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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Mar 25, 2020 9:34:52 GMT -5
This is a new story I've been working on, it's inspired reading several books and watching the films of Valentino while listening to a lot of 70's music. Feedback is appreciated.
Prologue, New York City, August 1926
Rudy lay back in the hospital bed as the throbbing pain in his abdomen flared up, shutting his eyes tight against the wave of pain. The antiseptic white walls, floor and drapes repelled and depressed him as he thought of his beloved Falcon's Lair in California. He'd hired a decorator and a team to furnish the house to his exact specifications, and it looked as though he might never get to see it completed.
He winced as another wave of pain went through him, nausea making bile rise in his throat. The door opened and a doctor entered, along with his manager and a priest. "Mr. Valentino, I have to say your prognosis is not good. If we were to operate, it could rupture and then infection from the ulcer could go into your bloodstream", said the doctor gravely.
His manager came forward and sighed. "Rudy, I don't want to do this, but you need to sign your will. Otherwise everything will be auctioned off and your family may not get anything. Everything is what you want?", he asked.
Rudy nodded. "Si, my brother, my nephews, my sister, get everything", he rasped.
The manager took out the will and a pen as Rudy carefully signed it. "Grazie, they will be provided for", he whispered.
The doctor and manager left as the priest came forward. "Mr. Valentino, I am here to give you the Last Rites. If you can, confess", said the priest kindly.
Rudy would have laughed if he wasn't in such pain. He had so much to confess, his disrespect of his father as a child, spending his inheritance in Paris, being a taxi dancer and gigolo in New York, his two divorces, the bigamy charge. "Padre, I have much to confess. But I only confess the major ones", he whispered.
The priest was quiet as Rudy confessed. "I absolve you of your sins, you must promise not to sin again. If you can, say your penance", said the priest.
Rudy was still as the priest anointed him with the holy oil and murmured a prayer in Latin while making the Sign of the Cross. Once the priest left the pains grew stronger and Rudy broke out in a cold sweat, his heart racing. The room before him went out of focus and turned gauzy, like he was seeing the room through a thin blanket. Then white light enveloped him and all he saw was pristine white all around, weightless and gossamer like the faintest of clouds. The last he remembered was an old man with long gray hair and a matching beard who gave him a gentle smile before all turned black.
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Post by Tim on Mar 25, 2020 17:03:46 GMT -5
Valentina was relatively young when he died. They got to him too late.
Nice scene of what he might have been thinking.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Mar 25, 2020 17:08:07 GMT -5
Valentina was relatively young when he died. They got to him too late.
Nice scene of what he might have been thinking.
Not quite, stay tuned. And the 70s stuff will turn up shortly 😁
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Post by Tim on Mar 25, 2020 17:20:18 GMT -5
Ah, got it
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Mar 26, 2020 9:41:40 GMT -5
Thanks Tim for the feedback
Chapter 1
Rudy slowly opened his eyes as the room came into focus. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in a hospital room, the walls painted a pale sky blue. He was in a bed covered with a blue and white checkered quilt and wore a pale blue pajama set, sunlight coming from a window to his right through a gap in the curtains. He could see mountains filled with pine trees and aspen and poplar and a valley in the foreground with a town, realizing this was not New York or California as panic and confusion filled him.
The door opened and a young woman wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt entered. "Good, you're up. I know this might be confusing but you need to regain your strength", she said kindly, her accent American with a slight soft drawl.
"Signorina, who are you? Where am I?", he rasped.
"I am a Signorina, but Miss will do. I am Linnea Johnson, and you are in Colorado", she replied.
Rudy tried to recall where in the US Colorado was, remembering that Colorado meant red colored in Spanish. "Signorina, Miss. That is out West. How did I get here?", he asked in confusion.
"Hugo brought you here, you were supposed to die. You did, sort of, but you're here now with a second chance. You'll find out soon enough, but your abdomen no longer hurts?", she asked.
"No, Miss", he said as he realized she was right. The constant throbbing pain in his abdomen was gone and suddenly he felt very hungry.
"Let me help you up", she said.
"No, Miss Johnson. I am much bigger than you", he said in alarm.
Rudy got into a sitting position and waited a moment before the room stopped spinning. The room came back into focus and he was correct since Linnea was tiny, barely five feet tall and slim. Her shoulder-length hair was a vivid coppery-red and her blue eyes the color of turquoise with a dusting of freckles on her nose and cheeks. The room stopped spinning as he gingerly got to his feet. Linnea immediately put his arm around her shoulders as she carefully led him out of the room. Rudy was relieved when they entered the parlor and he gratefully sank down on a brown corduroy sofa, embarrassed that he was so weak and had to lean on such a tiny woman.
"Mommy, is this our guest?", asked a little girl with red braids.
"Yes, Kayla. Kayla, this is Mr. Rudy. Signore, this is my daughter Kayla", said Linnea.
"What's your real name, Mr. Rudy?", asked Kayla.
Rudy chuckled as he tapped the space next to him on the sofa so she could sit down. "Signorina, my full name is Rodolfo Alfonso, Raffaello Pierre Filiberto Guglielmi de Valentina d'Antonguella. But everyone calls me Rudy", he laughed.
"Wow, are you a king?", asked Kayla in amazement.
"No, I was named after both my grandfathers, two uncles and my godfather, the other names are titles. Americans cannot pronounce all of them", he joked.
"Signore, I will show you something but I know you are going to be shocked", said Linnea.
