Subject: And this is Marta's summary of chapter 14:
Author: DebM (208.130.69.241)
Date: 11-28-1999 18:54
Sofia and Yanina are looking out the window at the glare from the
volcano
eruption. They hear and feel explosions but no earthquake. They
watch the
lava rolling down the creeks. Sofia asks Yanina where is Renato.
Yanina
tells her Renato received the annulment documents. Sofia is worried
about
Renato going away and having to go through the area where the lava
is
rolling, drunk and on horseback. There are more than 20 deaths due
to the
eruption so far. Sofia and Yanina will leave to try to find and warn
Renato.
Renato and Cirilo are trying to get through in between the scorched
areas.
The horses are scared. Cirilo says have to go back. Renato has to
get to
Fort de France at any price.
Juan and the others have left the city behind (they are on the
boats). They
have been dragged by the currents far from their planned route. But
they
are ok, says Juan. The little boats are trying to get back together.
Monica
asks Juan where they are. He replies that south of Saint Pierre. He
asks
Colibri to give the other boats the green signal so they can start
rowing
behind them.
Juan sits down and starts rowing again. He can barely see Monica but
he
feels an urge to get near her heart, to reach her soul. He stretches
his
hand out to touch her and grabs her cold and moist hand, then cannot
let go.
He holds it with painful tenderness and feels his passion flare.
Juan
reminds Monica that they are still in danger. She knows. But she is
not
shaking from that. She just felt a cold draft.
He tells her that it seems like that giant wave pushed them away
from danger,
from whatever is going on in Saint Pierre.
M: It's almost a miracle. Tonight everything seems like a miracle...
Monica notices that his presence gives her support, even hope. Isn't
she next
to her loved one? Isn't he also quiet because he also feels the same
love
and emotion in his chest?? His eyes shine so much in the darkness.
His
hand trembles, joining the two hearts beating the same blood. Juant
tells
her that she makes him tremble. Her presence in this night, which
might
very well be their last...
Monica notices he is bleeding considerably again out of the shoulder
wound
that has opened up again from the efforts of rowing. She says he is
in no
condition to row.
J: This arm, although bleeding, will defend and support you.
Monica sits next to Juan and grabs the rows. She will help him. He
replies
that Colibri can do it if he needed it, but he's ok. He still wants
her to
stay by his side, they are ok that way...
M: Yes. We're OK. Life is strange...
She almost repeated that line that he can never forget. Life is so
strange that
she feels happy, deeply happy as if her heart also burst out in lava
streams,
as if that one minute was worth a lifetime, as if that hour in which
they
are swinging between life and death, had the strength of eternity.
Juan is thinking about Segundo and the others they left behind.
Monica says
don't worry about them, they betrayed us. Juan replies that they
have suffered
too. Sometimes when you go through that much pain, it makes you sin
as unloyal.
They are within a half hour of going nearby her old house. She
shakes a memory
and moves away from Juan. He asks what's the matter, what is she
thinking.
She is thinking of Renato. Juan gets irritated and starts moaning
about it.
Monica does not want him to break the magic of the moment. What??
What are you
saying??
says Juan. She does not want to explain why she said that. Let's get
to the
Luzbel.
Sofia and Yanina are crossing the town of Saint Pierre in search of
Renato.
Everyone is leaving, fleeing by sea or going to restaurants and
refuge housing
because they have had to abandon their homes. They also hear an
official
announcement from the Mayor of Saint Pierre denying any danger or
state of
emergency. That there is no danger for the city itself. Only the
fields around Mont Pelee have been evacuated. Sofia and Yanina find
Cirilo. He tells them that Renato kept going and as far as Cirilo
knows, Renato made it through ok. Sofia rages at him for not going
back to tell her right away. He was scared. He also tells her Pedro
Noel has been collecting signatures from around the whole town and
is waiting at the
Governor's mansion to try to get a pardon for Juan and the fishermen
and for the
Governor to get them help to get out of Cabo del Diablo. Sofia is
enraged and
wants to beat Pedro Noel in speaking to the governor first.
Juan gets Colibri to lite the red signal so that the other boats
will stop and
wait for them. He rows towards shore, to a small beach near Monte
Parnaso,
where there is an old small convent atop of it. Both the city and
the sea can be
observed from its balconies.
Monica asks Juan why the change in course. He's quiet and continues
rowing fast.
When they reach the beach, Juan tells Colibri to hold on to the rows
and turn
the boat around. Then Juan asks Monica to come withh him and picks
her up, letting
her down on the beach. Monica is very puzzled. Are you crazy?? What
are you
going to do??
