The Wise Women of Havana by Jose Raul Bernardo

Author:Jose Raul Bernardo [Bernardo, José Raúl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-06-203228-7
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2002-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

The religious blessing of El Club Cultural is quite a beautiful ceremony in its austere simplicity. Men and women in lines follow the two priests as they slowly parade from one room of the building to the next, saying one Latin word after another as they do their sprinkling business.

When they climb the stairs to to the second floor, as they turn a corner, for a brief moment the eyes of Father Alonso lock on the eyes of Loló.

Seeing the beauty that hides inside those dark, gypsy eyes of hers—which remind him so much of Felipe’s equally dark and equally gypsylike eyes—Father Alonso smiles at her, an open smile filled with admiration.

But this smile totally surprises and disarms Loló, who cannot tell what that smile means.

True, Loló has seen many a manly smile aimed at her. But those have always been intensely suggestive smiles accompanied by leering looks; smiles and looks that answered Loló’s piercing way of looking. Still, Loló’s drilling eyes have never been answered by the kind of gentle smile Father Alonso is giving her. Honest. Sincere. Devoid of the devouring intensity with which other men have always looked back at her.

This other smile of the young priest’s is so different, Loló thinks.

Then, almost unaware that she is doing it, as she sees Father Alonso smile at her, Loló returns the young priest’s smile with a smile of her own: a small smile that is barely perceptible. But a small smile that is, nonetheless, as gentle, as honest, and as sincere as Father Alonso’s.

And as Loló smiles back at the young priest, she sees the kind, gentle eyes of Father Alonso brighten up and sparkle.

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