She went into the kitchen and emerged with a calendar. It showed a photo of the Rocky Mountains in summer but what caught his attention was the date. "August 24, 1974", he whispered.
"I know, Hugo brought you forward. Yes, this is 1974. I'll get you a coffee", said Linnea.
Rudy was numb as the calendar fell to the floor, the picture of the Rockies on its glossy paper shining in the sunlight. This had felt like a waking dream since he had been in a hospital room in New York, but now he was in a house in Colorado. He no longer felt pain in his abdomen and he was breathing, his heart beating. He felt the soft flannel pajamas against his skin and the cool wood floor under his bare feet, a breeze from the open window against his face, so he was very much alive. "But how is that possible? I am alive since I feel things and this sofa and these clothes are solid and real. Even the oddest stories in Weird Tales wouldn't come up with something like this", he said in a daze.
Linnea gave him a cup of coffee and a plate with two chocolate donuts. The dark blue mug certainly felt solid and the coffee was hot on his tongue and the donuts suddenly made him very hungry as he eagerly devoured them in a few gulps. "Miss Johnson, does your husband have any clothes I can borrow?", he asked.
Linnea sighed and looked at her daughter who was now flipping through the calendar. "I am divorced, he drank a lot", she said quietly.
"Lo siento, Signorina Johnson. I understand, I am divorced twice myself. But do you live with your parents?", he asked.
"My parents live in Sweden, my mother is Swedish and my father is an American from Texas. We actually visited them in Sweden earlier this summer in July. But now women do get custody of their children and can work, they do not need to live with their parents. I am a music teacher at the town elementary school and I go back to work in September", explained Linnea.
Rudy nodded in understanding. His own divorces made the scandal sheets and took time and money to complete, and he imagined it must have been the same for her. He wondered exactly how awful her husband had been since Linnea was a lovely woman with a young daughter. Rudy tried not to think of his ex-wives, his first ex-wife having being a lesbian who had married him to look straight and his second ex-wife had gotten abortions without telling him or even saying she was pregnant. He'd always wanted children and doted on his nephews, wanting children of his own instead of seeing his nephews once a year on vacation.
"Your daughter is a beautiful child, Signorina Johnson", he said.
"Thank you, but I want Kayla to be smart as well. Many women finish college and have jobs, many work even if they have children. I'm glad I finished college and have my teaching license, I can support us", she said proudly.
Rudy nodded. He understood her desire to be independent and support herself and Kayla, but that was because of her divorce. "Does your ex-husband send alimony?", he asked.
"Yes, and the check is always late. He never showed interest in Kayla since she is a girl, he wanted a son. She visits him in Nashville since the courts order it, but I don't like it. All he does is drink and his girlfriend has to watch Kayla", she replied in dismay.
Rudy felt a sudden urge to punch her ex in the face. While he wanted a son to inherit his wealth, after his ex-wife's secret abortions he would have welcomed daughters since he always wanted children. "Your ex-husband est un homme mal, Signorina Johnson. My second ex-wife aborted our two children and didn't tell me she was pregnant, I learned from the police after they raided the doctor's office and found her name in the records with that information", he said bitterly.
Linnea gasped in horror. "Lo siento, I immediately asked for a divorce but I had to pay my lawyer to keep the worst details out of the scandal sheets", he said bitterly.
"Looks like we both got have terrible exes. I don't think I want to marry again, I don't want Kayla to have two bad fathers", she said ruefully.
He nodded. After his second divorce he tried to stay away from relationships, until he met Pola. She was an amusing, lovely woman whose company he enjoyed but he wasn't sure if she wanted children since she was a big star herself and pregnancy might have stalled her career. "I feel the same way, I might not ever get married again", he declared.
"Mommy, can we take Mr. Rudy hiking?", asked Kayla.
"Perhaps when he regains his strength", said Linnea.
Rudy had to agree as his limbs were heavy and he was still weak and he wanted to know more. "I agree, Signorina Kayla. I would like to see more of your lovely town, but I must rest", he whispered.
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Post by Tim on Mar 26, 2020 11:13:10 GMT -5
Rudy is doing well for someone pulled 48 years into the future.
Guess he'll have to assume a new name when he goes out into the world.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Apr 1, 2020 10:10:58 GMT -5
Chapter 2
Rudy woke up several hours later and was embarrassed that he had fallen asleep on the couch. He was startled when he saw Kayla watching a screen inside a box showing a group of young people in matching outfits singing with sound coming from the box. "Mr. Rudy, that's American Bandstand and that's the DeFranco Family. Now hush", she ordered.
Rudy watched the performance and had a chuckle when he saw the lead singer was a young boy about 10 years old. The song was catchy but repetitive as he tapped his foot along to the beat, admiring the boy's singing and the young people's dancing. "That's the DeFranco Family, they're from Canada and I love this song. I watched this episode earlier but I like that song. Mommy likes the Midnight Special and Mr. Kirshner's show. She lets me stay up to watch the Midnight Special 'cuz it's on Friday I don't have school, but it's August so I don't have school anyway", said Kayla.
"Yes, school doesn't start until September. And then I go back to work", said Linnea from the kitchen.
"Mommy's a music teacher at my school, she plays guitar and sings. She likes the Eagles and we saw them at in Denver last year", said Kayla.
"You are a musician, Signorina Johnson? I enjoy music myself, especially tango and opera. I do not like jazz, too noisy", said Rudy.