J: I cannot drag you to a probable death. Segundo was right in
fearing that the
Luzbel could not handle the load. Selfishly I retained you with me.
I was not
brave enough to let you go, to detach myself from you arms and
embrace. I have
suffered. I have fought with all my strength to be someone else. I
was crazy
enough to dream of being a different man, of changing my life, to
achieve the
miracle of reaching over the gap that separates us.
M: What gap?
J: You know. Don't let your pity deny what you know is true.
M: Are you thinking of leaving me here? Are you abandoning me?
J: Next to a convent. You can spend the night there and go back to
Saint Pierre
later.
M: But I won't leave you!!
J: And I don't want to drag you to death. Why are you forcing me to
speak up??
I'm finished, Monica!
Monica is still in denyal.
J: By now Segundo and the others must have been captured and forced
to tell
about our plan. They will come out after us, and I am not going to
give myself in,
Monica. I will go out to sea, even knowing that we won't get too
far.
M: You lied to me!
J: I kept quiet while I fought my conscience, but reason prevailed.
It wasn't a
lie.
M: You lied! Not only to me, but to those unfortunate souls.
J: There's no lie in their minds. They know well what lies ahead.
the'll share
my fate: disgrace or maybe a little hope. Hope for a miserable life,
which I don't
want you to live, Monica de Molnar...
M: And if I accepted it?
J: Don't make me imagine a paradise that cannot be. Be quiet. If I
kept
listening to you, maybe I would not have the strength to do what I
must do... because I
love you so much... so much!!!..
He has embraced her and lays a kiss of fire on her lips. Then,
roughly, he
pulls away and runs to the boat, leaving her there screaming at the
beach:
No, Juan!! Don't leave me!! Take me with you!!! I don't care if I
die!!
Monica's shouts fade in the night. The waters get rougher and a
giant wave
soaks her, but she is there still, still burning in her lips the
shadow of that
kiss that Juan left in them, strong, bitter and tenderly sweet all
at once.
The first.. the only real love kiss that Monica ever received...
She is still, like nailed to that beach, still yearning to hold on
to what her
fingers once felt. Dreamed gift that life has taken away from her
yet again,
and she mumbles a sad phrase... 'Juan, why did you abandon me??'
She hopes that daylingt will let her sight the Luzbel and she can
hear his
last words over again like torture... Juan de Dios... Juan del
Diablo...
he who showed up in her life suddenly as arrows of light and fire,
caressing
and ripping her, he who, finally, released his secret in the brutal
farewell.
He who her heart still claims for with a weak and painful
reprieve..'If I could
only follow you.. if I could...'
She starts walking up the hill, looking out to sea for the Luzbel.
'How can I
find you.. how could I join you again...'
Maybe in Saint Pierre she can find a boat, maybe someone could take
her to him.
Her back is to a caravan of carriages closing in on her. They are
going from
the city towards the houses up in Mount Parnaso. One of the wagons
slows down,
stopping next to her. The door opens. Out comes Mother Superior of
the Verbo Encarnado Convent, the one Monica was in the middle of the
city. Monica explains to her that Juan left her there and ordered
her to save herself. Mother Superior is
looking at Monica and notices that she is wet and looks ill. Then
pity takes
over her curiosity. She asks Monica to get in the carriage and to go
to the convent
with them. Mother Superior has heard stories in both extremes: the
world is
coming to an end, and there's nothing to worry about. They were
asked to
evacuate the convent in the city. Governor is back to stop the
fleeing. Monica says she cannot go with them. She has to find
Juan... Mother Superior asks (kind of
happily) if Juan was able to escape.
M: He is, as you might say, lost, hopeless. He is heading to a
certain death.
The Luzbel cannot take the load... My God!!
Mother Superior thinks that Monica is delirious.
Monica says she is not. Juan brought her to the beach, ordering her
to save
herself, to go to that convent and...
Mother Superior says Monica should obey her husband. It's her vowal
obligation.
Monica replies that if he dies, she does not want to live!! She will
loose her
mind!! Mother Superior says don't despair. It's not just Juan. All
of them are
in great danger. All the novices are in prayer since yesterday. Gods
grace is
unending.
Having found her there is almost a miracle. They will all pray for
another
miracle in honor of that generous crazy man of her husband. In the
last few days it
has been the talk of the town, his crusades and brave fighting in
the defense
of the fishermen. Many are against him, but he also has gained big
allies. Their
Capellan among others...
Mother Superior slowly has convinced Monica to enter the carriage
and the
caravan moves on toward the convent atop Monte Parnaso.