping I’d eventually take over the practice but then one of the larger accounting firms expanding their reach into other towns around the state made him an offer he couldn’t refuse for the practice and offered him a job with them in this city and a big buyout. That firm happened to be Rogers and Smythe. So that’s how I ended up doing my high school here.”

Rosa interrupted him.

“So, you and your father work together. That’s wonderful! He got part of his wish.”

Dan laughed. “No, in his work as consultant for the firm to city government he was persuaded to leave Rogers and Smythe and work for them in top management for the city.  I haven’t visited him at his new office with any of my mentors yet. Those kinds of contacts are years away for me if I’m picked up by the firm after my internship.”

Rosa turned over to lean on her elbows and study him.

“Do you have any siblings?”

“I have a married sister and brother and my other sister is working in Brussels as personal assistant to one of our lower-level diplomats. There’s quite a gap in age between us as I came as a surprise much later.”

“Why are you living in an apartment when your parents live in this city? Surely your parents have enough room with the high level of employment your dad has. Does your mom work?”

“Mom is finishing her PhD at the university. She’s been a teacher all her life and progressively worked her way up the academic line up. I wanted to be closer to work here in the inner city as commuting from the far suburbs can be quite a challenge and I don’t need a car as its more convenient to take public transport rather than pay a fortune for parking when you arrive at the office. Only the top dogs get parking in the basement at work expense.”

Rosa rolled over on her back again and they sun-baked in silence for a while. Then she sat up and pushed him.

“Don’t you want to swim?”

Dan slowly sat up and surveyed the ocean.

“Sure, do you like board riding? I have an arrangement with the guy who hires them out and pay him before leaving the beach. He knows my dad so trusts me with the board without my having to pay a huge refundable deposit up front each time.

Rosa nodded and followed Dan as they sped over the hot sand to the stall where several boards were displayed.

“Is it OK to leave our stuff by the umbrellas while we hit the surf?”

Rosa eyed her towel on the beach as Dan selected two boards under the smiling approval of his family friend the owner.

Dan laughed and turned to the stall owner. “Greg this is my high school friend Rosa, and she wants to know if our stuff on the beach will be safe while we ride the waves.”

Rosa turned to study Greg and noted his bulk and muscles. Greg grunted then spoke in a deep voice.

“Little missy your stuff is safe as Greg is the unofficial guardian of the beach. I get my entertainment correcting those who steal things on the beach, and they usually don’t visit this beach again after my intervention. I can usually outrun them too and the word has spread out there among criminal elements, so the beach is relatively safe.”

Dan laughed and turned to Rosa.

“Greg also runs a physical education business in the evenings teaching boxing and martial arts. I can confirm he’s not exaggerating. Taught me to box in high school and I suffered bruises to confirm his claim. You probably thought bruises were from playing football.”

“Then I think you are a worthy match for Bill Evans, don’t you?”

Rosa laughed as she picked up the board Dan indicated, and they ran to the surf plunging in to guide their boards out to distant gathering waves. The rest of the morning was spent riding the waves and after a good take away lunch they settled in for the rest of the afternoon to talk about high school and their families. Late afternoon Dan returned his beach things to the locker, and both retired to dress for return to their own apartments. Dan accompanied Rosa back to her apartment then caught a bus home so he could attend to his laundry needs.

On returning to his apartment with clothes clean for the week he picked up his phone to message Rosa but saw there was already a message from her there. She’d had a wonderful day and decided that from then on, she’d only see him for dates if he was interested. He texted back he’d be proud to have her as his steady. For the next month it had been daily lunch in the cafeteria at work and weekends together. She reported that Bill was proving to be difficult and insisted on seeing her. She was unsure how to deal with the situation.

Then suddenly Rosa didn’t show up for work. Dan’s messages went unanswered with the note that her phone number was no longer operational and after a couple of days he contacted HR to inquire if they knew why she was no longer working there. They couldn’t divulge any information on employees but Mildred Smythe observing his distress told him they’d received a resignation letter from Rosa.