"Sort of. I do play guitar, I am a music teacher at Kayla's school. The Eagles are a group from California, I have all their albums", she replied.
"Mommy likes the Eagles and Poco and Linda Ronstadt, Miss Ronstadt is so pretty", Kayla gushed.
The show ended and TV went to the local news. "That's a TV, it has shows. Mommy has a TV in her room so she can watch old movies, those are boring", said Kayla.
"Is that like a cinema screen? But are they not expensive?", he asked in surprise.
"No, nearly everyone has one and many have two. People still go to the movies but they have TV as well", she explained.
"Mommy wants to see Don Kirshner's show tonight 'cuz the Eagles are playing with Linda Ronstadt. And Mommy says Glenn Frye is cute", said Kayla as Linnea giggled nervously.
"He is a good singer and he signed our album at the show, he seemed like a nice man", she said.
"He seemed nice, and the other Eagles too", said Kayla.
Linnea giggled nervously as her face turned pink. Rudy felt vaguely irritated and jealous over this Glenn Frye, even though he had no idea wh that was. Kayla turned off the TV and walked over to a bookcase as she flipped through the records. "This is the Eagles, they're Mommy's favorite band", she said as she took out the Desperado album.
"They are cowboys?", he asked in disbelief.
"Not really, they dressed up as cowboys. The album is about being an outlaw gang, outlaw films are popular", said Linnea.
Linnea carefully slid the record out of its sleeve and placed the vinyl disc on the turntable, dropping the needle as it started to spin. Rudy listened as the plaintive Doolin/Dalton came over the speakers, the spare piano and acoustic guitar giving it a haunting sound. His eyes went wide and a little smile formed on his face when he heard their harmonies, like a choir. Kayla grew restless and went up to her room, returning with several minutes later with a doll in a cowgirl outfit. "This is Rosaline, she's a cowgirl", she said.
Rudy chuckled. "Bella Signorina", he agreed.
Kayla held Rosaline and danced with the doll as the music played. Rudy sat on the couch and watched as Kayla with her doll reminded him of his little sister. Just a few weeks ago he had sent a set of fine china from Paris as a wedding gift to his sister and brother-in-law, wondering if she ever had any children or grandchildren by now. Tequila Sunrise came over the speakers and he listened carefully to the Western-styled ballad. The plaintive vocals and harmonies gave a yearning to the lyrics about an outlaw on the run in Mexico, thinking back to when he'd gone to Mexico for his second marriage and those happy early days:
"Do you like the Eagles, Mr. Rudy? Mommy likes them because she likes cowboy stuff, she was born in Texas and Grandpa is from Texas, Grandma's from Sweden. They live in Sweden, but I like Texas better cuz my Uncle Butch is a cowboy", said Kayla.
"Si, I like the Eagles very much. I have seen cowboys in California who made films, real ones from Texas and Oklahoma", he said.
"Dad grew up on a ranch in Texas, it's been in the family since the 1870's, near Amarillo", she explained.
"In Spanish, it's Amarillo. That means yellow", he corrected.
"Hablo Espanol, signore. Pero que se dicen en Ingles, Texas esta en los Estados Unitos", she replied correct, Mexican-accented Spanish.
"Hablo Espanol Tambien, Signorina. Fue a Espana por un tiempo cuando joven, y California tiene muchos gentes Mexicano. Necessitais hablais Espanol en California y Mexico, verdad?", he chuckled.
"Perdon. Pero gente aqui no hablan Espanol, Papa habla Espanol porque muchos gentes de Mexico viven en Texas, el rancho de mi familia tiene muchos vaqueros Mexicano", she explained.
"Vous acccente son Mexicano, pero yo entiendo. Me accente son de Espana", he said.
"We're learning Spanish at school, Senora Martinez comes to class once a week to our class and Mommy helps", said Kayla.
"I also know French and Italian, I am from Italy and my mother is French", said Rudy.
"Ohhh, cool. All I know is English and a little Spanish, Mommy knows Spanish, English, and Swedish cuz Grandma's from Sweden", said Kayla.
"My Swedish has an American accent. I only speak it while in Sweden with my family. Anyways, go wash your hands since dinner is almost ready", said Linnea.
Rudy followed Kayla and watched as she washed her hands and followed suit. "Mommy's real good at cooking. She makes great Mexican food and Swedish food, like Grandma", she said.
"That's because Swedish food is hard to find in the US. And Mexican food in the rest of the country stinks, any place without Mexican people cannot have good Mexican food", said Linnea.
"Ohh, Swedish meatballs!", squealed Kayla.
"These are Swedish meatballs, the sauce is cream, mushrooms and some spices. I use ground turkey because it's leaner than beef", she explained.
Linnea was surprised when Rudy pulled out a chair for her and then poured everyone a glass of iced tea from the red and white pitcher. He gave her a wink and Linnea blushed as Kayla was too busy arranging the forks to notice. "I like iced tea, it is too hot in Apulia for hot tea and Americans are bad at making it", he chuckled.
"What is Apulia?", asked Kayla.
"It is where I am from in Italy, the heel of the boot, so to speak", he explained as he served Kayla and then Linnea before serving himself.
"Uh, thank you", said Linnea in surprise.
