There is no kind comrade of mine
But will desire I were away.
But if that time will me permit,
Which from your Company doth call,
And me inforceth for to flit,
Good Night, and God be with you all.”(Neighbours farewell to his friends)
Later that night, Angelica was sleeping fitfully in Lilly’s bed, and she watched her friend tossing and turning with worried eyes. Angelica was right to be concerned. She really did not have anyone other than her father, and they had not owned any property. Mr. DiAntonio had just been getting his business started, dealing with the businessmen in town, discussing whatever their business was. He had no trouble integrating himself into society. He had learned English before he migrated to the country. He hadn’t expected to bring Angelica along, which was why she was so lost with the language. He had essentially been forced to bring her after the death of both his wife and his other three daughters in a fire that destroyed their home and much of their property.
The loss of her mother and sisters had taken Angelica to new depths of pain. Lilly met her, and Mr. DiAntonio is New York and traveled south with them because she enjoyed their company and teaching Angelica about American life.
Now, with the death of her dear father in yet another tragic accident, Angelica was left in a foreign land, alone and terribly frightened.
It was a good thing Lilly had traveled with them. She glanced through the window at the bright moon outside and prayed her thanks. You must have sent me down here with them, Lord. She thought. Because I don’t know where she would be now. She already felt alone. Now she really is.
But she knew that Angelica wasn’t really alone. She was there for her. And she had God on her side. Lilly would just have to ensure that Angelica’s life was not wasted.
Lord, give me strength. She prayed silently. I don’t know what You want to do with this child of yours, but I’ll try to do it Your way.
Lilly stayed with her that night and made sure both she and Angelica made it to the hotel, where they both worked in housekeeping. She still hadn’t come up with a solution to the problem. She had to think about her own future, too, and it didn’t include being a companion for the rest of her life. Not to a woman, anyway. She was anxious to find a man and get married. She wanted a family and children.
But she wasn’t about to abandon Angelica.
They worked in a hotel that was more like a boarding house and it was owned by a tiny little old woman named Bess. She ran the place with a tiny iron fist, and no one made trouble for her. She demanded the best character from her tenants and her staff. She was also very compassionate when it came to young women alone in the world.
When Bess heard that Angelica had lost her father, she went to find her.
“Lilly, Angelica, what are you doing here?” She said as soon as she entered the room they were cleaning. She had come to expect them to work together because Lilly was often an interpreter for Angelica as she learned English.
“Ms. Bessie, we are here to work,” Lilly answered.
Bess shook her head vehemently, approaching Angelica and looking up at her with a frown. “You just lost your father, and you are here working. No. You must go home and take some time to yourself to mourn!”
“Ms. Bess, I can’t…”
“We need to work, Ms. Bessie, we need the money,” Lilly said for Angelica.
Bess didn’t look at Lilly, just continued to gaze up at Angelica, who was at least 6 inches taller at 5’5. Her face melted in compassion, and she tilted her head. When she spoke, the tone of her voice had softened considerably.
“Angelica, go home. Take Lilly with you. I will give you a week of pay, and you just stay home and do what you need to do.”
“Oh, miss!” Angelica understood the words and could barely process them in her grief. Lilly was at her side immediately, thanking Bess over and over.
Bess said nothing more, just nodded, shooing them out the door. Angelica was crying softly, with Lilly guiding her by the shoulders.
Instead of going home, Lilly and Angelica walked to a small park on the corner of the street they worked on. They sat on a bench and held hands.
“We will figure out something to do with ourselves, Angelica. There must be something we can do with our lives. We can’t be housekeepers forever. We need husbands and families.”
Angelica just nodded, still quietly crying, her tears streaming down her face uncontrolled.
“Mio padre. Mio padre.” She kept shaking her head.
Lilly didn’t scold her for her grief. She let her friend cry and moan for her father. She stared out at the park around her, watching two mothers with very small babies settle a blanket on the ground for a picnic under a tree. She could hear them giggling and talking about their husbands and other children.