All these scenes had passed through Dan’s mind as he leaned on the shopping trolley trying to determine if he should see if his fleeting glance of a supposed past love was real. He burst into action pushing the trolley speedily to the aisle he’s seen her disappear into. There was no one matching his Rosa and the need to find her now became an obsession.  He quickly scouted around surrounding aisles scanning small side lanes between aisles. He raced to the checkout counters and stood there scanning those in line to be served. No one faintly resembling Rosa was there in line. He turned back and scanned the entrance to the aisles and saw the face he’d initially seen bringing back all those memories. The face disappeared and he abandoned his trolly and sped in pursuit. She too had abandoned her trolley and he sped after her catching a glimpse of her disappearing behind a curtain in the woman’s clothing section. He stood and waited and a half hour later the face appeared through the curtains and their eyes locked. It was Rosa, older but still retaining the beauty he recalled from their young days forty years ago. The curtains parted and she came toward him tears streaming down her cheeks. He moved forward and embraced her.

She spoke through sobs. “Dan please don’t do this. Think of your wife!”

“Rosa, I don’t have a wife but suppose you’re married so I apologise for embracing you. It was a natural reaction when I saw you weeping but it was inappropriate.” He let go of her, but she continued to hold him.”

“Dan I’m not married so it’s OK. I didn’t have the courage to face you so that’s why I hid when I noticed you in the aisle. I live in another city but came to visit with my daughter so it’s a strange world of chance to have both of us here on the same day after so many years. I’ve never forgotten you.”

“Rosa how important is it for you to have what you’re shopping for. I’ve abandoned my trolley of stuff, and I don’t see you with a trolley here. What happened to it?”

Rosa smiled. “I really don’t know where it is now as I was in such a hurry to hide in the women’s clothes trying on cubicle. No, I was just filling in time and some clothes took my eye and on the way to the counter I paused at the kitchenware section and that’s where I caught sight of you out of the corner of my eye and fled to the changing room. It was silly of me but I’m ashamed of the circumstances behind my sudden departure from Rogers and Smythe and your life.”

Dan took her by the arm and steered her toward the exit. She followed without protest, and he guided her into the nearest restaurant. He turned to face her and reached over to dry her eyes with his clean handkerchief.

“Have you eaten lunch yet Rosa?”

She shook her head. He handed a menu to her then turned to drink her in.

“Why Rosa? I loved you and it threw me into a depression that nearly cost me my studies and job.”

She shrugged.

“I guess you should have an explanation though I’d hoped you’d find someone to share your life with and make you happy after I left suddenly. You must have married. What happened to your wife, and don’t you have children after all these years? Surely you do.”

“After you disappeared Rosa, it took me a while to recover and then I poured myself into my work. I did date people over those years but always compared them with you and they just didn’t measure up or make me happy. I’d have loved to have children, but it would have been unfair to the one I married because there’d have been no love there. Years of hard stressful work have not been good for my health, so I decided to retire early and have quite enough in the bank to enjoy my retirement because I spent little on myself over those years and built up quite a nest egg. I’ve been making up my mind as to whether to travel for a few years while I still have the health to do so. So, my question remains why Rosa?”

“Dan, you remember Bill Evans and how I told you he didn’t accept the fact I’d chosen you and blocked him out of my life. He pestered me during the time we were dating and one Sunday evening after a trip you and I made to the beach together I’d just entered my apartment when the doorbell chimed, and I opened the door and Bill forced his way in. At first, he reasoned with me and when that didn’t work, he lost it and forced me. Then after it was over, he told me no one would want me after that and said I had no option but to marry him and he’d treat me well but would never permit anyone else to have me.

Despite that I determined to tell you what had happened and hoped you’d rescue me even if I became with child. I didn’t know if you would but hoped against hope. But first I decided to lodge a police complaint and went to the police as soon as he’d left. I had to go to the hospital for confirmation of my complaint and they pulled Bill in for a DNA test, and it confirmed I’d been telling the truth. Then for the first time I came to know Bill’s father was way up in the police force administration. Naturally it came to his notice, and he came to see me personally to urge me to withdraw the complaint and marry his son. I refused and was held at the station for questioning for hours. While I was there, they paraded my father and brother in front of me declaring they’d been arrested for alleged drug offences. Of course, that wasn’t true, but they’d searched the house and claimed to have recovered bags of cocaine which they produced in front of me. Bill’s father told me any misunderstandings could be resolved if I married his son. How could I involve my family in this injustice being done to me? I knew if they were that corrupt, you’d be next on the hit list. How could I do that to you? So, I agreed to the demand withdrew the complaint and went to live with my parents waiting to see if I was with child. Unfortunately, as it turned out I was, we were married, and Bill named the child Cynthia after his mother who he adored. When my daughter reached the age of maturity, she changed her name to Eva and changed her family name from Evans to Rodrigues. She practices under that name as an attorney today and she’s right up there as one of the best.”

To Be Continued

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