"De nada, Signorina Johnson", he said. Rudy mused that her ex-husband had not been much of a gentleman if she was surprised by such a little gesture. He was momentarily surprised that the meatballs were served with mashed potatoes in a cream and mushroom sauce with cranberries, but was actually tasty and he eagerly dug in. His appetite had returned with a vengeance and he ate everything on his plate as Linnea served him again and refilled his glass. He nodded in thanks and felt much better after his second helping of dinner as Linnea got up and cleared away the dishes.
"Excuse me, do you have any cigarettes?", he asked.
"No, I don't smoke and it isn't good for you. I'm sorry about that", she replied.
Rudy frowned and calculated that it had been over a week since his last cigarette. However, he didn't feel jumpy and jittery like he normally did without a cigarette. He thought that perhaps Linnea was right about the cigarettes as Kayla went to help her mother in the kitchen. "Mommy, can we have ice cream later?", she asked.
"Maybe, you just had dinner", she replied.
Kayla tried to stifle a yawn but she perked up when the opening credits for Don Kirshner's Rock Concert came on TV. Kirshner himself hosted the show, a homely middle-aged man with thinning gray hair and a blue pinstriped suit with white lapels. The state was set up in a pseudo-Old West style with cardboard cutouts of cacti and a false-front saloon, the crowd cheering when the group took to the stage. Rudy was surprised that the group looked so ordinary, the guys in jeans and t-shirts like a group of laborers. The only exception thing about them was their long hair and mustaches, longer hair than he'd seen on many women. "Long hair on men is common now", said Linnea.
He nodded and settled in to watch the performance. Rudy had to admit the group's musical skills were excellent along with their harmonies, the songs he'd heard from Desperado sounding better in the live setting. About five songs in the group was joined by a slim, attractive brunette with large silver hoop earrings as the group performed Silver Threads and Golden Needles. Rudy nodded in approval and thought the girl had an excellent voice, an alto verging on a mezzo-soprano as she sang with the guys
"That's Linda Ronstadt, she's so pretty", said Kayla.
"Si, Signorina Kayla", he agreed.
The show ended with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt joined onstage by Jackson Browne as they played Take It Easy:
The blended harmonies of the Eagles, Ronstadt and Brown made the song sound fuller and more dynamic than the single version as the crowd got up and started dancing. "Excellent show, I especially liked Signorina Ronstadt", he said when the show ended.
"The Eagles were actually her backup band at one time but she insisted they form their own group, she has a different band now. And it's time for bed, Kayla", Linnea told her daughter.
"I'm not tired, Mommy", she whispered.
"Yes you are, let's go", said Linnea.
She picked up her daughter and took her upstairs and Rudy was surprised that they shared a room, realizing he was staying in Kayla's room. "We don't have a guest room, and the sofa isn't comfortable", she explained.
Rudy nodded and felt guilty he was taking the little girl's room. "Tomorrow, we're going to K-Mart in Grand Junction to buy clothes. You need clothes, you're wearing my brother's stuff", she said, referring to his jeans and white t-shirt.
"Grazie, Signorina Johnson", he replied.
"Call me Linnea, since you're staying here. Buenas noches", she said as she closed the door.
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Post by Tim on Apr 1, 2020 11:28:16 GMT -5
Rudy is baffled by TV.
Imagine him here in 2020. Poor guy would be totally lost
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Apr 1, 2020 12:36:43 GMT -5
PS, when they’re speaking Spanish Linnea is using Mexican Spanish since she’s from Texas and that’s her native dialect. Rudy is speaking standard Spanish from Spain, he was fluent in Spanish, French and English with Italian being his native language
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Post by Tim on Apr 1, 2020 18:34:55 GMT -5
Good thing that he knows those other languages.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Apr 6, 2020 9:50:26 GMT -5
Chapter 3
"Grand Junction is boring and so is K-Mart, but the drive is very pretty", said Kayla as they all got in Linnea's dark blue pickup truck.
"Yes, the road passes by the Black Canyon and the Gunnison River, Grand Junction is near the Colorado River. The town itself is boring, though", she said.
Rudy saw the Linnea strapped on a belt that went around her shoulder and across her lap while Kayla wore a similar belt in the back seat. "That's a seat belt, you have to wear one or else I'll get a ticket", she explained.
He nodded in understanding as he pulled out the belt and before strapping it into place. Linnea turned on the engine followed by the radio as she backed out of the driveway. "Good morning, Colorado! Today is gonna be sunny with a high of 72 degrees so if you wanna go hiking today's a great day", said the DJ as he played Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts.
Within a few minutes they had left the town behind and were on Route 550 headed north. Rudy was surprised and delighted when the road circled the mountains and went down into valleys, the views absolutely stunning. One side were the mountains covered with pine and aspen with the former dark green and the latter in paler green tinged with gold. On the other side trimmed by the guardrail was the valley where ranches and towns spread out below them, like a checkerboard quilt, a brilliant blue cloudless sky capping off the view. An eagle soared overhead and glided on the wind towards the mountains, not deigning to look down at the road below.
Rocky Mountain High by John Denver came over the radio. Rudy listened intently to the music and mused that the song was appropriate since they were in the Rockies amidst such stunning scenery:
"John Denver is a local boy from Colorado, we're actually in the Rockies, they go all the way to Canada", she said.
Rudy could only nod as the landscapes still rendered him speechless. While he had crossed over the Rockies on a train, he had never really seen much of the are since the train had kept to the valleys and lower elevations, plus he was preoccupied by his divorce and the publicity tour for his latest film. Seeing the Rockies so up close in a truck was far more exciting than from a train window.
The town of Grand Junction was a disappointment after the stunning drive. It was situated in a valley between peaks of the Rockies but the perimeter of the town was ringed by the wide asphalt ribbon of I-70 as cars and trucks zoomed past. Around the interstate were sprawling shopping centers with mammoth parking lots, the stores shaped like massive boxes which dwarfed people and cars. "Unfortunately, this is where many people shop. It's more convenient, though, one can buy everything in one place", said Linnea as she parked near the K-Mart.
Before she could open the door, Rudy had gotten out from the passenger's side and helped her and Kayla out of the truck. Several middle-aged women looked on in disbelief as they had gotten used to the less formal manners of modern young men. Linnea blushed and Rudy was bemused by their reaction. "Men usually don't help women out of cars", she explained.
"So men act like pigs?", he asked in distaste.
"Not quite, but men are less inclined to help out. I've been on my own with Kayla for so long, I'm not used to help", she replied.
Rudy wondered if her ex-husband was one of these sorts of men as he followed her into the store. The bright fluorescent lights bouncing off the white walls momentarily blinded him as he blinked several times. After a few minutes his eyes adjusted and he followed Linnea as she placed Kayla in the front of a shopping car and tied the seat belt around her waist. "This is so she doesn't get loose inside the store", she explained.
Rudy insisted on pushing the cart as Linnea went on ahead of them. She bought a few household items along with cereal and a large canister of coffee before leading them towards the men's section. "Choose what you like and then go to the dressing room to try them on", she explained.
He nodded and looked over at the clothes, frowning when he saw many of the trousers were jeans and the shirts were either plaid flannel ones or t-shirts. Rudy glanced around and saw that many of the men wore this kind of outfit, deciding that he ought to try and fit it. He selected some jeans and t-shirts before going into the fitting room, trying on several pairs of jeans and shirts, admitting that the clothes did look good on him and were comfortable. "These I like", he said once he finished.
"Okay, I'll pay for them", she replied.
Rudy gently placed a hand on hers, his big tanned hand such a contrast to her tiny pale one. "Signorina Johnson, Linnea, I will get a job and pay you back", he vowed, his dark eyes shining obsidian with intensity.
"You will", she replied.
Rudy swore under his breath when he saw that he accidentally startled her. "Lo siento, Linnea", he murmured.
Linnea nodded as she led them towards the checkout lane. Rudy pushed the shopping cart as Kayla swung her legs back and forth against the cart, craning her neck to see the checkout lane. "Mommy, can I have a Hershey bar?", she asked.
"No Kayla, we're having lunch soon", replied Linnea.
Rudy helped her place the items on the conveyor belt and watched as the clerk activated a button which allowed the rubber belt to move the merchandise forward. He was astonished to see that she paid for them using a plastic card instead of money, how the clerk wrote something on a paper and had her sign it before handing her a copy. "What is that?", he asked once they left the store.
"That's a credit car, I got one from the bank. It has an amount of money on it and I get a bill the mail each month. I then send them a check to pay the bill. It is more convenient than carrying around money, if I lose the card or it's stolen I call the bank and they will send a new one and cancel the old one", she replied.
He nodded. "But people still use money?", he asked.
"Yes, but many people have cards as well. I use money for smaller purchases but credit cards for larger ones", she explained.
"Mommy, can we go to Pizza Hut?", asked Kayla.
"Sure, let's put the bags away first", said Linnea.
Rudy placed the bags into the back of the truck and pulled the tarp over the truck cab before unstrapping Kayla from the shopping art. Linnea had to admit it was nice to have someone help as she watched him carefully unstrap Kayla take her out of the shopping cart. "Thank you, Mr. Rudy", she replied.
"De nada, Signorina Kayla", he said with a grin.
Linnea fumbled with putting the keys into her pocket and attaching them to a wallet chain which fastened to a loop of her jeans. She led them towards a squat building topped by a red roof on the other side of the parking lot. His gaze lingered on her slim backside in the tight jeans and an Eagles t-shirt with the back listing the dates of their last tour. His eyes moved lower to the soft brown suede boots on her lower legs and emphasized her legs. Under normal circumstances the idea of women in pants would have either horrified or amused him, but now he would make an exception.
She led them inside the building as a blond teenage girl wearing black slacks and matching vest over a white blouse smiled at them. "Hello and welcome to Pizza Hut, table for three?", she asked cheerfully as Linnea nodded. The girl took two adult menus and a children's menu as she led them inside. Pizza Hut was about three-quarters full with shoppers and townspeople having lunch, a few single men at the bar drinking beer and watching a baseball game on the TV mounted on the wall.
Kayla immediately sat down and started coloring the children's menu. "This is American pizza, it's not quite Italian. Unfortunately, there's not many Italians here", she said.
"Lo siento, I could not get proper Italian food in California either. I had to cook it myself", he replied.
Linnea ordered a pepperoni pizza and a pitcher of iced tea for the table. Rudy faced the bar and wondered at how cheap such TV's must be if a simple restaurant could have several over the bar, musing that at least the TV could show something more interesting than baseball. "Wait until football season starts, the Denver Broncos are the local team around here plus there's college football", she said.
"That is not football, calcio is football. This looks more like rugby", he sniffed.
"It does, Americans and Canadians are the only people who really play this type of football. I don't like football either, or sports in general. It's a musician thing", she chuckled.
The waitress came over with the iced tea and poured them each a glass. "I want to go hiking in the mountains near the house, I have never seen such mountains before", he declared.
"You must build up your strength first, hiking in the mountains isn't easy. I have a catalog from Timberland and you can order hiking boots. If you hike in the mountains, with ordinary shoes you can hurt yourself", said Linnea just as the waitress came over with their pizza.
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Post by Tim on Apr 6, 2020 12:33:41 GMT -5
Rudy wants to get out and explore. Can't say I blame him.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on May 6, 2020 10:42:48 GMT -5
Chapter 4
Linnea was correct as the sky had gotten cloudier since they'd arrived. Everyone got in the truck and Linnea drove towards the highway, the radio playing Seasons in the Sun. "Ohh, I love this song!", squealed Kayla.
Linnea chuckled ruefully as she turned up the radio. The song was oddly cheerful as the singer said goodbye to his friends and family, the chorus catchy and easily getting stuck in one's head as Kayla sang along. Even Rudy found himself humming along and during the commercial break he sang softly the refrain. "You have a very good voice", she remarked.
"Grazie, I recorded a few songs and people liked them. Perhaps I could have been a singer, but I don't like jazz or blues and I don't have the voice for opera", he chuckled.
"Or when movies went to sound, you could have been a star in talking films. You have a pleasant speaking voice and your accent isn't very thick, some actors couldn't make the transition since they had a heavy accent or a speech impediment", said Linnea.
"So I could be an actor? I'm not sure about that. I liked the money since I was poor at firs, but I didn't like the films I made, I only did Son of the Sheik because I needed to pay the builders and designers of Falcon's Lair", he said.
Rudy became thoughtful for a moment. "There was a film I had wanted to make called The Falcon, it was going to be set in Spain and I was there to scout locations. Paramount didn't want me to do it and they cut funding, they put me in films I didn't like. So I do not want to be an actor, or anyone famous", he mused aloud.
"Then what do you want to do?", she asked.
Rudy sighed and looked out the window at the valley below shadowed by the Rockies. "I don't know, I was a bad student at school and the teachers said I was lazy. I would rather be outdoors or dancing in the cafes or reading adventure books. And I wanted to visit India", he chuckled.
"Not everyone is a good student, especially boys. You speak four languages fluently, are a good dancer and singer. Are you good at fixing things or working with your hands?", she asked.
"I liked working on my cars, to fix them or to see how they worked. My grandfather was an engineer who built a bridge in Apulia and an aqueduct in Calabria. But I find math to be boring", he said.
"You could go to night school and take a course to become a mechanic. There's a school in Montrose where you could learn a trade, like being a mechanic or electrician or a carpenter", she said.
"Perhaps, I like the idea of fixing and building things", he replied thoughtfully.
They arrived just in time as it began to rain. Raindrops landed on the window panes with a loud splat and soon the glass was obscured by the opaque mosaic of raindrops and fog as Linnea turned on the parlor lights. "Kayla, you have to wait until you turn on the TV", she reminded her daughter as Kayla pouted.
Rudy grinned as he bent down to her level. "Your mother is right, Signorina Kayla. Do you want to hear a story?", he asked as she nodded.
Rudy sat down on the sofa and Kayla sat next to him. "Once there was a poor Spanish boy named Juan who wanted to be a bullfighter, his best friend was a girl named Carmen. He did grow up to be a famous bullfighter and married Carmen, they had two sons. Unfortunately, a rich lady named Dona Sol liked Juan and tried to take him away from his family", he said.
"Oh no! Was she bad?", asked Kayla.
"Very much, she was the sort of woman who used men to hurt them. She only wanted Juan because he was a famous bullfighter and was jealous of Carmen. Juan was tempted by Dona Sol and neglected his family and even his training as a bullfighter", he said.
"And then what?", asked Kayla.
"Carmen left Juan and took the boys with her when she found him with Dona Sol. Juan is devastated and gets angry at Dona Sol and kicks her out of the house. Then he starts training for his bullfight and hoped Carmen and his sons will come back. At the bullfight, Juan fights brilliantly when he sees Carmen and the boys, he defeats the bull and is reunited with his family", he said, concluding the story.
"What happened to Dona Sol?", she asked.
"She was still angry at Juan and went to find another bullfighter to sink her claws into. Such women are to be avoided", said Rudy.
"Girls don't date girls, boys date girls. I'm a girl, so I don't have to worry", said Kayla with perfect kid logic.
Rudy tried not to laugh. "Si, Signorina Kayla", he said.
The rain had stopped and Kayla turned on the TV. "Ooh Mommy, you like this movie", said Kayla.
Linnea emerged from the kitchen. "Oh, it's a Hopalong Cassidy film", she said as she turned off the kitchen light.
"Mommy likes cowboy films because Grandpa was a cowboy in Texas when he was young, and they're always on TV", said Kayla.
Rudy found himself sitting in between Kayla and Linnea as they settled in to watch the movie. The opening shots of the desert were thrilling but he tried not to laugh at the gang of cowboys who looked so awkward on their horses. However when he first saw Hopalong Cassidy, he changed his opinion as he thought Hopalong was a very dignified man in his black hat and long black duster, which provided a contrast with his snow-white hair. He sat astride an elegant white horse whose snowy mane and tail provided a contrast to his rider's black clothes and which stood out against the desert. Hopalong was joined by a callow youth barely old enough to shave and a grizzled old man whose gnarled hands tightly gripped the reins of his horse.
Rudy found himself rather liking the film, the dignified Hopalong with the callow youth and grizzled old cowhand somewhere in the Arabian desert to purchase Arabian horses for their ranch. It brought back memories of The Sheik and its sequel when he saw the extras in their loose robes and the fine horses they rode, even if the bandits were clearly Americans in makeup. The climactic final battle between Hopalong and his companions against the horse thieves and the wicked Sheik was a flurry of gunfire in big bursts of white smoke as the villains quickly fell over like so many sacks of potatoes. It ended with Hopalong getting out of his Arabian robes and back into his cowboy duds and his young sidekick fanned by a group of sexy harem girls in belly dancer outfits.
"Mr. Cassidy looks ridiculous in his Sheik costume, mine looked better. And my female costars didn't dress like that, real belly dancers don't wear such outfits. Much too revealing", said Rudy.
"Then what do belly dancers wear? The ladies looked so pretty", said Kayla.
"The dancers wear more veils and the outfits aren't so revealing. Many Greek and Lebanese restaurants have belly dancing", he replied.
"There's no Greek or Lebanese restaurants around here, or even in Denver. The only foreign countries I've been to are Canada, Britain and Sweden, and Britain was to change planes to Sweden", said Linnea.
"I didn't like England at all, it's too cold and rainy and the food is terrible. I grew up in Apulia, I need sunshine. Too much gray and rain isn't good for my mind", said Rudy.
"Then you need to prepare yourself, we get a lot of snow in Colorado during the winter", she laughed.
Rudy chuckled. A sudden realization came over him at her words, that he was permanently here in 1974. "How did I get here? Why did you bring me here?", he demanded.
"Hugo will explain everything, but here's the quick version. Hugo is the head of Sol Duga, we are a group of four clans of hereditary time travelers. The four clans are Lacroix, Jarvinen, Sutherland and Torres, my mother is a Jarvinen of the Lithuanian branch whose family fled to Sweden to escape the Soviets. Hugo brought you here to Ouray since this is a small town and you would be less likely to be recognized. Hugo will explain everything else", she said.
"Then where is this Hugo?", he asked.
"Most of the time he's at our headquarters on Hvit Orn island in Iceland, but he does travel. He can change his appearance to fit in and is an immortal wizard", she replied.
Rudy suddenly felt a massive headache starting as he tried to process this information. "So he is a wizard and immortal? Are you a wizard, Signorina Johnson? What happened to my brother, my sister, my nephew?", he asked in a rush.
"Yes, Hugo is an immortal wizard. No, I am not an immortal wizard, I am human. Your brother tired to become a movie star himself but wasn't successful and lived in Italy with your nephew, they're still alive. Your sister is still married to her French husband and has two daughters", she replied.
Rudy bowed his head and tried to control the conflicting feelings of hope and grief that threatened to overwhelm him. "Could I see them? I never met my nieces?", he whispered.
Linnea sighed and gave him a sympathetic smile, squeezing his hand gently. "I'm afraid not, Rudy. We don't want people to know about us, we don't want the government or dubious people using us for questionable means. I'm sorry", she whispered.
Rudy felt a sudden surge of anger as he glared at her, his dark eyes nearly black with rage. "Do you realize what you have done, Signorina Johnson? I can never see my family again, my brother, my sister, my nieces and nephew", he hissed.
"Rudy, you were dying and you hated being a movie star. This is your chance to live a normal life, not as a famous movie star or a taxi dancer or to be a starving artist in the city. You can find a satisfying purpose, instead of empty wealth and fame", she declared.
Rudy felt as though he had been slapped and the fire had gone from his eyes, turning them back to their normal brown. "Lo siento, Linnea. But all this information is such a shock, I am alive and no longer in pain. I am in 1974 in Colorado. I will never see my brother and sister, I will never see my nieces. My parents are already dead, I have no family", he whispered.
"Mr. Rudy, we can visit Grandma and Grandpa in Sweden next summer. And we can visit Uncle Butch in Texas for Christmas on the ranch", said Kayla.
"Tienes un Corazon muy grande y dulce, senorita Kayla. I just need to understand everything", he said.
"Take your time, it's a lot to process", said Linnea as he nodded.
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Post by Tim on May 6, 2020 11:30:15 GMT -5
Be kind of awkward for Rudy to meet his family again. They would wonder why he hadn't aged in 48 years.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on May 13, 2020 9:16:49 GMT -5
Chapter 5
Rudy watched as Linnea made coffee using a device plugged into an outlet. "It's a Mister Coffee, a coffee machine", she explained.
"Si, but I wonder if any store around here sells espresso. I'm afraid that American coffee is too weak", he said ruefully.
"No, unfortunately. Americans are as bad at making coffee as we are at making tea. Maybe in Denver there's a proper coffee shop, but I just drink coffee to wake up", she said.
"Mr. Rudy, we can watch Sesame Street while Mommy makes breakfast", said Kayla.
"Si, Signorina Kayla", he chuckled.
Kayla turned on the TV and switched over to the local PBS affiliate. A group of brightly colored creatures romped about on the grass and a chorus of children's voices sang about wanting to go to Sesame Street. The puppet creatures lived in an urban area along with people who interacted with the puppets as though they were people. Rudy had to chuckle when the big blue puppet who was obsessed with cookies kept trying to find a job, but sabotaged each of them by munching on anything that resembled a cookie. "That's Cookie Monster, he's always eating cookies. Mommy says eating too many cookies can give you a tummy ache", said Kayla.
"Your mama is right, my Mama said the same thing", laughed Rudy.
They continued watching Sesame Street as the different puppets showed the audience letters and numbers. He especially liked the Count in his long black cape and heavy Eastern European accent who introduced the number seven to a pink puppet with blond braids. "He sounds like Alla, she talked like that because she was from Russia", he said.
"Cool, that's so far. Count is supposed to be like Dracula, the vampire. Except he likes numbers", said Kayla.
"I have read the Dracula book in French. And I did see the vampire film with Nosferatu, he was very ugly and didn't look like Mr. Count", he laughed.
"Really? Did Nosferatu have a cape and talk funny?", she asked.
"No, he was bald and had long nails. And he didn't talk because movies didn't have sound, the words would be on the screen so people could read them", he explained.
"That sounds weird. I can read but I don't want to read when I watch a movie", said Kayla.
"You do that when we go to Sweden", said Linnea from the kitchen.
"That's 'cuz it's Sweden, Mommy. People don't speak English", said Kayla.
"Mormor speaks English", said Linnea.
"'Cuz she's married to Grandpa and he's American", replied Kayla.
Rudy tried not to laugh at their banter. "Signorina Kayla, many people in other countries speak English. I also speak French, Italian and Spanish", he said.
"I wish I could speak French, it's a pretty language", said Kayla.
"Sont un lengue mais belle, mademoiselle Kayla", he agreed.
"Breakfast is almost ready", said Linnea.
"Mommy made pancakes", said Kayla happily as she rushed to set the table.
"I would like to see the town", said Rudy once breakfast was finished.
"Ouray is a small town and there isn't much to see, just the mayor's office and town hall and library. Even the school isn't very big, only about 200 students. There are some parks but they're little with kids playing baseball or riding parks", said Linnea.
"How about the Ancient Canyon? We went there with Mormor and Grandpa", said Kayla.
"It's a National Park with preserved buildings built by local Native American tribes. My brother is interested in Native American history and that area has a lot of Native American sites", Linnea explained.
"In Apulia south of my town, there are buildings called trulli which are houses with a cone roof, they are very old. In Calabria there are old Greek ruins and even older buildings, temples and such. The Greeks also lived in the south of Apulia, they did not go further", said Rudy.
"Magna Graecia, the Greek colonies in southern Italy. Don't be shocked, I minored in history at college. Knowing about history is a requirement of Sol Duga, either professionally or on an amateur level", said Linnea as he looked surprised.
"Lo siento, Linnea. It's just that not many people outside of southern Italy wouldn't normally have heard of Magna Graecia. When I first came to America, Americans thought Italians were all dirty and stupid. My father was a captain in the army and my mother was a lady in waiting to a countess", he said bitterly.
"Italians aren't treated like that anymore, if anything, people think of Italians as pop singers and good cooks", she chuckled.
"I sing well and I am a good cook, so I suppose that part is correct", he laughed.
Rudy was still in a good mood as he put on his new hiking boots and helped Kayla with her bright pink boots. "Thank you, Mr. Rudy. The canyon is so pretty, there's really old Indian buildings", she said.
"That area has a lot of Native American ruins, there's more in Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Luckily the National Parks out west aren't very expensive and there's many of them in Colorado", said Linnea.
Rudy nodded since he didn't trust himself to speak. Linnea wore tight denim shorts which clung to her hips and backside which revealed her slim legs even more so that she was bent over putting on her boots. Her wide-brimmed straw hat perched atop her head hid her red hair which was pulled back into a ponytail and caught the light of the doorway light, Kayla wearing a similar hat except hers was pink. "The curse of being a redhead", she laughed.
They all got in the truck and Linnea backed out of the driveway. Unlike yesterday's trip to Grand Junction, Linnea headed south on Route 550. The Rocky Mountains here were more rugged, the valleys deeper and the sides of the mountains thickly forested with pines whose evergreen boughs turned the mountainsides a deep dark green. The few towns they passed in the valleys were even smaller than Ouray but tarted up to look gingerbread villages which resembled an oversized children's toy. "The villages here are former ghost towns, the original settlers found gold or silver and left when the mines ran out. The local councils tarted up the towns and fixed up the railway to bring in tourists. There's not much to see unless you like overpriced souvenirs', said Linnea dismissively.
"Because you are a native of Colorado, si? You are not impressed", he said.
"Of course not, thankfully Ouray is an actual town and not a tourist trap", she agreed.
Rudy chuckled. Suddenly a thought came to him. "Linnea, do I have papers?", she asked.
"I thought you would never ask. I have a safety box at home with a key, it has your ID's. Hugo made them", she said.
"Do I still have the same name?", he asked.
"Sort of, you're now Rudy Guglielmi, born on May 11, 1943 in Otranto, Apulia, Italy. You came to the US in 1970 and you're staying with us because you met our family in Texas and worked on my brother's ranch", she recited.
Rudy nodded. "Guglielmi is one of my last names and I was born in Apulia. And I do want to see Texas one day since I read a lot of cowboy books", he chuckled.
"Really, I read cowboy novels myself. I really like Louis L'Amour for the action and Zane Grey for his descriptions of landscapes, like in Under the Tonto Rim which is set in Arizona. If you want, I can help you get a library card so you can check out books. Our local library has a lot of Western novels since this part of Colorado is still very western. And Wyoming and Montana are even more western, plus they have even better national parks", she said.
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